A continuation of my thoughts from the other day.  There has been a huge explosion in the amount of information that is available in recent years, given the exponential growth rates in internet usage, mobile tools and social media.  This has created significant opportunities for peoples and companies - in the fields of collection, collation, coordination and creative display of information.  In fact, it has even economically lifted entire countries, such as India, and enabled them to grow their middle class and enjoy higher standards of living in record periods of time.

At the same time, the overload of information has often led to rampant confusion, contamination of data and inefficiency in our ability to process this information.  The elixir of “freedom of information” has often become the poison of “unreliable” information.  The focus of the technological elite has shifted from managing the storage and retrieval of data to “smart” or “intelligent” data mining and management.

Also, in a world where disinformation and misinformation are being actively and fastidiously introduced by unscrupulous elements, the battle for the management and control of information is translating to a battle for the management and control of thought, and thereby a battle for ultimate power.  Our field is helping government organizations facilitate new calls to action for openness, transparency and public participation – I hope these efforts will quell some of that misinformation out there.

As the president and chief executive of Somat, a multifaceted information technology and engineering firm with great geographical, cultural, social, educational and religious diversity among our team, I am often struck by the effect, and affect, that information has on different types of people. 

Information gleaned from different sources and by different techniques results in varying outcomes.  Since life is a continuous series of experiences, interaction and reactions, I'm focusing on information, its management and its offshoots, as not only the subject of my blog posts, but also when it comes to our company's technological advancement, and that of our clients.

Speed and access are of paramount importance these days.  From fast food drive-through lanes, to Facebook connections on our cell phones, there is real value attributed to speed.  Even in the world of pleasure and entertainment, where the value is less tangible, fast cars, boats and moves are appreciated.  With that being the case, I pondered on what was the fastest object or movement I had ever come across.

The clear winner for me is the human mind.  It travels hundreds of thousands of miles in fractions of a second, constantly and consistently.  The vehicles for this travel are the countless discrete pulsating thoughts that make up the mind.  And information is the food for these thoughts.