Every year, there is an explosion of Data((facts, numbers, words, observations, and other useful information)fueled by the Internet of Things, social media, machines, government and organizational surveys, statistics, and census records. In this article, WeResearchIt decodes and quantifies what happens in just one hour in our world of data.
Disclaimer: The data presented in this article has been derived from various sources where it was originally reported in different time scales (daily, monthly, annually). All calculations to convert this data into an hourly format have been conducted by WeResearchIt to provide a comparable and contextualized view
Imagine an hour. What can you do in an hour? Catch up with a friend, watch a movie, drive to work, or enjoy a meal? While an hour may seem insignificant compared to the 8,760 hours in a year, the world generates approximately 20 million terabytes of data which, if printed, could cover Earth’s land surface 47 times.
Why Does This Matter?
Whether you are a business, NGO, government, or individual, every transaction, security breach, search query, and AI prediction shapes decision-making processes. The difference between success and failure can come down to one hour of data insights. Are you keeping up?
A Snapshot: One Hour in the World of Data
While you may not even be able to drive from home to Office, in an hour. Below is what happens in the world of Data.
Market Impact & Business Insights – The Competitive Edge
- In just one hour, businesses spend $25 million on big data analytics
- Global e-commerce transactions generate $3 billion in sales in an hour.
- AI-driven businesses process 100 trillion machine learning predictions every 60 minutes
- Stock markets worldwide process over $200 billion in transactions in a single hour.
Data Security & Cyber Threats: The Dark Side of Data
- Over 20 million cyber-attacks take place in an hour globally
- $5 million worth of cryptocurrency transactions are targeted by hackers every hour.
- 95% of cyber breaches involve misused or unprotected data
Search Engines & Social Media – The Digital Pulse
- 1 billion Google searches take place every hour, influencing what people read and buy.
- Facebook generates 4 petabytes of data per hour from user interactions (Meta, 2024).
- Netflix users stream 5 million hours of content
Data: The New Oil
So, what does this raw data mean for businesses and society? Raw data alone is not enough, it must be refined into actionable insights to fuel industries, drive innovation, and shape decision-making.
In 2006, mathematician Clive Humby famously said, “Data is the new oil.” Like oil, data is valuable, but it’s true power lies in processing, refining, and analysing it to unlock potential. Are we utilising data to improve our people and planet?
The Opportunity We’re Missing
Despite the explosion of data, the reality is shocking:
- Less than 5% of the world’s data is analyzed e.g In 2018, Gartner reported that organisations failed to use almost 97 percent of their datain 2021.
- 50% of business decisions are based on gut instinct rather than data-driven insights.
- Companies leverage only 50% of their available data for decision-making.
- Even leading enterprises use just 60% of their data, while laggards manage a mere 30%.
- 80% of global data is unprotected, leaving it vulnerable to cyber threats (Guardian, 2012).If businesses, governments, and NGOs could unlock the power of untapped data, they could eliminate inefficiencies, make smarter decisions, enhance security, and drive exponential growth.
But do you need to use data in your decisions?
Consequences of Missed Opportunities
- Inefficient Resource Allocation: Misallocated resources reduce impact, with inefficient data use contributing to $200 billion in annual waste from unnecessary medical tests in the U.S. alone.
- Missed Opportunities: Without actionable insights, organizations fail to identify market trends and risks. Companies leveraging analytics achieve up to a 30% improvement in efficiency and a 20% productivity boost (Psicosmart, 2024).
- Delayed Decisions: Fragmented data systems slow decision-making, with 54% of companies missing key deadlines due to data-related issues (Gartner, 2023).
How WeResearchIt Helps You Navigate the Data Era
At WeResearchIt, we are committed to empowering businesses, governments, and NGOs with data-driven insights. We analyse, quantify, and simplify complex data to make it actionable for you.
Our Approach:
- Deep Data Analysis: We analyse vast datasets to uncover trends and opportunities.
- Real-Time Analytics: Our research keeps you updated on shifts in the data landscape.
- Social Media & Web Analysis: We track what’s happening across digital platforms.
- Simplified Data Interpretation: We turn complex data into easy-to-understand visual dashboards.
Every hour, data transforms industries, decision-making, and lives. The world is shifting toward a data-driven future. The question is—are you ready?
Contact us at: desk@weresearchpartners.com
Sources
Business Decisions & Gut Feel – BARC
EdgeDelta – Data Market Size and Forecast
Happy Global Business Analysis Day – Haslam College of Business
How Organizations Can Leverage Predictive Analytics – Psicosmart
Spacelift – How Much Data is Generated Every Day
The Incredible Value of Laboratory Data Analytics – Orchard Software
