Data. It’s everywhere. Always has been. Centuries before anybody even dreamed of endless combinations of ones and zeros, early cultures were keeping track of livestock and trade transactions by using knots tied in rope or cutting notches on a stick. They were simple techniques, but they were the beginnings of what we now call “business data.”
The Evolution of Data
Over time, businesses have become more complex and systems for tracking business data have evolved as well. In the last century alone, accounting systems have gone from hand-written single-entry ledger books, to type-written balance sheets, to punch-card cash flow analysis, to today’s myriad of digital software applications, each providing a way to store the data your business collects. In 2015, it is estimated that 2.5 Quintillion bytes of data was created on a daily basis. The vast amount of business data available to companies today has been hard to comprehend and even harder to manage and analyze. Read More
