IoT : the bigger picture of BIG DATA

So many times I have been in a situation when I had to compare IoT and Big Data, sometimes in a debate with friends, sometimes because some novice inquired and I was never able to put it to them clearly, so I am writing it for them and for all others who someday somewhere got such thought.
This article is a result of careful study of IoT and Big Data. Reader's opinion may vary and are welcomed to put their views and comments about the same. Through this article I am not concluding anything; I am just trying to present a different perspective to see both these entities which most people consider two distinct entities.

So, let’s start with some basic introduction to IoT and Big Data.

Google says "Big Data is an extremely large data set that can be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations". So in layman terms I can compare Big Data to brain (CPU) that processes the data and arrive at some meaningful conclusions.

Whereas for IoT Google says "The internet of things (IoT) is the network of physical devices, vehicles, buildings and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity that enables these objects to collect and exchange data". So I guess it won't be unfair to relate these devices to different sense organs which provides stimulus to human brain.

Now as I am done with the basic understanding of IoT and Big Data, I can move forward to bigger picture. Consider IoT and Big Data together and let's try to see them in terms of human analogy.

Big Data                    ->              Brain
Sensors                      ->      Sense Organs
Sensor Networks       ->             Nerves
uP/ uC                       ->              Heart


So coming to human life cycle let’s start with childhood, a kid has all his senses: sharp and strong, these senses become the base of his experience over which the kid develops his complete personality and then grows to an adult and as an adult; those past experiences and healthy senses make him able to compete with the others in the race.
So if someone says Big Data is bigger than IoT then wouldn't it be a comparison of two things that can't move individually? In fact if you will put a gun to my head and ask to choose the major one I would choose IoT as IoT is complete human whereas Big Data is the brain and brain resides inside human. If you can imagine a human without any senses, without heart, without nerves no matter how wise he is; will he survive for long? But a human who is not wise can easily carry his life though he won't be that effective but he will survive certainly.

 

Let’s try another way, Big Data is too strong tool and has a great impact in today’s market I agree, but if I ask about its interaction with physical world entity then answer would be minimal or almost zero. It’s a passive concept, it lacks life, but when you add those sensors and actuators to it and make it interact with the real world entity and help it grab data from the interaction among those physical world entities then it becomes active, it becomes dynamic or simply it starts living. So in other words IoT is a bigger and better version of Big Data which can interact and respond. So, can’t someone call IoT as an updated and more powerful version of Big Data?

Please do comment your views and let me know if I am thinking right. Any suggestions and advises are praiseworthy.

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