NTT Data has decided it best not to go it alone when it comes to Big Data. Smart move.

The Japanese systems integrator and services firm has inked a reseller and OEM partnership with MarkLogic to extend its data management practice into Big Data territory. NTT will leverage MarkLogic’s non-relational database platform to assist customers in building scalable Big Data applications that can process both structured and unstructured data, according to the companies.

MarkLogic Server is document-focused data store that can be used to support Big Data applications that require real-time search and discovery capabilities against large volumes of documents. Its schema-less data model sits on top a shared-nothing, scale-out cluster architecture.

The deal makes sense for both providers. With a dearth of canned Big Data applications available, services firms like NTT can expect an increasing number of requests from clients looking to tap the value of Hadoop and NoSQL data stores with custom-built applications. Strategic partnerships with companies like MarkLogic will help services firms build their own internal Big Data expertise and deliver Big Data application development services that much faster.

For MarkLogic, the partnership with NTT gives the company an entry-point into the Asia-Pacific market. NTT recorded $15 billion in revenue in fiscal 2011 and counts National Life Group, Wells Fargo and BMW as customers.

As mentioned, your options for off-the-shelf Big Data applications are few and far between, so its important for CIOs to question services providers about their capabilities in this area. Just as (or maybe more) important as technical expertise around Big Data application development, however, are consulting practices adept at helping enterprises first identify practical use cases. Its not always clear where Big Data analytics and applications will deliver the most value, so having an experienced partner to provide another set of eyes on the problem is key.