Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    The Upside of Data Mining

    By
    Caron Carlson
    -
    September 8, 2003
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      In the hands of a government preoccupied with security, data mining technologies raise the specter of intrusiveness to Orwellian proportions. But developers of such technology, who have grown weary of seeing it held out as some kind of bogeyman, say data mining technology, like many others, was designed for good.

      Researchers from academia and industry gathered here recently to discuss the future of the technology at the annual Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining Conference sponsored by the Association of Computing Machinery. Facing a recent spate of bad publicity regarding government data mining initiatives, researchers are eager to champion the technologys potential as a strategic tool for businesses.

      A group of doctorate-level panelists floated ideas for future commercial applications in the fields of security and fraud detection, e-commerce, and bioinformatics. But panelists offered few details on when or how these applications would become available. Nonetheless, some see it as a growth industry in light of recent advances in storage technologies, which have created new ways to warehouse vast amounts of data cheaply.

      Also a boon to the technology is Microsoft Corp.s recent decision to add data mining capability to SQL Server. Other companies—and not just developers—are focusing instead on honing the technology for business use.

      General Motors Corp., for example, is working on ways to turn data mining into a strategic enterprise tool, Ramasamy Uthurusamy, a researcher at GM, said at the conference last week. Citing the recent reported success of Harrahs Entertainment Inc. in examining customer data to increase return business through new customer incentives, Uthurusamy said some businesses are already availing themselves of the technology.

      Despite the optimism, the developers at the conference acknowledged numerous challenges—both technological and cultural—that must be addressed before data mining becomes a widespread and useful enterprise tool.

      One of the main technological obstacles is managing mined data and keeping sight of the purpose for collecting it. Usama Fayyad, chairman and co-founder of Revenue Science Inc., said he makes a “mess” whenever working on a data mining project, leaving “a trail of droppings thats of biblical proportions.” Within two to three days of initiating a project, it becomes easy to lose sight of the purpose and goals, Fayyad said.

      Another major obstacle, in Fayyads view, is the disconnect between the way data is represented in data stores and the way mining technologies work. Revenue Science, which changed its name in June from DigiMine Inc., is based in Bellevue, Wash.

      The publics concern about protecting privacy remains a key obstacle, and researchers increasingly see it as a problem that they must address themselves.

      Caron Carlson
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×