2016 – 2026 Worldwide Big Data Market Forecast

The big data market grew 23.5% in 2015, led by Hadoop platform revenues. We believe the market will grow from $18.3B in 2014 to $92.2B in 2026 – a strong 14.4% CAGR. Growth throughout the next decade will take place in three successive and overlapping waves of application patterns – Data Lakes, Intelligent Systems of Engagement, and Self-Tuning Systems of Intelligence. Increasing amounts of data generated by sensors from the Internet of Things will drive each application pattern. Big data tool integration, administrative simplicity, and developer adoption are keys to growth rates. The adoption of streaming technologies, which address a number of Hadoop limitations, also will be a factor. Ultimately, the market growth will depend on enterprises: Will doers take the steps required to transform business with big data systems?

Forecasting Spark's Adoption

Over the next decade, big data applications will evolve toward continuous, real time processing of vast streams of data. As a result, the role of Spark and related technologies is poised to expand. Wikibon believes Spark will be a crucial catalyst to driving the inflection points for each of Wikibon’s three big data application patterns. In 2016, Spark-based investments will capture 6% of total big data spending, growing to 37% by 2022.

Forecasting Spark’s Adoption

Over the next decade, big data applications will evolve toward continuous, real time processing of vast streams of data. As a result, the role of Spark and related technologies is poised to expand. Wikibon believes Spark will be a crucial catalyst to driving the inflection points for each of Wikibon’s three big data application patterns. In 2016, Spark-based investments will capture 6% of total big data spending, growing to 37% by 2022.

2015 Big Data Market Shares

The software, hardware, and professional services markets for big data are still in formative stages – with many less-than-optimal solutions forming an uncertain space for users and vendors. Leadership is still evolving. To deliver big data solutions that provide significant business impacts, users need to rely on specialized tools from specialized providers, employees with varying levels of tool and analytic competence, and vendor partners that don’t always share each other’s goals. While the market will grow rapidly over the next few years, current market conditions, including current market share, will help impact future winners. See the companion Wikibon report Wikibon 2016 – 2026 Worldwide Big Data Market Forecast for the market development roadmap for the next decade.

Wikibon Big Data Definitions and Methodology

This document describes Wikibon’s definition of big data and big data categories. This also serves as our methodology underpinning for our big data market forecasts and other related forecasts, as well as vendor big data market shares.