The age of big data and collaboration.

I was sent an interesting article by Ron Kasabian about big data. He talks about the stages in typical technology developments where, after a 'peak of inflated expectations', we usually enter something called the 'trough of disillusionment'. He argues that, as far as  big data is concerned, "there is fact substance behind the hype". I would agree. The amount of data that is available is growing every day and we are finding increasingly creative uses of it to change our perceptions of how things can or should be done. Kasabian offers four useful tips to avoid disappointment.

1. Think even bigger. He argues that the more data sources you have the better and that increasing the data by a factor of ten is the answer. I suspect he is right, the key is to think bigger rather than smaller. 

2. Find relevant data for the business. The key is to know what data will make the biggest business or societal impact.

3. Be Flexible. As he says "we are in a phase of rapid innovation" and, as in any field of endeavour, that requires pilots, trials, rapid learning and multiple iterations.

4. Connect the dots. I believe that a real prize in the big data revolution will come from exactly this. It will be about combining data from different sources and different organisations to give insight that would elude the individual silos where that information currently resides. This points to increasing cooperation between organisations in both the the public and private sectors. 

We are entering the age of big data but also the age of collaboration and together these two themes can offer us a path to more sustainable economic development.