According to Gartner big data will make $28 billion of global IT spending in 2012-- with the majority of spending going towards the adaptation of traditional solutions to big data demands, rather than software. 

The analyst says big data will drive "only" $4.3bn in software sales. 

Big data currently takes 45% of new spending in social network analysis and content analysis, and 10% of new spending within the application infrastructure and middleware segment. 

"Despite the hype, big data is not a distinct, stand-alone market, it but represents an industrywide market force which must be addressed in products, practices and solution delivery," Gartner says.

While big data was a new IT spending driver in 2011, such requirements will be embedded within enterprise architecture and practices from 2015 before evolving into information management practices and technology "table stakes" by 2018. 

By 2020 Gartner expects big data features will be part and parcel of the product offering from most (if not all) traditional enterprise vendors. 

"Because big data's effects are pervasive, big data will evolve to become a standardized requirement in leading information architectural practices, forcing older practices and technology into early obsolescence," the analyst continues. 

Big data will become "just data" in 2020-- and infrastructure and hardware/software not adapting to this "new normal" will be retired. Organisation not following such a path will "suffer severe economic impacts." 

Go Big Data Drives Rapid Changes in Infrastructure Through 2016 (Gartner)