Patricia Florissi, vice president and global chief technology officer (CTO) for EMC Sales. Image by HumanIPO.
Florissi was speaking at the EMC Forum in Lagos, Nigeria, yesterday and she said big data presents playmakers in emerging markets, such as Nigeria, with great opportunities.
“Big data allows us to deal with more customers in a much faster way. Applications are going to be developed differently because big data are going to be part of application,” said Florissi.
“Big data is going to transform business. It’s not about how, it’s about when.”
With the aid of big data, she said companies such as Amazon are able to track customers’ transactions which is then used to suggest to customers what other people bought with a similar interest.
She said: “With big data at such level, I won’t just be buying the book I wanted to buy in the first place, I may also be buying two to three more titles that other people have bought. In emerging markets, such application of big data could significantly improve business.”
Florissi however noted that emerging markets such as Nigeria’s would have to contend with challenges such as shortage of intellectual capital as a result of the unique nature of the type of thinking that big data mobile app development requires.
“None of the current related disciplines cover that line of thinking,” she added.
She however noted that young professionals and students can be trained to become the professionals of the future.
“Start statistics and mathematics for people in science and technology because mathematical modeling will present a huge market four to five years from now,” she said.
Florissi also stated that for Nigeria’s IT sector to become one of the biggest in the world, the nation has to invest more in science and technology.
