If 64% plan a Big Data project, why are so few IT consulting companies prepared?

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According to a Gartner survey, 64% of the companies surveyed plan to invest in some sort of Big Data project in 2013. Many of those surveyed will run some sort of pilot project, not investing in hardware as much as investing time with a singular goal: where will Big Data payoff? how much needs to be invested to get which results?

Despite this strong opportunity, few IT consulting organizations have strengthened their ranks with specialist who can guide their clients through the uncertainty of this new market. One indicator is the lack of career positions posted for Big Data sales specialists and consultants who can create a solid business assessment that is strong enough to justify further funding. There are some who are not only specialized in this area, but also host cloud environments, where their clients can start a real pilot without any data center investments. It seems that these few will do well in the upcoming boom as others scramble for Big Data market share.