By Bill Ruh, VP and Global Technology Director at General Electric
Big Data, a term that describes large volumes of high velocity, complex and variable data that require advanced technologies to capture, store, distribute and analyze information, is at a tipping point, with billions being spent to turn mountains of information into valuable insights for businesses. But there is more to Big Data than numbers and insights.
I think what’s on the tip of our tongues about Big Data is not just that there is value within, but rather there are connections to be made to make Big Data proactive and predictive – or making information intelligent.
Here’s an example. An MRI scan is the best way to see inside the human body. While effective in helping to diagnose multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, torn ligaments and strokes, the data produced by an MRI machine is disconnected from the person that needs it the most.
At a very simplistic level, there are many individuals working as a team to make the scan happen. A nurse administers medications or contrast agents that may be needed for the exam; an MRI technologist operates the scanner; and a radiologist identifies the imaging sequences to be used and interprets the images. This information is then given to the nurse, who then passes it to the primary doctor to review and take action accordingly. This is Big Data, but it is not making information more intelligent.
To make information intelligent, new connections need to be developed so that Big Data ‘knows’ when and where it needs to go, and how to get there. If the MRI data were better connected, the right doctor could automatically receive a patient’s rendered MRI images – so the information is finding the doctor instead of the doctor finding the information. Additionally, when the right doctor has viewed the MRI, further connections could enable these images to ‘know’ they need to be filed into the patient’s permanent digital medical record.
This type of proactive, secure routing of Big Data may seem like a simple upgrade in workflow, but in actuality it represents what could be the most profound convergence of business and technology since the industrial revolution – at GE, we call it the Industrial Internet – and it is nearer than you think.
Moving Beyond Big Data
Big Data is the lifeblood of the Industrial Internet, but it is also about building new software and analytics that can extract and make sense of data where it never existed before – such as within machines. By connecting machines to the Internet via software, data is produced and insight is gained, but what’s more is that these machines are now part of a cohesive intelligent network that can be architected to automate the delivery of key information securely to predict performance issues. This represents hundreds-of-billions of dollars saved in time and resources across major industries.
MRIs are only one example. Think about power outages and about how they are not only costly but disruptive and even dangerous. Many times outages are not restored, sometimes for weeks, because the location of a broken power line is not known immediately or a massive overhaul on systems is needed and parts may be on the other side of the world. With the Industrial Internet, everything from the biggest machines generating power to transformers on power poles can be connected to the Internet, providing status updates and performance data. From that, we can preemptively take action on a potential problem before it causes millions or billions of dollars of company and customer time. Additionally, field representatives will no longer ‘go see’ what the problem is before planning to fix, they will be able to anticipate what has gone wrong and be prepared with the parts to fix it.
We often forget that we’re still in the early days of the Internet, and certainly the early days of Big Data innovation. The Big Date Commission report helps us understand what Big Data is and how it can positively advance our world.
But the truth is that there are hundreds-of-billions – if not trillions – of dollars related to unproductive time every year across energy, transportation, healthcare and more. Soon, we will need to rebuild our cities and infrastructure for the next 100 years and beyond. We will also have to become extremely efficient in energy use and continue to advance healthcare for the good of all. To do this, we must lead. And we need to not just embrace Big Data, but build the right connections to put Big Data to work for us.