Taiwan’s state-backed Institute for Information Industry and U.S.-headquartered International Business Machines Corp. unveiled a big data strategic cooperation program Dec. 12 aimed at helping local companies cultivate related business opportunities.
“With the prevalence of the Internet and cloud applications, the amount of business, individual and social data is accumulating at an explosive rate,” III President Wu Ruey-beei said.
“One of the important issues for industries around the world is devising ways of transforming big data into a profitable asset and utilizing it to develop new business models.”
Wu made the remarks during the opening of the Big Data x Smart Living International Conference in Taipei City. Organized by the III under the auspices of the ROC Ministry of Economic Affairs, the event was attended by government officials, experts and business leaders from domestic and overseas firms such as Amazon.com Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
According to Wu, the III is making every effort to establish key big data technologies with the goal of helping Taiwan companies maximize their potential in the area.
Such efforts have already borne fruit, Wu said, including successfully assisting medical parts suppliers tap the services market and property management companies transform into green building and smart services providers.
Grace Lin, vice president and director general of the III Advanced Research Institute, said the cooperation program is of great significance, combining big data analytical technology and innovative business models to develop high value-added industries and upgraded business solutions.
“Our strategy is identical to IBM’s key points in developing big data technology, which are analytics, cloud computing, mobility and social,” Lin said.
“It is expected that the III and IBM will complement each other in advancing related technologies and accessing the market.” (RC-JSM)
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