By STEVEN WORRALL
We live in an era characterised by immense and growing amounts of data of every variety imaginable.
It’s a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is knowing what to do with it, the opportunity comes when you’ve figured that out.
The NSW Data Analytics Centre (DAC) is providing mighty adept at knowing what to do with data and at demonstrating what is possible when you have smart people, intelligent tools and the political will to transform.
The DAC was announced back in 2015 in a truly pioneering initiative and charged with facilitating data sharing between agencies to inform more efficient, strategic, whole of government, evidence-based decision making. There are additional significant benefits for NSW residents and businesses as the DAC makes more and more de-identified data available publicly.
Microsoft is delighted to have signed a non-exclusive Memorandum of Understanding with the NSW Government that we believe will turbo charge its digital and data agenda. We’re working together with the DAC, using Microsoft Azure and a range of Azure cognitive services on a proof of concept to build a machine learning neural network that will categorise NSW Government spending.
In time the DAC intent is to take a further step and develop data rich and intelligent solutions that will provide instant insights to prove that the Government’s $30 billion annual procurement budget is being well spent.
The NSW Government has a further agenda that will see it play a major role as a global leader in the development of data analytics solutions. Through the MoU, and by using Microsoft Azure it has plans to commercialise its innovations within a year – making data analytics solutions available to governments and corporates around the world.
Using Microsoft Azure and our rich array of cognitive services means that the DAC has been able to spin up proof of concept solutions in just three months – in the past that could have taken as long as three years according to DAC CEO and the State’s Chief Data Scientist, Dr Ian Oppermann.
Microsoft Azure is globally available – and that scale and reach allows NSW to stake its claim as one of the leading digital and data insight operations worldwide – a genuine trailblazer.
The DAC, under the leadership of Dr Oppermann, is already home to some of Australia’s leading data scientists who are working to glean insights from data that will help Government optimise both decision making and policy and stake a claim for the nation as a major player in data analytics.
You can read more about the partnership between Microsoft and the NSW Government in Australian Financial Review this morning.
