How Increased Data Will Transform the World

By Matt Brennan

There are more than 3.5 billion Google searches conducted on a daily basis. Amazon and other online retailers track our history and purchases in order to show us new products we might like. Every time we talk to our home assistants, that information is stored. Wearable technology collects data as well.

This data is already making a tremendous impact on the world. Businesses and organizations can make more informed decisions with a wider view of human behavior. Below are just a few of the ways that big data is impacting the world.

Changes in Healthcare

Easier access to health data could lead to a more personalized healthcare approach. Wearable technology can track more information on a consistent basis.

If your wearable bracelet is telling you that you didn’t burn as many calories yesterday as normal, it may be able make diet or exercise suggestions to accommodate. Or maybe a new type of toilet could help you detect for disease in your home.

Genome tracking can give doctors a complete picture of your health history, and where you stand today. All this data paints a more complete picture that allows for better, more accurate treatment – improving the patient experience.

Law Enforcement

Data allows law enforcement to examine where crimes may occur and who may commit them with startling accuracy. With this information, departments are able to adjust how they staff certain shifts, and where they patrol. They are able to anticipate and be proactive.

This is called predictive policing, and some large city departments are already employing these tactics – resulting in a correlating drop in crime.

Business Opportunities

The department store Macy’s uses analytics software that digs through social media, store transactions and data from their own website to provide customers with real-time pricing, that reacts to tiny fluctuations in the market. Another example is how Amazon ads for a product you just searched for may pop up in Facebook, or other websites.

Companies have new opportunities to provide value to their customers. Data allows companies to make more informed sales and marketing decisions. They can send reminder emails to customers who may be about to run out. Businesses are now given the opportunity to reach out to customers at the perfect time in the sales cycle – making their marketing more effective.

Protecting the Environment

Data can allow us to track the health of the environment in specific locations in real time. We can more accurately look at the effects of carbon emission, and greenhouse gasses. Wearable technology can tell us where we might need to focus future efforts.

Residents can benefit from this information, too. Weather alerts for pollen and ozone levels allow those with allergies and asthma the ability to adjust their plans.

Education

You no longer need to be admitted to an Ivy League school to receive access to elite data or information. Cloud computing and the advances of the internet allow users all over the world to download lectures and learn valuable skills. People from middle class or poor backgrounds can learn valuable skills by watching YouTube videos.

The prevalence of cell phones allows people to walk around with massive amounts of data in their pocket. It’s no longer necessary to go to the library to look up all 50 state capitals or the list of American presidents. It’s what we do with the available data that will set students apart. The ability to think creatively and innovate will be at a premium.

Conclusion: Focus on Results

Increased data allows for more informed decisions. These decisions are starting to benefit humanity across the board in everything we do. As we continue to develop new data and find ways to employ it for our benefit, that data will need to be protected.

Make sure that you are backing it up in multiple places including the cloud, and external hard drives. Make sure that you are taking added security measures to protect and encrypt it. But also, understand that if it is lost, you have options. We Recover Data is experienced in helping businesses and organizations recover lost data under difficult circumstances. Contact us today to find out more about who we are and how we can help.