Reflecting on the Impact of Data on Everyday Lives and Businesses

Data?has become?the?new normal in almost every aspect?of?our?lives. From?online shopping to physical store visits,?data?is used to help?businesses?make better decisions, better understand?their customers,?and?help people track?their?lives.?

Apple is?one?of?the?leading companies in leveraging?data?to make life easier for its users.?Their Apple AirTag product is an excellent example?of?this. AirTag is a small, coin-sized device that can track?and?locate items. It connects to?the?user’s iPhone or iPad via Bluetooth?and?can track items like keys, wallets, or even pets?and?people!?

Another example?of?data?being used for insights into?everyday?life is Fortinet’s Presence Analytics Solution. FortiPresence leverages WiFi probes detected from visitor smartphones?and?devices to analyse user traffic?and?derive usage patterns within a physical store. Store owners can use this?data?to understand better how customers interact with?their store, help optimise?the?store’s layout?and?product placement, identify trends,?and?plan better marketing strategies. At?101?Data?Solutions, we work with Fortinet to help clients utilise?their innovative technology to improve business insights.?

Data?has revolutionised our?lives?for years, with?everyday?applications such as Google Maps?and?fitness trackers being widely used. Its?impact?is also seen in healthcare, where?the?collected?data?helps doctors?and?researchers make more accurate diagnoses?and?treatments. Additionally,?data?is being utilised to optimise urban planning?and?traffic management. By providing real-time insights into?the?traffic flow, cities can reduce congestion?and?pollution levels. Through its innovative use,?data?is transforming our world, making it a better place for everyone.?

Data?will continue to be an integral part?of?our?lives?for?the?foreseeable future. Companies like Apple?and?Fortinet are leading?the?way in leveraging?data?to make life easier for?their users. By understanding how?data?can be used to create better experiences,?businesses?can create better products?and?services for?their customers.?

CASE STUDY?– Apple AirTag

The?small, coin-sized device attaches to any item?and?uses Bluetooth to provide real-time notifications if your belongings wander too far away. Recently, a passenger?on?United Airlines used AirTag to track her luggage that had been accidentally taken to an apartment complex.??

The?AirTag’s protected Bluetooth connection is picked up by nearby gadgets associated with?the?‘Find My’ network.?These devices will?then forward?the?AirTag’s whereabouts to iCloud,?and?the?tag will become visible?on?the?‘Find My’ app. In addition,?the?AirTag can collect?data?about?the?location, last seen, battery level,?and?the?unlocking status?of?the?item.??

How does it address security???

As with any?data?collection system, you want to ensure?the?data?is secure. Apple has taken steps to ensure?the?AirTag is protected?and?that your?data?remains private. First, Apple has designed?the?AirTag to erase all?data?after three days automatically. This way,?the?AirTag is?only collecting?data?when you are actively using it. Second, you can manually erase?the?data?from?the?AirTag at any time. Finally, Apple has designed?the?AirTag to connect to your device via encrypted Bluetooth?and?WiFi. This means your?data?is safe while transmitted between?the?AirTag?and?your app.??

Suppose you misplace your keys while out.?The?AirTag will be able to give you?their whereabouts by sending out Bluetooth Low Energy signals that are picked up by any iPhones in?the?area.?These iPhones will?then be able to transfer this location?data?to iCloud securely.??

According to Apple:??

“Your AirTag sends out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in?the?Find My network.?These devices send?the?location?of?your AirTag to iCloud–then you can go to?the?Find My app?and?see it?on?a map.?The?whole process is anonymous?and?encrypted to protect your privacy.?And?it?s efficient, so?there?s no need to worry about battery life or?data?usage.”??

Some security experts have raised?the?issue?of?the?AirTag being used to track someone secretly. To avoid this issue, Apple has designed?the?AirTag to notify you if?one is located near you but is not connected to your Apple ID.??

According to Apple.??

“AirTag is designed to discourage unwanted tracking. If someone else’s AirTag finds its way into your stuff, your iPhone will notice it’s traveling with you?and?send you an alert. After a while, if you still haven’t found it,?the?AirTag will start playing a sound to let you know it’s?there.”?

Here at?101?Data?Solutions, we ran an Apple AirTag competition in February. The lucky winner was Jen Jackson, Enterprise Sales Client Partner – Healthcare at Verizon Business.