Big Data is Old Hat: Machine Learning is Hot AllAboutAlpha: Hedge Fund Trends & Alternative Investment Analysis

A year ago, in a report on Big Data and investment management, Citi Business Advisory Services predicted that "with the improved volume, velocity and variety of data inherent in the big data approach, the innovation seen in systematic trading models over the past decade could accelerate." One of the platforms highlighted in the Citi report was DataSift, a service that promises to "integrate social, blog and news data in a single place." Or as Citi put it, DataSift aggregates "marquee data source partners, including Edgar Online, Wikipedia, and WordPress." Edgar, of course, is consistent with old-fashioned ideas of what hedge fund managers through various third parties should keep track of. But Wikipedia presence on this short list might pull up short those who still think of it as a pastime for nerds who like to think of themselves as editors.