Big Data in the Real World
- Details
- Written by John Pickett
Last year was, so the pundits declare, the year of Big Data. Certainly, the hype reached fever pitch and continues today. Big Data stories and forecasts appear almost daily across the pages of every publication or web site that relates to technology or business. Inevitably, following the hype are the naysayers, ”More data just means more noise,” and the vendors who can’t pass up a good buzzword so they label everything as having some kind of Big Data relevance.
Moreover, every discussion of Big Data includes the total of every element of digital data generated and stored throughout the world. For example, the oft-quoted stat from IBM, "Every day, we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data,” or perhaps a more easily digested, but no less gobsmacking stat, “90 per cent of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years."
While the world-view numbers are an indicator of the overall trend in digital data, they’re not very meaningful in terms of the significance of Big Data to a particular enterprise. So to gain a better understanding of what's happening in the real world, The IT Media Group hosted a roundtable discussion focused on Big Data on February 28th, 2013. Sponsored by Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), the session brought together a dozen CIOs from prominent companies from around the GTA.
There’s no doubt that every enterprise is generating and storing data faster and in greater quantities than ever before. Many retail stores, loyalty programs and credit card companies for years have had massive amounts of data about the spending habits of millions of customers. But lots of data doesn’t necessarily qualify as ‘Big’; other conditions such as diversity of sources and structure, and speed of creation characterize Big Data, and often it’s from external sources.
All of the organizations represented at the Roundtable are experiencing rapid data volume growth that presents challenges ranging from data storage and management to recovery of specific content. Some of the largest enterprises have projects that store, manage and explore very large data sets, and are in the early stages of what is generally understood as ‘Big Data’ initiatives involving diverse and unstructured data sources. Most delegates nevertheless were sufficiently versed in Big Data technologies to identify specific opportunities within their own companies.
The participating sponsor, Hitachi Data Systems, confirmed the view that Big Data is in its very early stages for most companies, but that many customers recognize the need to look to the future and prepare the information architecture and technology infrastructure before the demand overwhelms them. The CIOs who already have experience with Big Data initiatives echoed this advice.
Two distinct visions emerged of how Big Data can create value for companies. Organizations in which IT is viewed primarily as a cost centre see Big Data as a means to more effectively react to the demands of business and improve process efficiencies. Companies in which the CIO enjoys a close collaborative relationship with corporate leadership are more likely to view Big Data as a means to gain new insights in order to fuel innovation and gain competitive advantage.
As the custodian of corporate data, IT has an intimate knowledge of what data exists where, and can play a pivotal role as ‘data advocate’, eliminating duplication of effort across the broader organization and identifying opportunities to exploit data sources for business value. For Big Data initiatives as well as traditional business intelligence applications, many companies have adopted a cross-functional team approach in which IT is embedded within line of business units, often reporting to line of business management rather than within the IT department itself. Another approach involves the creation of a centre of excellence comprising experts that know the data and understand the data sources. They provide data governance and deal with integrity and integration issues.
Architectures to support Big Data can be complex and difficult to install. There's a danger that by the time you have it right and delivering value it's almost time to replace it or face significant maintenance costs. So there's a strong argument to be made for taking advantage of cloud resources. One of the problems with that approach is that the business may not want to allow that data or intellectual property outside the walls of the data centre. The architecture piece is critical, then, and you need to keep it as simple as possible and standardize on something that can scale and install quickly.
As data volume and diversity increases, the opportunity to find new and valuable insights to fuel innovation and create business value increases. But dangers also lurk in the accumulating volumes of corporate information, including formal and informal e-mail, IM and voice messages. In legal cases the courts are more inclined to take the view that in a modern company, what you can store, you can produce for discovery. Lawyers are increasingly asking for the production of any electronic information that could be construed as having relevance to the case.
It's critical, then, that whatever information the company chooses to store can be accessed and recovered in a timely manner. It also means that data management policies must include clear rules for retention and destruction of information, and those rules must be followed. If you cannot produce requested information, you must be able to demonstrate that it has been destroyed in accordance with corporate policy or face penalties.
Last year may have been the year of Big Data hype, but it’s clear that in the real world of business and IT, the next couple of years will see Big Data take concrete form as a competitive asset.
The IT Media Group Masters Series roundtables bring together IT executives from across industries to leverage the experience of peers who have addressed similar challenges. For a modest investment of time participants gain insights that help them avoid potential difficulties, discover opportunities and make decisions with greater confidence.
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Past Attendees
ADP - VP Architecture & Infrastructure
AESO - VP, Information Technology
Agnico Eagle Mines - VP, IT
Agrium - Global Mgr., IT Security
Agrium - Senior Director IT Shared Services
Aimia - SVP & Global CIO
Ainsworth Engineered - Director IT
Air Canada Vacations - Director IT
Alberta Energy Regulator - Director, Office of the CIO
Anthem Properties - VP IS
AON Risk Solutions Canada - Head of IT
Avison Young - VP Global Enterprise Architecture & Integration
Aviva Canada - VP, Architecture & Strategy
Bank of America Merrill Lynch - CTO
BC Ferry Services - VP & CIO
Bell Business Markets - Director, Strategy & Planning
Bell Canada - National Director, Digital Transformation
Bellatrix Exploration - Director, Information Technology
Bentall Kennedy - VP IT
BFL CANADA - CIO
BFL CANADA - Director, Cybersecurity & IT Risk Management
Black Press - CTO
BlackBerry - VP Corporate IT
BMO Financial Group - Director, Technology & Operations Transformation
BMO Financial Group - Head of Services Delivery
Bombardier Aerospace - CISO
Bonavista Petroleum - Head of IT
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP - Global CIO
Bow Valley College - Director, IT Services
Bridgewater Bank - Head of IT
BuildDirect - VP IT
Bulk Barn - Head, IT
Burnco - CIO
Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec - VP, IT Planning, Architecture, Governance, Operations
Calfrac Well Services - Head of IT
Canada Goose - CTO
Canada Live - VP of Technology
Canada Mortgage and Housing - VP, Information & Technology
Canada Protection Plan - Head of IT
Canadian Depository for Securities - CIO
Canadian Direct Insurance - CTO
Canadian Payments Association - VP & CIO
Canucks Sports - Head of IT
Capgemini - Service Delivery Director
CAPREIT - CIO
Cardel Homes - VP MIS
Cargojet - CIO
CBI Health Group - CIO
CCS Corp. - VP IT
CDSPI - Board Director
Centerra Gold - Director IT & Comm
CI Global Asset Management - VP of Enterprise Infrastructure $amp; Operations
CIBC - Senior Director, Infrastructure Planning & Engineering
CIBC - SVP & CIO, Retail and Business Banking Technology
CIBC Mellon - AVP, Enterprise Architecture
CIBC Mellon - SVP & CIO
Cineplex Entertainment - CTO
City of Brampton - Senior Manager, IT Architecture & Planning
City of Richmond Hill - CIO
City of Toronto - Director of Strategic Planning & Architecture
CN Rail Service - Chief Information Security Officer
Coast Capital Savings - VP Technology
Colliers - Head of Technology & Data
Concordia University - AVP & CIO
Crescent Point Energy - Head of IT
Dairy Farmers of Ontario - Head of IT and Administration
Dale Parizeau Morris Mackenzie - VP, IT
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP - Director, Information Technology
DealerTrack Canada - Director, Technology
Defence Construction Canada - Corporate Manager, IT
Deloitte - Director, Risk Advisory
Dentons - Canada CIO
Devon Energy - Director, Integrated Business Services
Direct Cash - VP IT & Security
Dynamic Tire Corp - CIO
D+H Partnership - VP, Head of Canadian Mortgage Technology
eHealth - EVP, Technology
eHealth Ontario - VP, IT Systems & Services
Encana - Director, InfoSec
Enbridge Inc. - VP, Technology and Information Services
Enerflex - CIO
Enerplus - VP. IS
ENMAX - VP, IT & PMO
Equitable Bank - CIO
Equitable Bank - CISO
Equity Financial Trust - VP, IT
Essential Energy Services - Director, IT
Expedia Cruise Ship Centers - VP IS
FGL Sports - VP, Information Technology
Finastra - SVP, Head Technology Managed Services
Fix Auto Canada - COO & SVP
Flightnetwork.com - CIO
Freedom Mobile - Head, Customer Applications, Experience, & Strategy
FT Services - CIO
FundServ - CIO
Genus Capital Management - CTO
Genworth Financial Inc. - VP IT
Geotab - Board Member
Golder Associates - CTO
Gran Tierra Energy - Director IT
Grant Thornton LLP - CIO
Grand River Hospital - Director, Data Governance & Analytics
Greenwin Inc - VP, Information Technology
Groupe Dynamite - Director, IT
GSK Canada - IT Director
GTAA - Acting CIO
H&R Block Canada - VP IT
Haventree Bank - VP, Technology
Hewitt Equipment Ltd. - VP & CIO
Hitachi Vantara - GVP & Global CTO
Home Trust Company - CIO
Home Trust Company - CTO
Home Trust Company - VP & CISO
Horizon North Logistics - CIO
HSB Canada - VP IT
IBM Canada - Associate Partner, Payments Industry
Indigo Books and Music - CIO
Interac Corp - Director, Platform Engineering
ivari - SVP & CIO
JP Morgan Chase Canada - Executive Director, Information Risk Management
Keyera Energy - Director, Information Technology
KFC Canada - CTO
KnowledgeOne - CIO
LaFarge Canada - Director, IT
Landmark Cinemas Canada - VP, IT
LAWPRO - CIO
LCBO - Director, Applications Systems
LCBO - SVP & CIO
Leisureworld Senior Care Corp - VP IS
Lifeguard Digital Health - Chief Security & Informatics Officer
Loblaw Companies Ltd - Senior Director, Customer Engagement Technology
London Drugs - GM IT
Loto-Quebec - Corporate Director, InfoSec
Magna International Inc - VP & Global Leader, IT (CIO)
Manulife - Global Head of Private Markets & Real Estate Technology
March Networks - VP Professional Services & CIO
MaRS Discovery District - Managing Director, Fintech and Commerce
McCain Foods Limited - Manager InfoSec
McInnis Cement - Director of Information Technology
Medical Pharmacies Group - VP, Information Technology
MEG Energy - Manager, Information Technology Solutions & Services
Metrolinx - EVP & CIO
Minto Group - VP IT
MMM Group - CIO
Montreal Police Service - CIO
Morguard Investments - CIO
Moulding & Millwork - CIO
MullenLowe Group - Global CIO
National Bank of Canada - Information Security Officer
National Capital Commission - Chief, IT infrastructure & Support Services
NHL Players' Association - Head, Security & Technology
Northbridge Financial Corp - CIO
OEC Group Canada - Vice President, Information Technology and Client solutions
ODAIA - CEO
Oildex - VP, Architecture & Infrastructure
OPTrust - AVP, Enterprise Data Services
Olympia Financial Group - CIO
OMERS - EVP, Data & Technology
OMERS - SVP IT
OMERS - SVP, Data & Advanced Analytics
Ontario Pension Board - CTO
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan - SVP, Product & Delivery
Ontario Trillium Foundation - CIO
Osum Oil Sands Corp - Manager, IS
Ottawa Police Service - CIO
Pacific Western Transportation - CIO
Packers Plus - Global IT Director
Pason Systems - Manager, Digital Communications & Corporate IT
Patient News - CTO
Peel District School Board - CIO
Pengrowth Corp - Director IS
Penn West Exploration - Snr. Manager, IT Operations
Peterson Investment Group - Head of IT
PFB Corp. - CIO
Pizza Pizza - CIO & VP, IT
Precision Drilling - VP, IT
Precision Drilling - Director, IT Infrastructure & Security
PSP Investments - Snr. Director, Internal Audit & Business Infosec
Public Works and Government Services Canada - Director, IT Security Directorate
PwC - Managing Director, Real Estate Technology Advisory
Pythian - CTO
Qantas - Global CIO
Queen's University - Director, Information Technology
RBC Royal Bank - Head of Application Security, Data Protection & Security Consulting
RBC Royal Bank - VP, Technology Platforms & Risk Management
RBC Royal Bank - Global Cybersecurity VP
Regal Lifestyle Communities - CIO
Revera Inc. - CIO
Revera Inc. - Security Architect
Rheem Manufacturing - CISO & Enterprise Architect
Ricoh Canada - VP,IT
RioCan Property Services - VP IT
Roche - Head of IT Americas – Operations
Rogers Communications - SVP, Customer Experience IT
ROM - CIO
Russel Metals - VP,IS
Salvation Army Canada - Board Director
SCI Group - CIO
Scotiabank - Head, Systems Architecture & Platform Modernization
Scotiabank - VP - International Systems Technology
Scotiabank - Head, System Architecture & Platform Modernization
Scotiabank - Global Head, GBM Compliance & Transformation
Sears Canada - Divisional VP, Information Technology Services
Secure Energy Services - GM, IT
Shaw - Head, Customer Applications, Experience, & Strategy
Shaw Communications - VP, Technology Operations
Shaw Communications - Director, Risk Management
SMART Technologies - Director, IS Corporate Services
Smartcentres - Director IS, IT
SmartOne Solutions - President & CIO
Societe de Transport de Montreal - Division Head - Security and Compliance
Street Capital Financial - CIO
Sun Life Financial - AVP, Data & Business Intelligence Services
Sun Life Financial - VP Application Ops & Services
Sunco Communication - COO
Suncor Energy Inc. - Director, Application Portfolio Optimization, I&PM, Business Services
Symcor - CTO, VP Technology Services
Talisman Energy - SVP IT & Business Services
TD Bank - Enterprise Architect
Teknion - SVP, CIO
TELUS - Chief Security Architect
Tervita Corporation - VP, Information Technology
The Hudsons Bay Company - VP Technology
The Hudson's Bay Company - SVP & CIO
The Source - VP, Information Technology
TMX Group - CISO & Global Head of Infrastructure Services
Toromont Industries - VP & CIO
Toronto District School Board - Chief Technology Officer
Toronto Hospital for Sick Children - Director of Technology
Toronto Parking Authority - CIO
Toronto Police Services - CISO
Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) - Chief Enterprise Architect
Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) - CIO
Toyota Canada - National Manager, IS
Transamerica Life Canada - CIO
Trican Well Services Ltd. - Director, Business Information Systems
Tridel Corporation - CIO
Trillium Health Partners - IT Director, Applications & Clinical Informatics
UFA Cooperative - VP & CIO
University of Calgary - Executive Director, Development Services
University of Ottawa - CIO
University of Ottawa - Senior Director IT Services & Infrastructure
University of Toronto - Director, Centre for Management & Technology
University of Waterloo - Director, Technology Entrepreneurship
Valencia Risk - Managing Director
Vancity - VP Technology & Solutions
Viterra - Director Enterprise Technology
Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company - Director of Innovation Outpost
World Health - Director IT
Wolseley Canada - CIO & COO
WSIB - Board Director
Yellow Pages Group - Director - Enterprise Data Management
York Region District School Board - CIO
York University - Board Director
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