Title: Convergent Synthesis
Speaker: Christopher Ball

http://www.neoabacus.com
Date Monday September 28, 2009
Time: 11:00
Venue: Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica
See http://www.cwi.nl/en/general/Address
Room: L302

Abstract:

The desire for more efficient and effective means of working with
information is rapidly increasing in the business community with the
viral growth of data. Just one dimension of the problem is
highlighted by Gartner Group, who notes that for every $1 a company
spends on a license of software they will spend $5 integrating that
software into their organization. We suspect that a significant
portion of this cost arises from a set of outdated assumptions which
results in information destruction and a high level of redundancy.
The question we are exploring is the possibility of how information
could be made hyper effective and efficient, analogous to the
improvements the materials and supply chains segment has experienced
over the last 50 years. The question stems in part from the
observation that historically disparate disciplines in the field of
information technology are clearly showing a confluence and the point
of crystallization appears to be around meta.

We are exploring this question first as a thought experiment,
agnostic to any current implementation technology, seeking the
conceptual tools and terminology that may enable a similar such shift
for information technology. We have been working on a logical model
to form a better understanding of the heuristics of effective and
efficient information and the logical qualities of information as it
moves through its lifecycle. We conjecture that a more holistic view
of meta throughout information lifecycle is required: from capture
or extraction through enrichment and movement to points of
utilization and repurposing, with attention to hermeneutics and
cognitive patterns. We further conjecture that there is potential to
realize a phenomenon similar to what is referred to in chemistry as
‘convergent synthesis’ – the presence of multiple molecules
generating a greater yield. Or in the case of information technology,
the presence (or availability) of multiple ‘computer actionable meta’
could facilitate a dramatic increase in the viscosity of information
as it flows through ‘information supply chains’ as well as a dramatic
enhancement in the effectiveness of information at end points of
utilization, whether it be by man and machine.

Our initial use case in exploring this vision is the use of openly
available data filed by publically traded companies with regulators,
as regulatory mandate and fiduciary responsibility. In particular, we
are looking at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s
information life cycle, from filing to utilization by the broad
analyst community. Currently the utilization of this body of
information by the public is viewed as labor intensive, inefficient,
and only partially effective. This use case focuses on the
fundamentals of the information lifecycle, but lends itself to be
extensible as success may afford. We have identified a small number
of ‘extreme’ users who currently experience the greatest pain from
the current unpliable nature of the information. Our initial
prototype will cover the extraction of information from unstructured
and partially structured data, through enrichment, to the ultimate
relevance and value to the end user in the context of the cognitive
patterns of their work

Resume:

Christopher Ball has 20 years experience in the adoption of emerging
technologies, architecting solutions, and advising on technical
strategy in consumer, corporate, and federal financial management.
Diversified technical and functional background ranging from business
process consulting to large scale enterprise-wide systems design,
development, and implementation. Established competence in aiding
organizations to identify and assimilate new technologies, create
architectures with enduring value, and optimize development and
business practices through the use of technology. Specialized in
bridging the gap between the technical details of emerging technology
and the practical issues of the business domain, discerning what
value can be realized, and then resolving what to build, how to go
about building it and finding the synergy between the two. Expertise
stems from a passionate curiosity in the ceaseless evolution of
information technology and the accrued heuristics of experience that
transcend any single technology - appreciating technologies drivers
 and disruptors in pursuit of the art of predicting, planning, and
delivering value with each generation of technology.