Dark data to fuel warp speed growth for #IoT

In my world of semiconductors, dark silicon refers to transistors that are present in the chip but that can not be turned on due to thermal constraints. A valid resource that is available but not used. In the case of #IoT we have a lot of data already out there that I would label as dark data, it exists but no one outside the network owner has access to it. Valid data that is not available, hence not used. Dark data is growing on daily basis as system integrators deploy vertical networks of #IoT nodes and collect information.

In my continued search for the inflection point for #IoT, I ran into this interesting bit of information this weekend. The city of Boston is applying #IoT principles and best of all is giving open access to the data. The city has even partnered with other providers of data to improve road conditions. This reminded me that in one of my previous rants, I complained about the lack of a broker that would facilitate connecting the data from #IoT nodes to big data consumers. What if this was too big of a step to take? What if instead, a dark data exchange could be the smaller step that might be easier to take?

It would require a lot less in terms of technology and transactions to exchange data as opposed to giving access to networks of #IoT nodes. Someone who is in the business of deploying #IoT nodes would now collect the data and place it in the exchange for other people to purchase. We still need a broker to make the transaction but we no longer need to setup access to the individual nodes. This would be an alternative method to capture revenue for people in the #IoT node deployment for data capture business. Without that revenue potential, growth in the number of #IoT nodes will remain limited to those deployed by system integrators. Without a dark data exchange the growth in #IoT will remain limited to vertical deployments.

In #IoT, information is the fuel for analytics engines. People are willing to pay a lot for that fuel since the output from the analytics engine is worth 10x more than the input. A global dark data exchange will for sure make many people happy on all sides and would boost the number of companies that want to deploy #IoT nodes. Only the potential of revenue from deploying #IoT nodes will drive deployment and only the subsequent horizontal mashup applications would drive #IoT into exponential growth. No revenue potential, no data. No exchange, no mashups.

Do you know of a dark data exchange already in operation today?