Notes on data, AI, IT
and security
No marketing fog. The way I think about real problems with founders and managers.
An editorial note for 2013: what to watch so you are not discussing technology in a vacuum
How to connect AI, data, IT, security, and automation through the logic of the enterprise - and why that matters more than following each trend separately.
Which 2012 predictions already look naive, and which are dangerously underestimated
An honest look at where the market overestimates interfaces and underestimates processes. A meta-post on technology forecasting.
A forecast: as data warehouses move to the cloud, the integrator's entire project economics change
Less heavy implementation, more iteration on data and metrics. What this means for companies buying IT projects.
A forecast: if interfaces become conversational, familiar IT services will disappear from the surface
When knowledge, search, and processes are connected in advance, the systems that win will not be the ones with the best UI - they will be the ones with internal coherence.
Planning for 2013: cloud, data, and security can no longer be discussed separately
Any digital project today is simultaneously about architecture, data, and security. Why keeping those conversations apart costs more.
Near real-time: when a business actually needs streaming, and when 15 minutes is fine
Not every online analytics setup makes economic sense. A look at when streaming data is justified and when it is an expensive illusion of speed.
Amazon Redshift and the new economics of data warehousing
Cloud MPP storage changes not just the stack but the psychology of a pilot. Why the right question is no longer 'can we afford this' but 'where do we start'.
Flame and trust in updates: when the delivery channel becomes part of the attack
The Flame malware used forged Microsoft certificates to spread via Windows Update. Code signing and trusted software supply chains are now a management topic.
Apple Maps failed because of data quality, not because of maps
The Apple Maps launch is the best public lesson available on data sources, quality contracts, and the cost of ignoring user feedback loops.
SSO and identity federation: consolidate your accounts, do not multiply them
The more systems a company runs, the more expensive the chaos in user accounts becomes. How centralising authentication reduces both operational costs and attack surface.
Privacy by design for normal people: design for minimisation, not for excuses
Collecting data you do not need creates both a security risk and operational complexity. Why data minimisation is an engineering decision, not a legal one.
If the computer vision breakthrough holds, factories will see their own processes for the first time
A forward-looking take on how affordable cameras and machine vision will change quality inspection, warehousing, and operator interfaces on the factory floor.