It's the end of the year, and I'm taking a look back at 2011 from the data perspective. As we close out the year, it's apparent that "big data" has been catching on with many companies. It seems that every week we have some headline that talks about "big data" in some way. Even Microsoft has joined in with their work with Hadoop and SQL Server.
The other big push in 2011 seems to have been "the cloud". It's everywhere, from consumer Windows 7 commercials to the updates to the SQL Server tools to support the SQL Azure platform. I haven't found many people that are excited about moving their databases to the cloud, but more and more people are testing the platform, and I suspect we'll start to see some apps that don't require high security or extremely high performance appearing in the cloud in 2012. I have embraced the cloud in many ways over the last couple years (Evernote, Dropbox, Live Mesh) and I find it to be an advantage in managing a busy life.
We had our share of high profile data breaches as well, with some very high profile ones, including RSA, the security vendor. We could add in the Carrier IQ fiasco, which showed a little abuse of consumer trust with the debugging code they developed.
A few other notable items in the data world for me. The first was the death of Steve Jobs. While most of us working with SQL Server don't use Apple products, the changes that Steve Jobs brought to the world, most recently the iPhone and iPad, have altered the way we consume data in many facets of our lives. The second item, was the split of Netflix into two businesses, and the failed idea that splitting our online and physical DVD data into separate sites wouldn't be an issue. The reversal of that decision showed me just how valuable centralization is for many consumers.
There were many stories that touched data in our lives in 2011, and it seemed to be a busier year than ever before for me. However one large milestone for me was the 100th SQL Saturday event in Brazil. It's hard to believe there have been 100 events, with 45 events in 2011. Seeing the SQL Server community come together to embrace, help, and inspire each other, both online and off, has been amazing. If you haven't tried to interact with others through LinkedIn, Twitter, Google Plus, or some other social media, I urge you to try in 2012.
I hope that you have had a great 2011, and I look forward to an even better 2012.
Steve Jones
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