Big data begins to make a big impact

Children watch a robot in action at the expo.

Better integration

To many Chinese, big data is still "high-tech jargon" that barely relates to their daily lives. However, residents of Guiyang have already been given a glimpse of the future, and big data is set to become better integrated with public services.

Illustrations of the uses of big data are displayed at the Guiyang Big Data Application Demonstration Center. For example, when some trucks were reported buried by a landslide in Guiyang after heavy rain, analysts used traffic flow records and photos taken by cameras along the highway to determine that three vehicles were in trouble, which proved to be the case when the recovery services arrived on the scene.

"Through news reports and free lectures provided by the government in the past two years, nearly all the public sector workers in Guiyang know, more or less, the importance of big data and how it will contribute to social development," said Liu Jun, 38, a local civil servant.

He noted that big data can also be used to satisfy public demand, such as information related to parking.

"If all public parking lots were registered, data analysis could indicate their number and locations on a smartphone app. That's just one way of using big data. I believe the future possibilities are limitless," he said.

Xu Ke, director of Guizhou Youedata's management department, said the biggest challenge is a lack of talent. "The education resources in Guizhou are limited. To speed up the development of the big data industry, we need more professionals. However, the quality of human resources in the province still lags behind that in metropolises such as Beijing and Shanghai," he said.

Internships

Xu said the company has launched pilot training programs with professionals to provide training for its employees. It also provides internships for students at Guizhou Education University and sends experienced technicians to deliver lectures at the college.

Zuo Yu, dean of the College of Mathematics and Computer Science at the university, said the school launched a major in Big Data Technology and Utilization in 2014, and the first batch of students will graduate in July.

Five junior students are working as interns at Guiyang Youedata, while seven others are with another company in the park.

"Internships in those businesses prior to graduation can better train the students to meet the market demand," Zuo said, adding that the companies will employ nearly all the students placed with them when they graduate.

The major was a secondary choice for most students the first year it was offered, but this year, it was the first choice of every student on the course.

"People understand that the big data industry has a promising future. Next year, we will double the number of students on the course and encourage more talent from other cities and foreign countries to work or study here," he said.