Storage Slideshow: The Big Data Conundrum

When it comes to "big data," CIOs are caught in a trap of "can't live with it/can't live without it," according to a survey conducted by business technology services vendor Avanade. While the modern-day crush of information generated by e-mail, word docs, spreadsheets and other content sources is difficult for CIOs to manage, it's also considered mission-critical for organizations. The complexity of this data overload is only projected to increase. In fact, the world's volume of data doubles every 18 months, and enterprise data in all forms will grow 650 percent over the next five years, according to industry forecasts. All of this is leaving organizations overwhelmed, according to the survey, with too much of the data being irrelevant, outdated or otherwise "bad." Survey respondents also say it's difficult for them to find the right people who can provide the right information at the right time. In fact, more than one quarter of respondents report that they've lost business because they couldn't access key information when needed. Yet, when asked, these same execs say they only want more - not less - data to work with. More than 540 CIOs, IT decision-makers and C-level executives took part in the Avanade survey.