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Small Data

Definition

Small data is a dataset that contains very specific attributes. It is used to determine current states and conditions. Small data is generated by analyzing larger data sets. All small data related to people’s daily life. Dr. Jonathan Reichental describes small data as tiny chunks of big data that people can easily comprehend. Small data is also described as “the last mile of big data”. According to Ben Rossi, “big data is useful only if we can do something with in our everyday jobs, which is where small data enters the picture.” The big data is virtual. Only if it is turned into apps for users where the value is created.

Characteristics

Small data can be described by the following characteristics:

Accessible--Small data is available to all.

Understandable--Small data is easy to apply.

Actionable—Small data is focused on the task at hand.

Application

Government

The small data impacts every service and every department within a governmental organization. Governments can establish fund balance policies by accessing to current and legacy financial and budget data. It helps government to address issues such as the misalignment of budget cycles vs. revenue projections.

Health care

Small data can identify various kinds of individual situations in the light of fitness, health care. With the development of health apps on the mobile phones, it is easier and more convenient for people to know their own healthy situations. Besides, many people can prevent from getting sick with the help of small data. In many professional fields of health care such as Geisinger, Sutter Health, and Group Health, small data can identify patient’s lifestyle, through which a prescription focusing on preventing illness can be written.

Internet of Things

Small data is driving the Internet of things (IoT), which has been suggested by Mike Kavis who is a pioneer in cloud computing. Mike implies that small data addresses the issues of specific attributes. It is used to determine “here and now” situations.

Technology

• Adobe—Adobe has built out a massive numbers of solutions for advertising, Web analytics, and social marketing. This combo offers some great upside for tapping the small data movement.

• Google—Google represents the small data. Because its technologies contain the key characteristic of small data--simple, smart, mobile, and social. Moreover, all information the Google glass brings is small data, such as the current location, temperature, etc.

• SAP--It has strong alignment with small data message among both SAP product execs and its customers.

• TIBCO—the Spotfire analytics and visualization tools of TIBCO is powerful tools of small data.

Finance

The information for all credit card holders means big data. However, the information of each card holder represents small data. In order to prevent credit card fraud, the bank monitors the transaction of a card number and makes comparison with its owner’s purchase history. If they can not be matched, the account would be frozen.

Big Data and Small Data

The relationship between big data and small data is interaction.

Big Data technologies can reveal the reason behind an organization’s overall performance. However, small Data illustrates the specific information and factors that influence the “reason”. Additionally, big data and small data are coexistent. For example, big data has been used by medical professionals and researchers to identify informative trends within a population. Big data helps identify at-risk populations and provides a starting point for developing cures and preventative medicines. However, without observation of small data, big data cannot exist.

Mike Kavis talks about the value of the combination of big and small data in Big Data – Small Data Is Driving The Internet Of Things. He suggests small data knows what tracked object is doing. If you want to understand why the object is doing that, then big data is what you seek.”