Interesting article below, on "data exhaust." Simply, data exhaust should probably be treated the same way we treat vehicle exhaust - we should minimize it in every way we can. (Though, I have to admit, I'm not sure yet how exactly it might impact the environment...)
One thing I've learned in this industry is the subtle difference between using a smartphone as a fleet tracking device, rather than a wired-in, dedicated unit. The costs for using a phone can be very attractive - especially if you already issue one to your employees. And, there is some pretty good software out there that uses the phone well, and reports well. The issue will become one of "who" is being tracked, versus "what" is being tracked.
Typically, a wired device tracks a piece of equipment and how that equipment/vehicle/asset is being used. A smartphone tracks a person. This brings up several security and privacy concerns, and should not be taken lightly. You may also find that an employee using his/her own phone could be prone to resist, the same way they might towards putting a tracking device on a personal vehicle.
Obviously, there are other trade-offs (e.g. what can be reported or captured), but the privacy and security issues should be evaluated well before you make any long-term decisions.
http://t.co/oTjOTub1
- Alasdair Allan, O'Reilly Radar: Tertiary Data: Big Data's Hidden Layer, 19 March, 2012
Republished in Location Smart Brief, 21 March, 2012
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