By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
TechgoonduTechgoondu
  • Audio-visual
  • Enterprise
    • Software
    • Cybersecurity
  • Gaming
  • Imaging
  • Internet
  • Media
  • Mobile
    • Cellphones
    • Tablets
  • PC
  • Telecom
Search
© 2023 Goondu Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Plugging the big data skills gap
Share
Aa
TechgoonduTechgoondu
Aa
  • Audio-visual
  • Enterprise
  • Gaming
  • Imaging
  • Internet
  • Media
  • Mobile
  • PC
  • Telecom
Search
  • Audio-visual
  • Enterprise
    • Software
    • Cybersecurity
  • Gaming
  • Imaging
  • Internet
  • Media
  • Mobile
    • Cellphones
    • Tablets
  • PC
  • Telecom
Follow US
© 2023 Goondu Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Techgoondu > Blog > Enterprise > Plugging the big data skills gap
Enterprise

Plugging the big data skills gap

Aaron Tan
Last updated: June 30, 2015 at 5:46 PM
Aaron Tan Published June 29, 2015
4 Min Read
SHARE

Despite the promises of big data, many countries including Singapore do not have enough data scientists with the business acumen and technical skills to make sense of heaps of data.

In anticipating the growing demand for professionals with training in data sciences and analytics, Singapore’s Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) started a massive open online course (MOOC), which attracted over 350 participants from the private and public sectors.

In Malaysia, the Multimedia Development Corporation plans to increase the number of local data scientists from the current 80 to 1,500 by 2020, with the support of seven universities in the country.

While such efforts by governments to groom a pool of data scientists are laudable, it will take a lot more to address the shortage of skills in a field that is still being defined by the industry.

Part of the problem lies with the differing opinions on the skills and qualifications required of a data scientist.

“People still think you need a PhD to be a data scientist, but the reality is you don’t,” said Richard Jones, vice president of Cloudera in Australia, New Zealand and the Asean region, adding that the role of a data scientist is similar to that of a business analyst.

However, Craig Stires, associate vice president for big data, analytics and software at IDC Asia-Pacific, noted that while business analysts are able to understand the business and make sense of data, it takes a scientist with a PhD to break existing models of thinking and come up with new business models.

Deepak Ramanathan, chief technology officer, SAS Asia Pacific, added: “When I first joined SAS, they were called statisticians, and they maybe had some understanding of business. But today, trying to find someone who can write code, understands statistics as well as the business is always going to be a case of scrapping the bottom of the barrel.”

Ramanathan suggested that instead of finding a “superman” with all those skills, companies could form data science teams comprising members with statistical, coding and business skills, and make them work together.

Big data companies are also helping to address the skills gap. Cloudera, for example, provides businesses with manpower, technology and consultancy services necessary to tap on the benefits of big data.

Enterprise software giant SAP also offers self-service business intelligence tools that put data science into the hands of business users, said Manik Narayan Saha, the company’s chief information officer for Asia Pacific and Japan.

Eddie Toh, Intel’s data centre platform marketing manager, however, believes that businesses do not always need to hire data scientists to get started on big data.

“What they do need to do is to articulate their problems clearly, and look for vendors like SAP and Cloudera who can help them and train their people,” he said.

You Might Also Like

Q&A: Delivering movies digitally and securely from around the world

In remote Taiwan, firefighters use a 5G base station “in a box” when responding to emergencies

Sensing strong demand, Tata Comms pitches “hyperconnected” ecosystems

Keysight’s 2023 technology predictions: Insights from a test and measurement Leader

Q&A: Ella, a robot barista, served over 100,000 cups of coffee in Singapore in 2022, say its creators

TAGGED: Big data, MOOC

Sign up for the TG newsletter

Never miss anything again. Get the latest news and analysis in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Aaron Tan June 29, 2015
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article Goondu review: BlackBerry Leap
Next Article Asus’ cutesy LolliFlash lets you add light to smartphone snaps
3 Comments
  • chinni says:
    June 20, 2016 at 7:28 pm

    Thanku for sharing this nice posts..

    In this course, covers all processes and components of the SAP solutions for Governance, Risk, and Compliance. You will learn how you can guarantee the compliance of business processes and IT systems with Process Control
    SAP GRC training in hyderabad

    Reply
  • Claire Donelon says:
    June 30, 2015 at 4:54 pm

    Hi Aaron,
    Great article and great to see big data being discussed. At openSAP, we are currently running a free MOOC, “Driving Business Results with Big Data” (https://open.sap.com/courses/big1). In this course, you’ll learn from real life use cases what it takes to extract that value from Big Data, and which solutions are available to acquire, store, analyze, and act on Big Data. The course has just started and is open to everyone, completely free of charge. You can sign up here: https://open.sap.com/courses/big1

    Reply
  • DataH says:
    June 30, 2015 at 4:48 am

    Aaron, very informative article. We are seeing an increase in businesses seeking specialized skills to help address challenges that arose with the era of big data. The open source HPCC Systems platform from LexisNexis helps to fill this gap by allowing data analysts themselves to own the complete data lifecycle. Designed by data scientists, the programming language called ECL is declarative and expresses data algorithms across the entire HPCC platform. Their built-in analytics libraries for Machine Learning and BI integration provide a complete integrated solution from data ingestion and data processing to data delivery. HPCC Systems provides proven solutions to handle what are now called Big Data problems, and have been doing so for more than a decade. More at http://hpccsystems.com

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Stay Connected

Facebook Like
Twitter Follow

Latest News

Sony Playstation VR2 review: An immersive experience awaits
Gaming March 21, 2023
Debate on computational photography misses what’s real, what’s lived outside a frame
Cellphones Imaging Mobile Software March 19, 2023
Get the best Mac-friendly monitors for colour-perfect design work
PC March 16, 2023
LG OLED Flex LX3 review: A bendable gaming monitor for the adventurous (and rich)
Audio-visual Gaming PC March 13, 2023
//

Techgoondu.com is published by Goondu Media Pte Ltd, a company registered and based in Singapore.

.

Started in June 2008 by technology journalists and ex-journalists in Singapore who share a common love for all things geeky and digital, the site now includes segments on personal computing, enterprise IT and Internet culture.

banner banner
Everyday DIY
PC needs fixing? Get your hands on with the latest tech tips
READ ON
banner banner
Leaders Q&A
What tomorrow looks like to those at the leading edge today
FIND OUT
banner banner
Advertise with us
Discover unique access and impact with TG custom content
SHOW ME

 

 

POWERED BY READYSPACE
The Techgoondu website is powered by and managed by Readyspace Web Hosting.

TechgoonduTechgoondu
Follow US

© 2023 Goondu Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Terms of Use | Advertise | About Us | Contact

Join Us!

Never miss anything again. Get the latest news and analysis in your inbox.

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
 

Loading Comments...
 

    Welcome Back!

    Sign in to your account

    Lost your password?