The event, which runs from today (Monday) until Friday, aims to inspire more individuals and SMEs to start a data project to tap into the immense growth potential of big data and look at the day-to-day practical use of it.
Both local initiative MK:Smart and Milton Keynes-based business intelligence solutions developer Zizo welcome Big Data Week and show support in raising awareness of the value of big data.
MK:Smart, is a collaborative initiative, led by the Open University, Milton Keynes Council and BT, targeting the development of solutions to support economic growth and use of big data to manage key infrastructure networks as part of a smart city project.
The key infrastructure component for MK:Smart is the MK Data Hub, hosted at University Campus Milton Keynes.
The MK Data Hub supports the acquisition and management of vast amounts of data relevant to city systems from sources such as local and national open data repositories; data streams from both key infrastructure networks, energy, transport, water and other relevant sensor networks such as weather and pollution data; satellite data; data crowd sourced from social media or through specialised apps.
UCMK associate dean Paul Sant (pictured) said: "As we begin a new era of a data-driven economy, we are aiming to keep local businesses one step ahead. It is all about doing clever things with data in a way which is digestible and commercially valuable.
“It feels like we have only just scratched the surface when it comes to unlocking the potential of local intelligence sourced through sensors and open data and we look forward to seeing how this initiative progresses.”
Zizo, whose offices are in Fenny Stratford, enables organisations of all sizes to get actionable insight from their ‘big data’ and puts real time data in the hands of decision-makers in an easily accessible and cost-effective format, allowing them to make better informed business choices.
Director Laurence Armiger said: “With the right model, organisations can embrace new data sources quickly and efficiently – and that includes the new real time feeds that are coming on stream driven by the Internet of Things.
“The smart city project under way in Milton Keynes is a great example of how vast amounts of data relevant to city systems is being collected from a variety of sources.
“The diversity of data being collected and shared in Milton Keynes is amazing and will provide a chance for innovative organisations to devise extraordinary new ways of exploiting data.”
