There's money in Big Data. We've all heard someone say it. And the rampant gathering of information is one of the defining characteristics of life in the 21st century — so much so that the European Union created an entire body of law to help individuals have a say in determining what information about them remains on file. Google was recently $50 million for violating those statutes.

Businesses and other organizations routinely collect and store information. Sometimes it's information about consumer behavior, or consumer demographics. Sometimes it's information about transactions, or business interactions. Sometimes it's information that directly corresponds to a business need, and sometimes it's information that doesn't appear to serve any purpose at all.

It used to be difficult to collect, store, and process all of that information, but rapidly advancing technology has lessened those challenges considerably. And nearly everyone agrees that buried beneath all of the rising mountains of data are rich veins of potential profit. Many latter-day '49ers are rushing to add Big Data knowledge and skills to their professional portfolio.

If you're one of the certified Big Data professionals who is out there involved, on some level, in the information Gold Rush, then you've come to the right place. We want to find out all about your certification experience. Has certification helped you thrive? Are existing certification programs meeting your needs?

We also want to infiltrate the Big Data world just a bit and get a snapshot of what the men and women on the inside see there each day. That's right, the Certification Magazine survey train is boarding at the station, and we want you to be the next person to get a ticket for our Big Data Certification Survey.

As we always do, we've added a dash of incentive to participate. If you take the survey all the way to the end, we'll thank you with either (or both!) of two rewards. You can get a free digital copy of the next issue of Certification Magazine. Or get a one-year print subscription at 40 percent off the normal cost. (Hate making decisions? Get em both! We don't mind.)

BIG THANKS to everyone who participated in our Big Data Certification Survey! Watch for the results to appear the forthcoming 2019 Spring Edition of Certification Magazine.