In reality, the concept of Big Data has really kicked in with the rise of cloud-based service providers like iTunes, Netflix, Youtube and Facebook, which are primarily in the business of gathering, organizing, and providing access to large quantities of digital content.

FORBES: EMC Sitting In Sweet Spot Of $70 Billion Big Data Industry

James Dixon, CTO of Pentaho is promoting a new concept for organizing the big data that comes in from the wide world of connected devices.

FORBES: Big Data Requires a Big, New Architecture

Salespeople and big-data enthusiasts, who applauded the concept in a fusillade of Twitter posts.

FORBES: LinkedIn Elicits Gasps, Cheers For Talent-Spotting Algorithms