NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, like many large organizations, is taking on the Big Data problem: the task of analyzing enormous data sets to find actionable information. In JPL’s case, the job involves collecting and mining data from 22 spacecraft and 10 instruments including the Mars Science Laboratory’s Curiosity rover and the Kepler space telescope. Tom Soderstrom, IT chief technology officer at JPL, joked that his biggest Big Data challenge is more down to Earth: dealing effectively with his email inbox. But kidding aside, JPL now confronts Big Data as a key problem and a key opportunity. “If we define the Big Data era as beginning where our current systems are no longer effective, we have already entered this epoch,” Soderstrom explained. […]
For a tough big data challenge, look no further than the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). USPS faces a classic double-whammy: the agency has to collect and crunch massive amounts of data, and tackle the job quickly. Speed is important as the agency aims to detect fraud, update customers tracking mail pieces, and respond to requests from regulators. The postal service has responded with an architectural approach designed to rapidly ingest and process data culled from thousands of sources throughout the postal enterprise. Scot Atkins, program manager, Supercomputing & Revenue Protection, USPS, has helped shape the postal service’s big data efforts. He cited the agency’s push for real-time processing as perhaps its biggest big data challenge. […]
MeriTalk sat down with Scott Pearson, director, big data solutions, Brocade to discuss the state of Big Data in the Federal government: What is the most interesting thing about Big Data? Who is driving Big Data adoption at agencies? What should IT keep in mind as they look to deliver Big Data solutions? […]
Big data has less to do with size and more to do with the growing recognition that data and analysis have a seemingly limitless potential for improving government and society. But data alone does not deliver value. Real value is created when government can bring together data – big or traditional – from multiple sources or locations, and present that information in a way that encourages exploration and insight. Qlik allows you to extend big data analytics to the edges of your agency. Read Qlik’s case study to learn more. […]
Data has become a critical advantage for information-driven agencies. By providing unprecedented access to actionable information, agencies can use data to better understand their operations, improve their services, and ultimately fulfill their mission requirements. To access this information, agencies need to be able to effectively operationalize data across their operations. This includes discovering and embedding past-, present-, and future-looking analytics into their end users’ workflow in order to move the metrics that matter. […]
Government data is growing and agencies are looking to leverage big data to support government mission outcomes. However, most agencies lack the data storage/access, computational power, and personnel they need to take advantage of the big data opportunity, according to a study by MeriTalk sponsored by NetApp. The report, “The Big Data Gap,” reveals that Federal IT professionals believe big data can improve government but that the promise of big data is locked away in unused or inaccessible data. […]
Unlike its predecessors, big data has emerged as more than just a new technology. It has proven to be one of the most promising yet challenging technologies for both government and industry. Before IT leaders can harness the full potential of big data, there are key issues to address surrounding infrastructure, storage, and training. MeriTalk surveyed 17 visionary big data leaders to find out what they see as the big data challenges and opportunities as well as how government can best leverage big data. […]
Despite the buzz, big data is a new concept and many state and local agencies are behind the curve. Although thought leaders are extolling the virtues and benefits of big data, the truth is that to capture the full potential of big data, state and local agencies need the ability to easily store and access data, robust computational power and software to manipulate the data, and trained personnel to analyze the data. MeriTalk surveyed state and local IT professionals to better understand the current data position for state and local agencies and to identify the current gap between the big data opportunity and reality. […]
The TechAmerica Big Data Commission’s recent report predicts the term “Big Data” will be forgotten in 10 years, but its principles will underpin society. MeriTalk surveyed 150 Federal IT executives to gauge if agencies are taking the steps needed to operationalize the Big Data opportunity. […]
This white paper, written by Jean Yan, program manager, Data.gov, U.S. General Services Administration, seeks to promote, lead, and collaborate in the era of big data. The white paper addresses why big data is a hot topic, how big data works, what the main differences between traditional data analytics and big data analytics is, and what the major challenges, risks, and limitations are. […]
State and local governments are deploying the Big Five – data center consolidation, mobility, security, big data, and cloud computing – but are they prepared? Download the report at: https://meritalk.com/bigfiveinoverdrive […]
MeriTalk’s recent study, “Balancing the Cyber Big Data Equation,” examines the symbiotic relationship between Big Data and cyber security. The report captures insight from 18 Federal cyber and Big Data leaders on this two-way street and explores what agencies are doing today, how they are balancing access and risk, and what’s next as technologies and policies mature. Download the report at: https://meritalk.com/Balancing-Cyber-BigData […]
In this blog from Joyce Hunter, deputy CIO for policy and planning, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), learn more about the potential for direct access for food safety and food sourcing information through open data. […]
In this blog from Joyce Hunter, deputy CIO for policy and planning, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), learn more about USDA’s support of the Open Data Policy and the recently launched Food, Agriculture, and Rural virtual community on Data.gov. […]
MeriTalk’s study, “The Big Data Cure,” examines the current and future landscape of Federal healthcare and healthcare research in relation to Big Data. Is Big Data the cure? Download the report to learn more: https://meritalk.com/bigdatacure […]
Although the American economy has stabilized, Capitol Hill is still closely examining the spending and budgets of government agencies with an eye toward program cuts wherever possible. […]
On October 3, 2012, NASA, the Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation announced a competition to develop new ways to capitalize on the influx of big data in the Federal government. […]
On March 29, 2012, the Obama administration announced the “Big Data Research and Development Initiative” to make the most of the quickly growing amount of digital data in the Federal government. Six Federal departments and agencies announced more than $200 million in new commitments to programs that are dedicated to harnessing the power of big data to kick off the initiative. […]
Highlights of Federal programs that address the challenges and opportunities of big data. […]
In May 2013, the Office of Management and Budget released this memorandum requiring agencies to comply with data collection and management standards that encourage transparency, accessibility, and interoperability. […]
Small businesses have been critical in powering America through the greatest transformation of our economy since the Industrial Revolution. Nearly two-thirds of the jobs created during our recovery have been generated by startups and small enterprises. […]
Network security is top-of-mind across government IT, yet one vulnerability is often overlooked: the domain name system. […]
The majority of organisations know that data exploration and analysis can offer up many real benefits. […]
A new report published last week by the Federal Trade Commission on the use of big data is relevant to the agency’s stance on how such information should be handled with regard to healthcare, according to health attorney David Harlow. […]
In this blog, Joyce Hunter, deputy CIO for policy and planning, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), discusses the importance of real-time access to information before, during, and after a disaster, highlighting the 2014 USDA Open Data submission focused on Disaster Relief data. […]
IT initiatives promise to drive cost savings, but most agencies are leaving money on the table. Our study, “Show Me the Money: The Key to Doubling Agency Savings,” examines how to close the savings gap: https://meritalk.com/fedsaver […]
Insider threats are not only limited to cyber attacks; malicious actions, or human errors within an organization can happen within any given industry. Organizations need agility to deal with new and unanticipated data and activities to stay ahead and respond to suspicious behavior across all their systems – during a time when best practices for insider threat mitigation are still emerging. Too often organizations notice wrongdoings long after the damage is already done. […]
President Obama signed P.L. 113-101, known as the DATA Act, on May 9, 2014. The DATA Act requires that Federal spending information be standardized and published online. […]