Data analytics opportunities in a smarter planet

New applications of computing are being enabled by instrumentation of physical entities, aggregation of data, and the analysis of the data. The resulting integration of information and control permits efficient and effective management of complex man-made systems. Examples include transportation systems, buildings, electrical grids, health care systems, governments, and supply chains. Achieving this vision requires extensive data integration and analysis, over diverse, rapidly changing, and often uncertain data. There are many challenges, requiring both new data management techniques as well as new mathematics, forcing new collaborations as the basis of the new "Data Science". Needs and opportunities will be discussed in the context of specific pilots and projects. © 2012 VLDB Endowment.