Data systems are the system that collects, stores and provides access to data that is used by organizations. Data systems can include the database system (DBMS) warehouses, specialized platforms like NoSQL databases and alternative storage methods for data like cloud object services. They could also include master data management, which creates an organization’s common set of references for its clients, products and other assets.
The primary characteristics of an information system are volume, variety and velocity. Volume refers to the amount of data processed, usually in large and complex data sets that can’t be handled by one computer. Variety refers the various kinds of data gathered from sensors that are traditional as well as social media feeds and other sources. Velocity refers to the speed of data that flows into and out of the data system.
These four characteristics have led to the creation of innovative and new data systems. There are new data platforms which can handle a diverse variety of data. These platforms are in addition to the traditional databases.
A large sensor data systems, for example is a system that is networked of sensors/devices which gathers a wide variety of data from physical sensors such as smartphones or wearable medical sensors. The sensor data readings could contain signal, image or location information with timestamps and other information. The data is then stored on the device, and then transmitted to a central server. The data is then processed to ensure that it’s clean and useful enough for read processing and analysing.