From the Von Neumann architecture and the invention of Ethernet at Xerox, Palo Alto, to Tim Berners-Lee giving birth to the what drives the world today – the internet – we have come a long, long way.

A lot has happened in the last few decades and every now and then, we’ve been hit by an IT revolution that went on to rewrite the way things worked and businesses functioned. From connected networks, emails, to social media, we’ve been bombarded with tech terms that would dominate as the buzzwords for a while, until another technology took the IT industry by storm.

Today, we are at this phase where terms like Big Data, analytics and the Internet of Things are making it to our everyday lives. Personally, I would call this phase as the best phase in IT, as we’re not just innovating with the older technologies but are getting closer to delivering solutions to real-world problems and everyday concerns. This is the era of Big Data and machine learning. This is the time our devices are becoming smart to add convenience to our lifestyle and simplify how we interact with the world around us.

But what do these terms mean to a layman?

Big Data, analytics and IoT are not just terms that find their application in huge tech companies. They are what surround us; we generate the data, which is processed and sent back to the machines to understand our behaviour and offer customized responses to our stimuli.

Ever used Siri? Have you noticed that as you keep using it, Siri gets better and comes up with solutions and responses that make more sense to us? A very simple application of IoT and machine learning! The sensors in your smartphones, smartwatches and bands are all part of this revolution that monitor data from your lifestyle, process them and get optimized for a personalized experience.

In another example, have you noticed that if you’ve booked a movie ticket using your email address and when that address is synced to your smartphone, Google sends a notification or a reminder to ask you to leave at a specific time to avoid traffic? This is IoT at work again.

Data scientists are an inevitable part of this IoT-Big Data cycle, as they’re the ones who deliver a wealth of information from raw chunks of data.

Apart from making our personal lives simple, IoT and Big Data analytics are playing a huge role in the growth and operations of businesses, too. Organizations, both big and small, use it to understand their customers better, optimize their processes and workflow, predict and minimize employee attrition, manage and optimize supply-chain, and get crucial insights on business concerns.

How are IoT, Big Data and analytics related?

A global estimate suggests that there are six billion connected devices as of now. Today, from these connected devices, over 2.5 million terabytes of data is generated every single day! This estimate is predicted to increase to 30 million TB per day by 2020. These huge chunks of data offer valuable information and insight with the potential to change entire industries when processed judiciously. That’s where Big data and analytics come into action.

Tech companies and businesses compile data from multiple sources and have it processed for answers, behaviours and predictions. They monitor the data to gauge product performance and usage, work, look for answers and insights that could set their businesses and processes on track for the future, optimize their workflow, understand customer tendencies and automate processes wherever possible to optimize efficiency and ROI.

One of the simplest examples of this concept in action is a self-driving car. The sensors in a self-driving car pick up data from its surroundings and classify things to classes they belong (pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles, shops, avenues and more). The main computer inside processes the data received and sends signals to the car to take intelligent decisions. As simple as it may sound, millions of data points are received, processed, and sent out every single minute to avoid an accident.

The Role of Data Scientists

Millions of terabytes of data are produced every hour and there needs to be someone at the other end to compile the data, investigate it using languages such as R, SAS, Python and more and get valuable insights. This is done by qualified data scientists or data analysts, who are trained in the language data understands. Data scientists are an inevitable part of this IoT-Big Data cycle, as they’re the ones who deliver a wealth of information from raw chunks of data. With a flair for numbers and quantitative aptitude, data scientists can uncover information that average eyes fail to see.

Harvard Business Review has called data analytics as the sexiest job of the 21st century. Businesses have now become ready to invest more in data analytics and scientists for their companies and that’s the primary reason data scientists are of huge demand both in India and abroad. If you’re game for an exciting career, analytics is the right choice for you.

As more companies turn to analytics for solutions, more analysts will be required in the industry, as they are the brains behind smart devices turning intelligent.