When developing apps for the cloud, you need to keep in mind the 4 V’s of big data. Yes, most experts will cite 3 V’s, but there are four, and each of them affects how developers need to store and use data within their cloud-based apps. The usual 3 V’s are volume, variety, and velocity. The fourth one app developers need to keep in mind is veracity, or the accuracy of the data coming in. Here is now big data is changing cloud apps.
Know How the Volume of Big Data Changes App Development
The volume of data is increasing all of the time. The amount your app needs to be able to handle today will increase tomorrow, the next day, and the day after. There isn’t an end in sight.
Can your apps handle the rapidly growing volumes of data coming in? Does it account for the increase in volume that comes along with the IoT? Data is no longer just coming in from a single source or a few sources; data is streaming in from literally every direction. When building apps that will run in the cloud, account for the increase in data volume, not simply the amount of data coming in at present.
Know How the Variety of Big Data Changes App Development
The tremendous amount of data coming isn’t all the same type of stuff, either. It is varied in nature. Some of it is structured data and other is unstructured data, like video, audio, text files, etc. Yet it’s not enough to simply take in the data, in most cases the app needs to be at least somewhat aware of what the data contains. For example, in a news app you don’t want to follow up a story about a fiery, frightening car crash with an ad for an automobile. Apps need to be smart enough to understand and manage the variety of data it needs to handle.
Know How the Velocity of Big Data Changes App Development
Velocity refers to the movement of big data. Data is coming and going at alarming rates, and many apps need to make real-time decisions based on that rapidly moving data. Data is coming in from IoT devices, sensors, social networks, and more. The concept of collecting the data and taking your time to analyze it and make decisions on it in your leisure are over. Today’s cloud-based apps have to make those decisions in real time. That means apps have to be able to process it ‘in motion’.
Know How the Veracity of Big Data Changes App Development
Your apps need to be able to keep functioning properly even when the data fed into the app isn’t accurate or true.
Veracity isn’t always included in the ‘3 V’s’ of big data, but perhaps it should be. Veracity refers to the accuracy of the data. Apps can’t always be programmed with the assumption that the data being fed in is accurate. Many times, apps are depending on data from unverified and unverifiable sources, like consumer entries and public information. Sometimes, the devices and sensors sending in the data can go out due to a battery issue, power outage, interruption in Internet service, etc. Make sure your app developers are creating apps that can handle these types of data inaccuracies or veracity.
Are you ready to get started on an app development project with developers who understand the challenges associated with today’s data? Contact us at Glance to get started today.