As data continues to increase at an evermore rapid pace, organizations struggle to deal with this data torrent, let alone use it to analyze and capture value. The ways used to understand this big data also is increasingly rapidly, which introduces myriad terms used to define these methods. The follow is an attempt to provide natural explanations to some of the significant terms and technologies you will come across when you're getting into big data. Algorithms: Mathematical and analytical formulas that also include statistical processes used to analyze data. Algorithms are implemented in software to analyze, process the input data and produce output or results.