Big data now touches everything from enterprises and hospitals to smart-meter startups and connected devices in the home. Hadoop, meanwhile, is fast becoming the leading tool to analyze that data, cheaply and more effectively than was previously possible. And there is the ever-lingering question of privacy and how we, the technology industry, are responsible for teaching the lawmakers and policymakers of the world ethical ways to collect and regulate our data.

These topics and more are discussed in this report. While no list is ever truly exhaustive (and we encourage you to add your own thoughts in the comments section of this report), this outlook provides a well-rounded glimpse into the evolution of the big data phenomenon.

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With that in mind, GigaOM Pro has singled out certain areas in the technology industry where we see this shift to constant connectivity taking place most drastically.

Digital music, for example, has been in perpetual stagnation for the better part of this century — until recently, that is. Thanks to services like Pandora and Spotify, among others, the space is changing. Research director David Card tunes in to find out why we’re hearing noise again — lots of it.

VP of research Michael Wolf, meanwhile, turns his eye toward the e-books industry to find out which of its vectors — the big publishers, the hardware, the cloud or social media, to name a few — will be the biggest disruptor. He also forecasts the market’s growth for the next few years.

Connectivity isn’t just about consumer media, though. As Adam Lesser explains, the trend of being constantly connected is as much a part of monitoring one’s use of energy at home as it is about sharing a song. Here he profiles the home energy management and collaborative consumption spaces, sectors of the cleantech industry where connectivity is propelling the biggest change.

Pro analyst Jody Ranck, meanwhile, explores the trends and technologies driving a new level of connectedness in the health care space, where electronic health records and mobile apps will eventually replace the papers and file folders that store our wellness information.

It’s not a conversation about connectedness without bringing up data and how we use it. Debates (not to mention numerous lawsuits) around privacy and ownership of that data are well-documented. Pro analyst and GigaOM reporter Derrick Harris examines five issues that must be solved to regulate data and empower the consumer in this new era of connectivity.

As is true in any compilation, our selected areas aren’t exhaustive, and there are many other industries in the technology world being changed by connectivity. We encourage you, readers, to weigh in with thoughts on those in the comments section of this report.

– Jenn Marston, Editor, GigaOM Pro

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