Santa Monica is part of “Silicon Beach,” the Southern California tech hub that spans through Los Angeles County, from Santa Monica at its northern tip to Hermosa Beach at the southernmost end. L.A.’s Westside is home to over 500 tech companies. Some of the more notable Santa Monica tech companies include eHarmony, Beachbody, and Headspace.
But to become one of these successful companies you’ll have to participate in the digital economy, which is relatively new and quite complex. It is based almost entirely on data, which provides the information needed for tech and other online companies to make money. For start-ups and large tech businesses alike, data is very valuable. Not only is it necessary for understanding your market and target demographic, these companies have to choose how to manage their data in the best way possible.
A company can make the choice to organize your data on the Cloud or with on-site master data management (MDM). Both have advantages and disadvantages, but when you intricately understand your data and can actively work with it to grow your business and expand.
Cloud vs. On-Site MDM
Cloud MDM is the more popular option for dealing with large amounts of data and files. This method leaves the management of these things to a third-party without compromising the security of the company. Not only does it enable your company to access the server through the internet. With robust security measures, you can enjoy the flexibility of a subscription-based Cloud MDM service.
On the other hand, if you take the initiative to tackle the hard work of on-site master data management. Managing your data provides the authority to maintain the activities of the organization without anyone interfering. With this model, your company is in charge of all its data, software, and hardware. While you have to do the hard work, managing the data yourself will give you the opportunity to take control of it and utilize it to find new ways to make money, create new products, and target demographics that you didn’t know about before.
Using MDM to Expand
When you have full access to the data involved in your business, you’ll have the opportunity to use it. This way you can look at more closely what is working and what isn’t. Not only does this hard information show the clear results of your efforts, it can also spark creative product ideas. You will be able to see who you should sell a particular product to more clearly.
With all this data on your hands, the team at your company can create graphs and data points that will lead you down a path of success. With the ability to think critically by using the data at your disposal, your business will improve, grow, and expand. If your business needs data to know what direction to go in, it might be a good idea to manage it yourself.
Why Data is Important
You have probably heard people say that data will become the most valuable thing in the world. Some say it already is. Data will replace oil and gold as the most valuable resource because our economy is increasingly digital. With tech and social media companies dominating the landscape of money-making, they have made data and the ability to advertise to targeted customers and social demographics. When you have data to work with, it provides opportunities to diversify and focus the business in a particular direction.
Our economy is dependent upon it. There is no end to this in sight. The digital economy will only become larger, overtaking the businesses we think of as the traditional economy. In addition, there will be less and less menial jobs because they will be replaced by automation and machine learning. While it depends on the product or service, data is becoming integral to every digital, online, and marketing business.
Data from your social media accounts and other online services are sold to others. Whether it’s Facebook selling data to Donald Trump’s campaign marketing company Cambridge Analytica or to clothing companies trying to get you to buy a new pair of sunglasses, data is being used against you.
Having said that, it is possible to use data that your business has in an ethical way. Instead of selling private information, companies can use it to create innovative digital products that anticipate what the market consumers want and need. Data management is completely necessary if you want to get ahead. There is no way around it. If you choose to take control of the data in your possession, you’ll have a better handle on the information and will have the opportunity to use it.
