Structured, Semi-structured, and Unstructured data

Structured data

  • Structured data, or Relational data, stored in database tables, in the shape of rows and columns, and follows a specific schema. All records have the same attributes and the keys shape the relation between the tables.
  • A user can quickly and easily insert, modify, compare, and analyze the relational tables' data.

Semi-structured data or Non-relational or NoSQL data

  • The data does not follow a fixed schema hence, cannot be stored in a tabular structure of data models associated with relational databases shape of rows and columns.
  • It contains tags to separate semantic elements and enforce hierarchies of records and fields within the data, such as HTML documents.

Unstructured data

It does not have a specified structure of the pre-defined model, thus, allowing it to store any business data type. Unstructured data includes text files, flat files, images, PDF documents, and video files.

From last one or two years, it is seen that non tech corporations also enter the digital and data-focused world and for this they need talent and technology , thus they are acquiring the services of software and technology based companies. Earlier only Google, Facebook and Yahoo are competing to acquire the best and the brightest startups in Silicon Valley, but now there are many corporations that are sending their corp-dev talent to scout out possible acquisitions in the Bay Area and beyond. These corporations are in the field of retail, health, agriculture, financial services and other industries.
In 2011, Netscape founder and Vice Chairman titan Marc Andreessen wrote that software is steadily eating the world and disrupting industries like music, retail and others and now in the same industry, there are few corporations at the big level who are starting to eat startups.
It can be understood with the help of example. In the beginning of this year Monsanto, a multinational chemical, and agricultural biotechnology corporation, bought big data weather tech company climate Corporation for $1.1 billion. There is another Insurer UnitedHealth Group who bought health data analytics company Humedica for hundreds of millions of dollars.
There is a website Exitround launched in the beginning of this year has reported regarding the non tech companies entering the marketplace to find potential talent and startups. Exitround is offering a compelling service by which startups can find easily for most of the non tech companies.