Database Trends and Applications introduces the inaugural “DBTA 100,” a list of the companies that matter most in data. The past several years have transformed enterprise information management, creating challenges and opportunities for companies seeking to extract value from a sea of data assets. In response to this, established IT vendors as well as legions of newer solution providers have rushed to create the tools to do just that.

Regulatory mandates that specify the way information is captured and protected and how long it must be retained have caused companies to amass data at levels thought unimaginable in the past. Compounding this trend is the data pouring from machines, the web, and social media.

The extent to which data is growing was underscored by a 2011 survey conducted by Unisphere Research and sponsored by Oracle among 611 members of the Independent Oracle Users Group. The survey found that for close to 1 out of 10 respondents, the total amount of online (disk-resident) data they manage—taking into account all clones, snapshots, replicas, and backups—topped a petabyte. The same study found that more than one-third of respondents’ companies are storing data in their systems for more than 7 years due to either their company’s own policies or external compliance mandates, and 12% say they just hold on to their data … indefinitely.

The phenomenon that has resulted from the ensuing variety, velocity, and volume of information is called “big data.” And while that term is overused, it is only because it is such a ubiquitous force. Read on...