The topic of the 4Vs has become overused in the context of big data, where it has started to lose some of the initial charm. Nevertheless, it helps to bear in mind what these Vs indicate for the sake of being aware of the background context to carry on a conversation.

Broadly, the 4Vs indicate the following:

• Volume: The amount of data that is being generated
• Variety: The different types of data, such as textual, media, and sensor or streaming data
• Velocity: The speed at which data is being generated, such as millions of messages being exchanged at any given time across social networks
• Veracity: This has been a more recent addition to the 3Vs and indicates the noise inherent in data, such as inconsistencies in recorded information that requires additional validation