By Cassy van Eeden

The session, aptly named What’s the Big Deal with Big Data, aimed to dig deeper into the ‘data age’ and shed light on the ways in which big data is useful.

Drew Kennedy, partner at Data Ascend, opened the session with an overview of big data and how it should be governed. Kennedy, who has over 20 years of experience in the data industry, discussed the various issues that anyone dealing with big data should consider.

These considerations include: where and how do we acquire big data; how does one merge it all together in a way that is useful, affordable and accessible; and – perhaps most importantly – how the use of big data should be governed.

Next up was CEO of Praelexis, McElory Hoffman. He began his presentation by transporting the audience back to the year 1995. This was the year that Internet Explorer was launched. It was also the year that Hoffmann owned his first cellphone: a clunky device with the sole capability of making phonecalls.

He used his collection of cellphones over the years to demonstrate how, when the cellphone was first developed, we had no idea of the kinds of potential it had. “Now we have this,” he said as he held up his iPhone 6.

Hoffmann compared this analogy to the current state of big data. Currently, we cannot even begin to fathom the potential that big data has. “It’s something we can’t imagine at this point.” Instead of trying to predict what the future of big data is, Hoffmann discussed the ways that we can use big data today to make Africa a better place.

The concluding presentation, by director of NPO Code for SouthAfrica, Adi Eyal, followed on seamlessly from Hoffmann’s discussion. Instead of trying to pin down the slippery concept of the future of big data, Eyal demonstrated the practical ways that it can be used right now.

“Big data by itself is boring,” said Eyal, “It’s the products that we develop because of it that are interesting.” He then demonstrated a number of platforms that have transformed mass amounts of seemingly meaningless data into information that is useful.

For example, a database which compares the price ofmedicines and possible generics, a wage calculator for employers of domestic workers and interactive graphics that illustrate where government revenue is made and even where the worst spot for getting traffic fines is.

The final part of the event was a question and answer session where the audience was able to further pick the brains of the speakers.

The New Media Labs’ (NML) New Media Mondays, which launched in May 2014, is aimed at the idea of “gathering intellectuals and entrepreneurs who are doing amazing work in the realms of technology, business and design”, says Thando Kumalo, who is responsible for marketing and business development at NML.

“The event is intended to be a retreat of sorts for individuals and companies with a shared curiosity about the technological forced shaping our future,” adds Kumalo. “We want this event series to be a nucleus of thought-leadership and knowledge-sharing; the kind of space that attracts great clients and ambitious talent.”

New Media Mondays take place at the New Media Labs offices in Black River Park in Cape Town. The sessions currently take place once every quarter with the next event planned for September/October this year.

For more information, visit the New Media Mondays website or email Thando Kumalo on [email protected]. Alternatively, connect with New Media Labs via Facebook and Twitter.