Recent SAS-sponsored research by the Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed large enterprises on a number of questions about "big data" and its value. The most prominent finding was that companies with a strategic data plan were much more likely to be financially successful than those who treat data as a tactical issue.

While that might seem unsurprising, the difference in their likelihood of success is quite startling. Check out the difference in this illustration of the key findings.

There's much more in the full Economist report, "Big Data: Lessons from the Leaders."