Virtually every type of industry imaginable can benefit from investing in big data analytics. For all types of companies, applying insights derived from data analytics can help identify opportunities for growth, improved operational efficiency, cost reductions and smarter, more customer-friendly product/service planning. Data analytics can even be used to improve society, such as by analyzing information pertaining to outbreaks of diseases and offering insights into how best to handle these public health crises. This area of computer science can contribute to positive improvements in education, banking, marketing, government and even entertainment.6