Data Isn't Oil – It's a Financial Asset (And That Changes Everything)
ConferenceEnglishData and Intelligence
2025-10-15 | 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM | Room 516 DE
Information
Here's the thing: We've been thinking about data all wrong. The whole "data is the new oil" metaphor? It's not just tired – it's actively harmful to how organizations manage information. Data isn't something you extract, burn up, and then need more of. It's a financial asset that appreciates, generates returns, and requires sophisticated portfolio management. This reconceptualization isn't just semantics. It fundamentally changes how we approach everything from regulatory compliance (think tax efficiency, not burden) to analytics initiatives (think compound interest, not consumption). We'll walk through real examples – from ADP's employment reports to seismic surveys that cost $125K per square mile to shoot but can be licensed repeatedly for half that – to show why the old-timey term "Data Bank" suddenly makes a lot more sense than "Data Lake.
