small Data (about me), BIG Data (about us) ... Can yield significant benefits, if properly managed

There is a whole lot of buzz about Big Data ... My every click, every word, every pic, every tune that I enter/peruse is stored, dissected, and regurgitated for someone, somewhere who is willing to pay.

I have read some of the buzz, and what little I have read makes me little concerned but also hopeful. What I do on the Web may not light any fires, however what I search, read, view, or listen to is not something I would want available to my employer and/or prospective employers, government agencies, or anyone else, at least not where it can pinpoint who I am. If my data is bundled with others, and with personal information removed, than I am little less concerned. 

The positive aspect is that this information, for example, people's Google searches yields insights on predicting likely outbreak of influenza, etc. And that such use of Big Data to predict the likelihood of certain events offers significant advantages in the field of development, i.e. for the greater good especially in the Developing countries.
 
Are there sufficient controls to protect the privacy and confidentiality of an individual? What additional controls are needed in the selling and marketing of this information? Can this real-time collection of information about me, you, and us be abused?    

I have more reading to do (data mining and sifting to do) to gain a better understanding. And the more I read, more data points about myself are collected, tracked, sliced, and diced by Google, Amazon, Apple, NY times, Guardian, and Time magazine, to name a few. 


Wikidata ...
http://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Main_Page

Guardian newspaper ... 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2013/apr/26/wikidata-launch

How BIG Data can be leveraged for the greater Good? ... 
"Innovations in technology and greater affordability of digital devices worldwide have ushered in an Age of “Big Data,” an umbrella term for the explosion in the quantity and diversity of high frequency digital data. This digital data is being produced, in real-time, at an unprecedented rate, even across the developing world. In addition, advances in computing and data science make it possible to process and analyze Big Data in real-time. But can it be useful for development, and enhancing resilience to global shocks? Can the innovations from data science and tech be applied to the field of development? If so, how?

The paper aims to highlight the opportunity, as well as some of the main concerns and challenges, raised by the opportunity of utilizing new, digital data sources in the field of international development, as concretely and openly as possible."


http://www.unglobalpulse.org/sites/default/files/BigDataforDevelopment-GlobalPulseMay2012.pdf


BIG Data: For Greater Good or an Invasion of Privacy? ...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/mar/12/big-data-greater-good-privacy-invasion

 The Big Business of Big Data ...
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/big-data/


Mapping and Sharing, the Consumer Genome ... (that's You, me, and us for sale) ... 
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/technology/acxiom-the-quiet-giant-of-consumer-database-marketing.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Big Data Knows What You Are doing Right Now ...
http://business.time.com/2012/07/31/big-data-knows-what-youre-doing-right-now/

Seeking new opportunities

I recently left MicroPlanet Technologies, a non-profit start-up that I co-founded and led as the CEO, where our mission was to provide financial institutions in the developing countries access to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) / cloud-based core banking software that is affordable and with high quality support and service.

I am now interested in exploring opportunities either within the development sector or the mainstream financial services sector in the US.

You can get better insight about my experience and expertise by perusing my Linkedin profile:
     http://www.linkedin.com/in/jitenpatelceo

SaaS, Cloud, Microfinance & MFIs ... Affordable Access to Excellent Service

MicroPlanet offers affordable, robust, high quality SaaS service to MFIs: it manages & services all that cloud-based virtual stuff, hardware and software, to improve MFI's operations and servicing capability.

SaaS solution offers MFIs affordable access to set of robust technology related services, without the burden of having to manage & support it; 
MicroPlanet shoulders the burden of managing, servicing and supporting the MFI's daily technology (MIS) related needs.

SaaS reduces the financial burden on the MFI of having to incur heavy upfront capital costs for software and hardware, and significantly reduces the burden on the MFI of having to hire experienced IT staff;
Instead MFIs pay a small recurring monthly fee, a "rental" fee so to speak, which includes the aforementioned set of services. 

SaaS can be win-win for MFIs provided they partner with the right partner with the right experience and service delivery, and who offers a robust & scalable core banking (MIS) platform for regulated and non-regulated institutions.