Ooredoo and QCRI representatives discuss opportunities presented by big data analytics
DOHA, QATAR – Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) hosted the first of the Tech Leaders Panels series that brings together key industry leaders, students, faculty, and the broader community to discuss emergent and transformative technological advancements in Qatar and beyond.
The inaugural panel discussion featured Michael Johnston, senior director of information technology at Ooredoo Qatar, and Sanjay Chawla, principal scientist at Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), who shared their perspectives on big data analytics. The panel was moderated by Chadi Aoun, associate teaching professor of information systems. The panel explored how organizations are managing the high volume of information generated in the age of big data, including data analytics, data mining and knowledge discovery.
“We have moved from an era where humans collected data about humans, to computers, sensors, CCTVs and phones collecting data about everything. In an age of big data, the exponentially increasing volumes of data collected have vastly exceeded our ability to process and use it. This treasure trove of information presents both life-saving potential and growing threats to our individuality and privacy,” Aoun noted.
Exploring the big data landscape in Qatar from a telecommunications standpoint, Johnston noted the sector’s rapid transformation: “When we talk about big data and big data analytics, the question we ask ourselves is what exactly are we going to use it for and how can it be used to enhance customer experience.”
While big data means organizations can tailor their products and services to offer customers a personalized experience, the speakers noted how this could also present a growing threat to individuality and privacy.
Touching on the unique opportunities associated with big data, Chawla said: “By building research capacity we are arming our researchers and people based in Qatar with the know-how to establish start-ups. Many of our research ideas translate into patents, pilots and accelerators while our work with local organizations enables us to create a local ecosystem where people can learn from each other and move up the value chain in IT, machine learning and artificial intelligence.”
Each event in the Tech Leaders Panels series will host industry experts to discuss their perspectives with faculty, students, and the broader community.
