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you have no excuse if you don ’ t act . So , you could sum this up as Big Data , big responsibility .
So being responsible , how do you manage your data and ensure that data is secure ? I forgot to mention the added challenge of security ; how do we ensure that our data can ’ t be hacked , or that the product we are buying doesn ’ t have an engineering re-set code 1111 ? It ’ s the single biggest challenge to the Internet of Things ( IoT ). The key is software , who writes it and who owns it .
We at Mackwell have our own in-house software teams that write all our software ; embedded or as part of our N-Light management system . We build security in and use a smart handshake to ensure
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our modules work together and deliver the results our customer and our customer ’ s customer demands . The data we generate is all about compliance and safety and you should ask yourself , do I want to take that risk of not dealing with data this way ?
I previously mentioned Big Data equals big responsibility and this is very much the case . Where we create a basic function and use data to monitor and support a safety system , we see the positives and we applaud the benefits of what technology brings . However , technology doesn ’ t diminish our responsibility .
Data is knowledge
We cannot hide from our browser history and we certainly can ’ t hide from our responsibilities , but that ’ s a positive . We will be tracked , in fact we already are being tracked ; our mobile phones , store loyalty cards , credit cards and Oyster cards are ways in which our lives are laid out before us in a complex spider ’ s web that has a series of regular patterns .
We travel to work , we use the train , the underground , we buy a coffee and the paper . We swipe an access card to enter a building and we continually browse the web or stream content to our phones . Ultimately , we are creatures of habit and we like the security and familiarity of routine .
If we can learn how an individual or group of people travel through or interact with a space then technology can achieve some remarkable things . It can predict our needs by learning from history and it can prepare areas for when we enter them . It can link disparate technology and allow it to work on one platform ; one that we are familiar with - the screen of our mobile device .
We then have a choice . Do we use the interface of our connected
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‘ Data for data ’ s sake achieves nothing if you ’ re not going to act on that information .’ |
life to further connect to the very fabric of the world or space in which we occupy , knowing that data will be generated and potentially used to manage us ? How confident are we in our ability to manage services and technology and do we need to ?
Data is opportunity
If we embrace technology and what data can do , especially the rather weight sensitive but aptly named Big Data , then it ’ s like having the world ’ s greatest library at your fingertips . Use it and grow or ignore it and never evolve .
So many people talk about technology , but the proof as they say is in the proving ; education is key . The challenge for all industries is that this is a new branch of business / commerce ; it ’ s a service based solution where our data can improve the quality of our lives . That said , this can only ever happen if the right infrastructure is in place and we use that data properly . Data can make our lives safer , smarter and ultimately more enjoyable , if used correctly . Ignore Big Data and nothing major will happen , the sky certainly won ’ t fall in . Embrace information and suddenly you ’ re on a journey to improve your lit environment and enhance your journey through our business and social lives .
So , Big Data , big responsibility , even bigger opportunity .
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August 2017 | 37 |