Big Data is rapidly becoming a recognized market term for the growth in the volume of data in organizations. Understanding how to use Pattern-Based Strategy to seek, model and adapt to patterns contained in big data will be a critical IT and business skill.

Business leaders and technologists have traditionally focused structured data seeking efforts on answering two questions – what happened and why did it happen. For the most part, investments in BI delivered reports that helped in this area. But business leaders are asking two new questions, what is happening right now, what is likely to happen and what events could affect the future. Technology exists and more is emerging to help with these new questions. By connecting technology to business leaders needs, there is an opportunity for CIO’s to take a more entrepreneurial role in business.