August 26, 2010

10 ways data is changing how we live

I recently found this interesting article from our friends across the pond. It provides a good overview of the ways data is being efficiently employed across industries.

The availability of new sets of data has changed the way we live our lives: here are 10 examples of data which have changed everything from how we assess wars to how companies deliver milk.

While non-profit fundraising is not explicitly listed, I'm excited about the potentials of the last section: linked data.

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August 13, 2010

IBM buys Unica

I generally don't post many press releases here, but this brings me back. When I took some of my first data mining classes, we used Model One by Unica. Now, I am a rather ardent SPSS user. IBM has bought both SPSS and Unica, so these worlds have collided.

From the article:
IBM made it clear Friday it wants to own the online marketing and advertising analytics space. The company reported a deal to acquire software automation company Unica in an effort to better support Madison Avenue marketing and ad agencies, from campaign launch through execution and measurement.
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