Avanade’s latest global research findings were announced today highlighting executive attitudes and adoption trends surrounding big data. The big data survey shows that the investments companies are making to manage big data are paying off. In fact, 73 percent of companies have already used data to increase revenue by growing existing revenue streams or creating entirely new sources of revenue.

The most forward-looking companies are empowering more people across the enterprise with the tools and skills needed to take advantage of big data. Our survey shows that the technologies and skills used to leverage big data in the enterprise have reached a tipping point.

Beyond tangible business value, evidence shows big data has become pervasive – more types of employees have more access to more technology options to manage and analyze data. Today, 58 percent of respondents say data management is now embedded throughout their business operations. And, the majority of companies surveyed (57 percent) said in just the last 12 months, more technology options became available to analyze and manage data.

Companies are also investing in that technology – almost every company surveyed (91 percent) is using tools to manage and analyze data today. Looking ahead, 75 percent of survey respondents say that their company will make additional investments to improve their ability to analyze data within the next 12 months, including technologies such as predictive analytics, mobile data access and management tools and cloud-based storage.

On the other hand, 85 percent of respondents still report obstacles in managing and analyzing data and 63 percent feel their company needs to develop new skills to turn data into business insights. Further, changes in the way we work – driven by trends such as the consumerization of IT – is only making things more challenging. Our survey showed a trio of trends – employee mobility, cloud computing and social networking – causing companies to rethink their data management strategy.

While there is still work to be done, it’s clear that companies are beginning to see real value from big data. I encourage you to visit our our web page that includes a link to the full report and review our Big Data Infographic.