Written by Gareth van Zyl | From IT Web Africa

Big data has become a buzzword in corporate boardrooms, but it could also mark the difference between winning and losing a football world cup final.

Collecting millions of data sets that are difficult to process using on-hand database tools is referred to as ‘big data’. This data can then be analysed to help boost the likes of business and operational performance.

Applications for big data range from ensuring cranes, which are connected to the internet, don’t collide with each other on construction sites to IBM’s supercomputer Watson beating top human players on US television game show Jeopardy!

And just a month before Germany stunned Brazil with a 7-1 defeat in a FIFA world cup semi-final game this week, business software firm SAP at its US SAPPHIRE NOW conference in Orlando, Florida was quietly demonstrating how the German football team is using big data.

“The German team uses a customized data system by SAP that identifies individual details of each player like distance covered, shots on goal, and correct passes in matches,” public relations manager for sports and entertainment at SAP, Kamila Joanna Laures, told ITWeb Africa.

“They have also taken advantage of revolutionary SAP technology that uses big data for better informed coaching decisions on tactics, player fitness, scouting, preparation and game management.

“SAP Match Insights assists players and coaches to prepare themselves for upcoming matches by dissecting key situations that may present themselves throughout the course of the match,” Laures told ITWeb Africa.

This SAP technology uses the likes of video footage of previous games to track these data points and; in turn, help the German team strategize.

Read more at ITWeb Africa