utilization and driver behavior. "By tracking driver behavior, we can reduce idling and speeding, which reduces fuel consumption and wear and tear on company vehicles. In addition, we help them identify vehicles that aren't being used, which dramatically reduces their carbon footprint,” said Walker. According to Walker, for GPS Insight, implementing IoT solutions for good is mission-driven, but also a strategic priority for many clients. “Everything we do as an organization is about helping our clients and goes hand in hand with social change. We focus on linking data to strategy, and there’s always a safety or environmental component,” said Walker. Data Science for Good Advances in analytics, data visualization and artificial intelligence are allowing more people to use technology and to enter the tech workforce. For example, CompTIA member Smith.ai has a virtual receptionist service for small businesses that leverages a remote workforce, allowing receptionists to use Smith.ai's AI software to answer calls and web chats, all from the ease and comfort of their home, according to Maddy Martin, head of growth and education. “This opens doors for people who need to move around the country a lot, like military spouses, or people who have mobility issues that prevent them from going to a physical location for work,” Martin said. “It gives them career growth, benefits for their family and it’s all through technology." Data science is also helping Equinix develop solutions that can help mankind, according to Kaladhar Voruganti, vice president of technology innovation at Equinix and a member of the CompTIA AI Advisory Council. Equinix provides a neutral location for networks, clouds and enterprises to interconnect via network exchanges, and is now exploring data marketplaces/exchanges where organizations can buy and sell data in a secure and privacy preserving manner at a neutral location. For example, cancer information can be shared and exchanged, allowing organizations to research trends and patterns that may help identify improved treatments. “If you went to a doctor and he or she could access cancer patient data globally, that would be huge. Access to larger and more variety of data will allow AI algorithms to more effectively identify patterns and come up with recommendations,” Voruganti said. “There are plenty of use cases now that can help humanity but can also help test the scale of a systemwhich will allow us to develop even better use cases.” Equinix also is a member of Decentralized ID Foundation (DID), which is committed to building scalable identity management systems that can handle billions of devices and humans. “Rolling out a scalable identity management system is a game changer in developing nations because once everyone has a unique ID, they can be part of a phone system, they can do banking, exchange money, they can do so many things,” Voruganti said. Sustainability and Profitability? Absolutely As solution providers consider their own Tech for Good initiatives, they may be asking themselves an important question: Can sustainability and profitability co-exist? In other words, can you make money while driving technology that makes the world a better place? The answer, according to a growing number of companies
62
CompTIAWorld | FALL 2019
Made with FlippingBook Online document