Q. What would you say is the biggest change data analytics has brought about?
A. Consider the field of medicine. About ten years ago, cancer research was moving at a slow pace. Data analytics has shortened the time needed for such research to a great extent. Information is gathered from all corners and inferences can be made very quickly using analytics engines. Especially with a lot of processing off-loading to be done in cloud-based servers, there is absolutely no scarcity of resources. Algorithms that work on top of Big Data and data analytics can help extract meaningful information and provide better knowledge and also support better decision-making. Data analytics has also enabled the study of patterns embedded or hidden in large piles of data, to identify what really could be the cause or effect of something.
Q. With data analytics expanding, how does one manage storage of data?
A. According to me, storage is following the path specified by Moore’s law. Such is the amount of data being captured. Some years ago, 256MB of random access memory (RAM) on a computer was something great; today, it is a joke. There are huge improvements in storage size and in the real estate in which we store data as well. We will probably not run out of space, but it will be a matter of optimising cognitive computing to make the best use of available data
Q. What, would you say, are possible side-effects of this revolution called IoT and IoT solutions?
A. Right now, we are at a stage where machines are designed to co-operate with man. Possibly, when we step forward into a time when machines become autonomous and capable of making decisions, considering the exponential growth of cognitive computing and the dependencies we place on machines, situations we might not have control of may crop up. Only time will tell.
Q. Thank you Zach for sharing these illuminating insights. On a parting note, I did hear about your interest in music, please enlighten us more on that!
A.Oh yea, Music has been an integral part of my life that’s kept me charged and going since childhood. The desire to create is inherent in human nature and creating Music is a fun and satisfying process. It requires keen observation, the ability to listen, creativity and the passion to shape and blend sounds. This is very similar in nature to the process of creating IoT solutions.
Just as any piece of music is only as good as how well it “connects” with the listener, an IoT solution is only as good as how well it “connects” and adds value to the end user.
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