Data overload makes SDI obsolete

In 2009 the World created 0.8 Zettabytes of data (that is 800 billion gigabytes!). In 2010 that number will increase to 1.2 Zettabytes. And the volume is growing exponentially from year to year…. If we believe that “80% of data has spatial component” the chances of cataloguing it all and making discoverable in rigid Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) type of environments are very slim. So, the only hope we have for making any sense out of this mountain of data is to turn to unstructured search concept rather than meticulous cataloguing, as argued for some time now by Ed Parsons, the Geospatial Technologist of Google.

Australian government is embarking on the new era and opening up its vaults of data to the public but the way this task is executed already attracted some early criticism for not involving State Governments and private industry. Let’s hope this will not turn into yet another failed SDI initiative...