When do things change from hype to reality? Or when is it
just more hype? I have previously
discussed how Big Data is changing everything; it had moved from simple hype to
complicated reality producing very interesting results. The latest hype is the
concept or the reality of interconnecting all of our data via the Internet of Things (IoT). This concept is one which should
improve how things work. Not just businesses but I mean machines, distribution
systems and people. I have to admit that I truly love the idea of being able to
share information in a way that is meaningful and impactful through sharing
insights and recommendations and ultimately improving our lives. We live in a
complex world; now imagine your data becoming your life optimizer.
The notion that all the data morsels we generate in our
everyday lives and all of the sensors in our machines generate lots of
information but generally these components never talk to each other. This connection
between individuals, public sources, businesses and in our infrastructure grid
can connect in a seamless way on to work together for a better individual
experience and a improved global performance.
We can have simple things like our home dryers waiting until the power
grid has a lower demand before starting to dry your clothes. Or that a doctor
in a remote part of Canada can search a medical database of all medical
symptoms; their treatment an outcomes to tailor a healthcare program for a sick
patient. The interactions and benefits which we can ultimately achieve is
limitless.
The question of hype is one which truly valid for IoT. We
need to consider how can we share and share in a way that benefits people,
governments and businesses. We have the technology today to begin the sharing
but in reality we also live in a society where sharing information in this way
scares people. They ask why should their confidential information be shared? I
say why not. To quote Mr. Spock; “Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”. We need to consider the up side and
manage the risk of sharing.
Big Data has brought with it new challenges
and new problems. The security of big data in Hadoop clusters is one which is
evolving on a daily basis. We have options to encrypt, to restrict and to limit
who can see what but the security of Hadoop is also quite basic and requires
additional products like Kerabos to help in providing some security, but in
many ways Big Data is available and if someone wants to get at it they will
have an easier time then trying to break into a well-secured Oracle database.
Then again Oracle does have a 25 year head start on Hadoop.
So is the Internet of
Things hype? I don’t think so, I think it’s more of a dream state. One where
data can live together and provide value well beyond its original intention. So
it’s one dream that I hope to help bring to reality.
