Did you know we have 50 bn devices or more in the world today and only 7 bn people. Just as there is big buzz today around networks/media that connect people, same rhetoric is ongoing in the business world around machines under the title M2M (Machine 2 Machine) for last 10 years.
The concept of Machine 2 Machine means any machine, anytime, anywhere in the world can connect to any other machine ubiquitously to communicate seamlessly and achieve specific outcomes, what I call socialization amongst machines,
Over last 10 years, CEOS, CIOS have encouraged heavy investments in industrial automation forcing machine socializations to create very powerful tangible outcomes like safety of humans, better Return on Capital Employed (ROCE), better Return on Assets (ROA) etc.
Let us begin to analyze how and when a machine socializes in a domain , how it results in powerful outcomes 1) Every new machine when introduced in a domain with other disparate machines (different manufacturers), first and foremost it has to be programmed. Note: Domain here could be a plant, refinery, oil well, Coal mine etc.
2) Once the machine is programmed and goes in operations mode it starts to perform the intended function example gather required raw data from the inputs and output it based on its capability.
3) The output "data" usually has to be exchanged or fed to another machine(s) in or around the same domain. Note: Enterprises have struggled over last 10 yrs realizing data fed or exchanged by itself is meaningless eg. If you receive a value from a machine saying 00001 it means nothing, but if you say 10001=Pressure tag it means something, however to complicate the matter, the other machine(s) may have Pressure defined by a tag =10004, so how do you enable the exchange easily of data seamlessly back and forth between the machines? These scenarios resulted in making machines networks (or socialization) highly complex, inefficiencies, poor decision making etc. forcing investments in advanced automation technologies.
4) Today, the same machines have matured enough where they can exchange "Relevant Data which has meaning = Information" vs. earlier where the machine will output any data and the receiving machine has to interpret somehow the relevance of the data complicating the exchange mechanism. Note: example of Information when you say I am X means nothing to someone, but when you say I am X who works for Y as Z it means something.
5) Once the relevant information is exchanged by machine(s) again and again "i.e. they engage" seamlessly irrespective of the manufactures all the machines in the same domains it enables tangible outcomes like stop the plant if pressures are rising beyond X, slow down the processor belt if some defects are rising , reduce water injection by 5000 gallon for next 30 minutes, we machines are sensing trouble so inform human on what could go wrong in next 1 hours etc. i.e. tangible outcomes
Let's now translate the same learnings to analyze and investigate People to People connections, i.e. Human Socialization in a domain (domain here defined as their neighborhoods, enterprises, group meets etc.)
1) Any individual joins a domain which have many disparate personalities and we have to program ourselves to the domain surroundings.
2) Once programmed, we try and accustom ourselves to the surroundings i.e we observe, interpret and adjust accordingly.
3) This enable us to start exchange/share "data" with people in the domain and control what we share with them based on relevance, interests etc. Key to note here is just sharing data like lol, I am sipping coffee, going on a date is meaningless and adds no value to us or anyone " and complicates exchange.
4) However if the data is exchanged with the people in the domain as "Relevant information" it usually starts to create "engagement", starts to builds "real connection" as its "meaningful exchange" seamlessly with disparate people who are around or nearby us.
5) As the relevant information is exchanged back and forth within the domain it results in meaningful powerful outcomes as its goal oriented. Example of Goals could be making our community better, ensuring personal safety, getting promotion in an organization, Surpassing sales goal, new product launches, getting discounts etc.
Just as enterprises, have realized the power of how machines when exchanging relevant and meaningful information vs. data only in a domain seamlessly, can result in powerful outcomes, it's time we humans use social networks that allow and encourage us to exchange meaningful information vs. data and drive powerful/meaningful outcomes