If you're a novice computer user, the term "big data" could carry scary undertones that may or may not be accurate.

While it's true our society creates more than 2.5 exabytes of data daily - and that is a staggering number to think about - much of this data can be reined in to boost goals and strengthen productivity for small- and medium-sized businesses, as well as enterprises of all kinds.

Setting and Achieving Goals

Most of us are constantly working toward achieving short- and long-term life goals, but the most successful professionals know how to establish realistic career goals, too. By using big data to its fullest extent, you'll be able to create goals that are not only viable, but immediately beneficial to your career progress.

Not only can you reach the top of the professional ladder even more quickly and directly, but you'll have the confidence needed to succeed in nearly any environment - because you have stats and figures supporting your goals.

As useful as big data is, it wouldn't be much without our modern cloud computing platform. Meant to facilitate quicker and easier access to information, the cloud makes it easy to analyze historical data, forecast consumer trends and even establish specific sales targets.

But, with so much data available to us, it's no wonder some professionals find themselves unsure of how to put that data to good use. Programs like Performio use enterprise data to simplify the process of setting sales targets and quotas, which can - in turn - better motivate employees through realistic and incentivized goals.

Driving Individual and Team-Oriented Productivity

Goals are one of the most straightforward indicators of personal and professional success. While we often find it easy to come up with a list of goals in the first place, it's much harder to complete these goals - but that's where productivity comes into play.

You'll never reach your goals if you're not making consistent progress. It can be difficult to keep track of long-term visions, especially if they're several years down the road, but the cloud can help. Not only are individuals embracing cloud technology and using big data analysis to monitor their performance, but enterprises are using it in a variety of unique and interesting ways - and most of them are experiencing tremendous success as a result.

A recent study of various Fortune 1000 companies delved into the usefulness and added value experienced by some of the earliest cloud adopters.

Brands like American Express, Ford Motors, GE and UPS all indicated measurable results from investing in big data.

• Nearly half - 49.2 percent - of survey respondents have decreased overhead expenses as a result of big data and cloud computing.

• More than 30 percent indicated they'd used the cloud to launch new products or services.

• An additional 30 percent said they've ramped up their operating speeds on a day-to-day basis.

• Almost 28 percent have readied their enterprise for the future via big data and cloud technology.

There are numerous strategies to embrace when adopting the cloud and maximizing its effect on your enterprise. The method you ultimately choose depends on what you hope to achieve with the new technology, but there are plenty of avenues to explore and areas to expand.

Exploring the Marriage Between Big Data and Cloud Computing

Big data and cloud computing are two completely separate constructs, but they rely on each other in various ways to provide real value to consumers and enterprise owners in the 21st century.

While you can use big data without the cloud - and vice versa - the two are so closely aligned that the terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

Although there are some major differences between the two, big data and cloud computing truly represent a match made in virtual heaven.

##

About the Author