TIBCO Software Inc., announced that it is purchasing Jaspersoft, a business intelligence and data integration software provider that has been growing in popularity and may help TIBCO entice a broader range of customers.

The components of the phrase big data analytics seem to fit together like hand and glove. For example, in a 2013 survey conducted by The Data Warehousing Institute (TDWI), analytics was far and away the most-cited response to a question about the business and technology tasks most likely to improve inside organizations that harness big data.

One of the most well known examples of how Big Data can drive sales is that of Amazon. They have perfected the analysis of all their data in order to increase their sales. But also smaller companies as well as offline companies can use Big Data to drive their sales to the next level.

Aiming to play a bigger role in analyzing tweets and sharing the resulting insights with advertisers and other businesses, Twitter has acquired Gnip, its partner for the past few years.

Businesses, particularly those in the world of online marketing and commerce, are increasingly applying analytics to customer data in order to tailor the user experience. But questions about big data ethics are popping up that could force some companies to rethink how they're analyzing customer data and using the findings. When data analysis results in different customers being offered different products or prices, there's the possibility for problems, according to some privacy experts.

The question of how to get statisticians and business teams working together productively has long plagued the implementation of analytics systems. But with simplified tools becoming more common, that question is starting to become moot, as line-of-business experts are able to simultaneously wear the analyst hat.

Big Data is quickly becoming a critically important driver of business success across sectors, but many executives say they don’t think their companies are equipped to make the most of it. Bain & Company surveyed executives at more than 400 companies around the world, most with revenues of more than $1 billion. We asked them about their data and analytics capabilities and about their decision-making speed and effectiveness.

Recent research from AbsolutData and Alteryx has found that 82 percent of businesses are using customer analytics today, and 95 percent plan to increase their investment in analytics technology in the near future. However, understanding these analytics requires a new, holistic approach that turns information into insight and insight into impact that many companies are failing to deliver.

The accompanying infographic outlines the top three challenges companies are currently facing when it comes to leveraging customer analytics.