It has been said that data is the new currency. The more your company relies on data the more you need to understand data patterns for handling how data comes into your systems, managed, stored, and represented. We are no longer in the world of "just use a single" database. We now need to choose the right data management and storage tools based on business objectives. This means understanding more than a relational database like SQL Server or Oracle. It means understanding what database option is best based on business processes. It also means understanding patterns that can be applied to data that allow for better data analysis, and cost effective storage.