Big Data is a phrase which refers to a large volume and
wide variety of data being captured from different sources at
high speed. It is estimated that data volume is increasing 40%
per year, and will grow 44 times between 2009 and 2020 [1].
Much of this data is of a textual nature and hence
unstructured. With the emergence of Big Data, the use of
NoSQL technology is rising rapidly among internet companies
and the enterprise. Benefits include simplicity of design,
horizontal scaling and finer control over availability. NoSQL
databases are increasingly considered a viable alternative to
relational databases, as more organisations recognise that its
schema less data model is a better method for handling the
large volumes of structured, semi structured and unstructured
data, being captured and processed today. For example
NoSQL databases are often used to collect and store social
media data. The purpose is to introduce the concepts,
highlight the different NoSQL database types, and provide
arguments for and against adopting NoSQL