BSA launches Global Data Alliances to move data across borders

Washington-headquartered global advocacy group BSA (Business Software Alliance) on Thursday announced the launch of Global Data Alliances, a cross-industry coalition to advocate for the ability to move data across borders.

The group will enable economies to open, and innovate and develop policies that maximise the economic potential of cross-border information movement.

It will include BSA members Adobe, ANSYS, Apple, Autodesk, Bentley Systems, CA Technologies, CNC/Mastercam, DataStax, Dell, IBM, Intuit, Microsoft, Minitab, Oracle, salesforce.com, SAS, Siemens PLM, Splunk, Symantec, The MathWorks, Trend Micro, Trimble and Workday. American Express, Amgen, AT&T, Cisco, Mastercard, Panasonic, United Airlines, Verizon, Visa, and WD-40 Company will also be part of it. These companies are headquartered across the globe and are active in the areas of advanced manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, electronics, entertainment, financial and payment services, health, consumer goods, supply chain and telecommunications sectors.

“Forward-looking companies understand that today’s data ecosystem runs on trust: the trust of business partners, of consumers and of the public. The companies in this alliance share a commitment to responsible data stewardship and working with governments around the world to build this trust,” Victoria Espinel, president and CEO of the BSA, said.

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Uses of cross-border data sharing:

Farming: As much as 90% of crop losses are caused by the weather. Hence, food production can be protected when crop damage is reduced by predictive weather modelling and other precision agriculture techniques that draw on data gathered from thousands of sensors across countries and regions.

Enterprise: It can help enterprises design, create and export new products and services; enhance business processes, increase productivity and reach new customers globally; as well as engage in research, development and innovation.

Manufacturing: Companies are combining IoT (internet of things) sensors with predictive analytics software to improve workplace safety and increase productivity, while reducing unplanned maintenance and factory downtime. These software tools perform real-time analysis of performance indicators gathered from factories around the world, measuring things like vibration, heat and energy use to better understand what is going on deep inside machinery and identify potential equipment failures.

Health: Universities and other institutions deploy research and laboratory data in artificial intelligence-powered systems that cross-reference clinical queries with insights gleaned from thousands or millions of potentially relevant medical studies from around the world, leading to the delivery of better diagnoses, more cost-effective bio-pharmaceutical research and the development of new life-saving cures.

Financial: Service providers analyse data generated in various parts of the world to detect patterns, identify and stop fraudulent transactions, and help combat other criminal behaviours.

Transportation: All types of conveyances – air, land and at sea – continually communicate billions of operational and business-related data elements across borders to radar stations, data centers and control towers, ensuring efficient operations, reducing emissions, and protecting lives.