Who owns this data? For example, the weight of a truck measured by sensors on a weighbridge or the number of people entering a shopping mall recorded by a sensor at the entrance. In order to protect that data stream, you will need to ensure you remain in control of the sensor-enabled device that generates the data. The best way to do this is to own the data generator. You must be able to use and control your access to the data that sensors, machines or equipment generate.
The best way to own the data from a data source is to create the sensor or build the machine that generates the data. If you hire a third party to do so, you need to make sure that your agreement clearly defines that you have the title rights to the sensor or machine.
Having a good contract in place between you and the data generator owner is key. It would also be a good idea to remain friendly with the owner, especially if they have the ability to cut your access to the data stream. First of all, we must differentiate between public data and private data. One could say that public data is in the open domain and available to everyone.
But what makes data public? Is data you post on Facebook now public because it is available to anyone with a browser or the Facebook app? Well, probably not. It is available only to those you have shared the data with on Facebook. But when you put it up on Facebook, then you no longer exclusively own that data … Facebook likely owns it, too. What about governmental data that is available freely online such as the data at USA.
If you think the data is wrong, you can change your copy of it but not the original. Then there are all the data governance and privacy laws and regulations that impact who owns what and how it can be used.
It can be difficult to fully understand what all of these laws mean and how and when they apply to you and your organization. In most cases, corporate data probably belongs to the company, and thus, the company is the owner. Each department within an organization ought to be the custodian of the data it generates and uses to conduct its business.
Departments are the custodian because they are the ones who decide who has access to their data, must maintain the integrity of the data they use, and ensure that it is viable for making decisions and influencing executives.
Nevertheless, this answer provides only a partial answer to the question. You really need named individuals as custodians or stewards. These data stewards can be from the business unit or the IT group supporting the business unit.
Generally speaking, if stewards are appointed in IT, they should probably not be application developers or DBAs but perhaps data analysts or higher-level IT managers. Application developers are responsible for writing code, and DBAs are responsible for the physical database structures and performance.
Back in the mids, I wrote about how GPS would be used to revolutionize our lives. One of my books published back then was called Advances in Agriculture , in which I highlighted how GPS would transform agriculture in the s and beyond. Today those predictions have come true. Thanks to smart tractors from John Deere, as well as harvesters and planters, farmers can use GPS to do much more than plant a straight row of corn. Therefore, when they plant seeds in the spring, farmers can plug that data into their planters and know exactly where to plant more seeds to get a bigger return, and where to plant fewer seeds because the ground is not as fertile.
This enables the farmers to maximize their yields. All this is great news. In return, Monsanto will provide the farmers with information on the best ways to work their field as well as the best tools for getting the highest yield and the most profitability. It makes a lot of sense. But … who owns the data now?
Before going any further, I want to be clear in saying that this example is not about whether Monsanto is doing something good or bad; rather, it is about looking at predictable problems and working together to find solutions before problems begin. And that opens up another big question: Does data ownership need to be regulated, because in this case it would give Monsanto an unfair advantage in the market?
Perhaps regulators need to take a look, analyze this, and solve problems before they happen.
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