When will big data truly break through? Will it finally become big in 2016? We have discussed it for years, and it appears again in this year’s trend lists. But when will businesses and consumers start making full use of its opportunities?
Wearables already track plenty of personal information: sleep patterns, fitness, running times and heart rates. Much of that data is still barely used. In international design and innovation agency Frog Design’s technology trends, I read some interesting possibilities for the future. Imagine choosing a yoga teacher based on previous students’ balance, selecting a mattress using other people’s sleep results or reading a film review based on viewers’ average heart rate.
Netflix already uses data successfully in developing series. Audience data helped predict the appeal of House of Cards. Viewers’ appreciation of the director, the actor’s popularity and interest in the original series offered useful indications of how it might perform, as NRC Q reported earlier this week. That relied on viewing behaviour alone. Add direct feedback from wearables, and recommendations could become even more relevant.
Practical challenges
It sounds straightforward, but making it happen is complicated. First, the data must become available. Users’ permission is an obvious requirement, but the companies collecting wearable data must also be willing to share it. There is a wide range of devices, from Fitbit and Apple Watch to Microsoft Band and Google Glass, and they do not all store data in the same format.
The greatest challenge is bringing that fragmented data together and making it practically usable. I am sure plenty of developers and organisations would be eager to apply their creativity once that becomes possible.
Concerns and opportunities
Is sharing personal data, particularly biometric information, a little frightening? “Will we end up paying with our privacy?” sceptics may ask. I encountered a similar question recently while choosing car insurance. A comparison site showed Fairzekering, which offers discounts based on driving behaviour measured by a device in the car — a kind of wearable for your vehicle.
Drive safely, without speeding, frequent sudden braking or sharp acceleration, and you receive a competitive rate. Interesting. In a related development, Uber announced this week that it would use drivers’ smartphone data to assess driving safety.
For me, encryption and anonymisation are important conditions for feeling comfortable with such uses. I choose to see the opportunities while keeping potential risks in mind.
Small steps are already being taken, particularly by start-ups and scale-ups. The question is when this will happen on a larger scale. In my view, it is time for big data to make its breakthrough: in cinemas, on the road and elsewhere.
Linda
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