As I wrote in a story about R last spring the explosion of cloud computing and sensors is creating huge data sets, and a need to find previously unknown patterns in them, both to prove and predict how the world runs.

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Virtualization and the cloud had caused an explosion in the number of assets that are being created.

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Lloyd says Cisco should benefit from a confluence of major current trends in computing, including the transition to mobile computing, the accelerated adoption of cloud services and the explosion in Web video.

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Ignoring the extraordinary insights emerging from modern science would be about as clever as believing the current technology explosion is short-lived and the Cloud will soon dissipate.

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With carriers moving to higher-speed 4G networks like LTE to support the explosion of data traffic caused by the rapid adoption of cloud computing solutions and burgeoning video usage, Alcatel Lucent is looking to take advantage of the industry transition and leverage its existing base of edge routers to find an opening in the core router market.

FORBES: Juniper Concerned As Alcatel Lucent Targets Core Router Market

Data Explosion The evolution of mobile computing is redefining the infrastructure that drives cloud services and network connectivity.

ENGADGET: ARM's Cortex-A50 chips promise 3x performance of current superphones by 2014, throw in 64-bit for good measure

Taken together, these forces make cloud computing a powerful alternative for businesses scrambling to keep up with an information explosion, a stunningly fast move to mobile commerce and lifestyle, and the parallel rise of social as one of the most powerful shapers of corporate image and success today.

FORBES: Oracle Cloud Tops 10,000 Customers and 25 Million Users

With the explosion of data resulting from mobile devices, Internet services, social media and business applications, corporate, cloud and big data customers are constantly looking for ways to improve their storage infrastructure costs and their bottom line.

ENGADGET: HGST develops helium-filled, high-capacity hard drives: no, they won't float away