Big Data Isn’t Obsolete. It’s Normal. 

Each July and August sees the publication of the Gartner Hype Cycles. Hype Cycles offer an overview of the relative maturity of technologies, services and business disciplines in a certain domain. They provide not only a scorecard to separate hype from reality, but also a model that helps enterprises decide when they should adopt a new technology. The attention they attract is a testament to their usefulness.

This year saw two major changes in the Hype Cycles related to big data. First, the big data technology profile dropped off a few Hype Cycles, but advanced into the Trough of Disillusionment in others. Second, we retired the very popular Hype Cycle for Big Data. The reason for both is simple: big data is no longer a topic unto itself. Instead, the various topics formerly encompassing big data evolved into other areas. What other areas?

• Advanced Analytics and Data Science
• Business Intelligence and Analytics
• Enterprise Information Management
• In-Memory Computing Technology
• Information Infrastructure

The characteristics that defined big data, those pesky 3 Vs, are no longer exotic. They’re common. The technology landscape continues to change rapidly, but new options look increasingly like old options and old options are evolving quickly. (Gartner clients can read more about these developments in “The Demise of Big Data, Its Lessons and the State of Things to Come.”)

Still thinking about “doing big data?” Don’t make knee-jerk reactions. Think about actual business needs, infrastructure impacts and how your enterprise architectures need to evolve.

And if you’re a vendor still trying to capitalize on big data, maybe it’s time to shift your marketing. IoT is now at the top of the Hype Cycle. That might be a good place to start.