The @WholeChainCom Blog - Pardalis Inc.

Data Ownership in the Cloud is an open networking group on LinkedIn created in April, 2009. At publication of this blog entry, there are more than 500 members who are loosely networked together under the group's current profile:

Recently the top identity management officer of a major data mining and analytics company said "that ... giving individuals control over the data that is shared ... increases the quality of the data and opens up new business models".

That's an impressive statement coming from a BigCo. But what about going even further? For instance, what about increasing the availability of new, quality data for opening up new, profitable models of data management?

The Data Ownership in the Cloud group on LinkedIn is a global venue for multi-disciplinary networking between technologists and non-technologists interested in providing thought leadership on this critical issue.

What technologies and standards (Cloud Computing, Web 2.0, Semantic Web, Enterprise 2.0, Health 2.0, Privacy 2.0, Manufacturing 2.0, Social Networking, SaaS, Security 2.0, RFID 2.0, microformat standards, identification standards, minimal disclosures, identity management) will enable data ownership in the Cloud?

What are the non-technological factors (sociological, political, psychological, legal)?

Members are heartily encouraged to post, share and discuss stories (including relevant journal entries from their own blogs) that touch upon new and emerging models for user-centric data management.

I've emphasized "between technologists and non-technologists", above, because this is a raison d'etre for the group. It has been my distinct impression that an over-emphasis on technology (primarily 'security') has precluded the free-thinking from which new and emerging models for user-centric data management must come. And though the majority of group members may be defined as 'technologists', the discussions and postings have revealed a wonderful sensitivity to an approach balancing security with risk and opportunity.

Here are some examples.

Luk Vervenne, CEO and founder, Synergetics NV, just posted to the group a link regarding work on a manifesto for the "Internet of Subjects".

The central role individuals now play in the Internet, calls for a radical rethinking of its organisation, in particular, the way the ever-increasing flow of personal data is being created, stored, connected, accessed, protected, tracked, exploited and managed. There is a need to create the foundations of an Internet where the architecture creates the conditions for the free association of self-conscious individuals, beyond the pre-defined boundaries of current information systems and social networks.

Lest you think the group to be a bit too abstract, consider this excerpt from the discussion begun by Dirk Rodgers, Sr. Consultant, Serialization & Pedigree at Cardinal Health, entitled "Who owns supply chain visibility data?"

Who owns supply chain visibility data? Does the manufacturer of a product retain any rights to track that product after it enters the supply chain? What if the product is a pharmaceutical and it is found to have a life-threatening defect? Should technology or standards availability play any role in answering these questions? These kinds of questions come up occasionally in discussions of track and trace systems design when people talk about the future of "full supply chain visibility" ....

And a very active commenter within the Data Ownership group - Eve Maler, Distinguished Engineer, Identity Services at PayPal - has been chairing seminal activities of the User-Managed Access (UMA) working group of the Kantara Initiative:

The purpose of the UMA Work Group (charter) is to develop specs that let an individual control the authorization of data sharing and service access made between online services on the individual's behalf, and to facilitate interoperable implementations of the specs.

I'd be remiss in not mentioning other highly active commenters within the group to include Brian Hennessey, Jack Repenning, Joe Andrieu, Anthony Freed, Julian Goh, and Al Macintyre. Thanks to you guys and all of the other contributors!

But is the group having any affect on the real world being lived by any of its members? Well, that's another critical reason for the existence of the Data Ownership group - "to post, share and discuss stories that touch upon new and emerging models for user-centric data management".

One day last fall, John Bailey, the Executive Direct of Top 10 Produce LLC, came wandering into the group. One thing led to another and now our two companies - Pardalis and Top 10 Produce - have joined with Oklahoma State University (Biosystems and Ag Engineering), North Dakota State University (School of Food Systems) and Michigan State University (Institute for Food and Agricultural Standards) in recently filing for two significant funding opportunities offered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Speciality Crops Research Initiative was filed for with OSU, NDSU and MSU in January, 2010 for $4M over 5 years. The USDA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative was filed for with OSU for $3M over 4 years. Next up is the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative providing funding opportunities of up to $25M over 5 years. That'll be filed later this spring.

So I can unreservedly say that, yes, when it comes to Pardalis and Top 10 Produce, networking in Data Ownership in the Cloud is having a very positive affect.

Check out the group at http://tinyurl.com/datacloud and see why Dirk Rodgers says, "I believe this group could become the best source for information about the implications [of data ownership in the cloud]."