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UT’s Haslam College of Business will gather analytics experts from across the country Sept. 15–16 to address how to leverage data from new sources at its semiannual Business Analytics Forum.

Estimates suggest that by 2020, fifty billion devices will be connected to the Internet and to each other. Used properly, machine-to-machine communication built on cloud computing—popularly known as the Internet of Things—can do more than connect devices: it can automate action.

julie-ferrara
Julie Ferrara, director of UT’s Business Analytics Forum.

“Analyzing retrospective data to make business decisions becomes antiquated when devices are interconnected,” said Julie Ferrara, director of the Business Analytics Forum. “With the proper architecture in place, an organization can program its data sources to communicate and make predictive decisions—like avoiding delivery routes that have the potential to be iced over or flooded.”

Bill Schmarzo, chief technology officer at EMC Global Services Big Data, will lead the keynote address on how to take an organization from being connected to being smart.

Jeff Huckaby of Tableau Software will reinforce Schmarzo’s discussion of big data leverage with a case study. On the second day of the forum, Khuram Zaman, CEO at Fifth Tribe, will discuss how he used analytics to model and combat ISIS propaganda on Twitter.

Forum participants will tour Cherokee Farm Innovation Campus and Research Park and conduct breakout discussions on how their companies are analyzing and using new data sources as well as the challenges they face.

The forum will take place at the Hilton Knoxville and cost is free for forum members.

Companies interested in joining the forum can attend once as a guest. Forum members meet twice a year to develop competitive strategies and share best practices. For inquiries about membership and benefits, contact Julie Ferrara at 865-974-1659.

CONTACT:

Julie Ferrara (865-974-1659, jferrara@utk.edu)

Katie Bahr (865-974-3589, katiebahr@utk.edu)