The Taipei Computer Association (台北市電腦公會) yesterday formed the Big Data Alliance — a data exchange and integration platform between the government, enterprises and academics — in a bid to boost the utilization of “big data” in Taiwan.
Big data refers to large and complex data sets that businesses use to analyze and predict consumer behavior. International Data Corp (IDC) forecast that global sales involving big data technology and services will grow to US$18.33 billion this year from last year’s US$14.26 billion.
“The purpose of establishing this platform is to allow people across the nation to contribute their knowledge, integrate resources and create value together,” association president Tung Tsu-hsien (童子賢) said at a launch ceremony.
Tung, who is also chairman of computer hardware maker Pegatron Corp (和碩), said that having a tremendous amount of data generated from one industry is not enough, because it is more important to know how to analyze and utilize information from a variety of industries.
The new platform is to be available for domestic data owners, analysts and domain experts to exchange data and analytical methods, which Tung said would bring more value for existing information and create new cross-industry business potential.
In a hypothetical example, Tung said insurance companies could analyze medical data generated by hospitals and then draft different insurance contract terms.
“People who have a lower chance of getting cancer might pay less for insurance based on the analysis of medical data,” he said.
Businesses and academic institutions that have joined the alliance include domestic online news agency ETtoday (東森新聞雲), Far EasTone Telecommunications Co (遠傳電信), the Guo Ju Law Firm (國巨律師事務所), Asus Cloud Corp (華碩雲端), National Taiwan University and the Industrial Technology Research Institute, the association said.
Big data solutions provider Etu Corp president Fred Chiang (蔣居裕) is to serve as chairman of the alliance.
Etu is a subsidiary of financial information provider Systex Corp (精誠資訊).
Chiang said the alliance is to host workshops regularly for members to exchange information on big data development, and the alliance is to propose whitepapers to the government based on members’ opinions.
“We will also provide consultancy on big data solutions for non-alliance members,” Chiang said.
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