Everyone on
ICT & Logistics has their mouth full of ' big data': companies are collecting
more and more data, but are not yet doing enough with it. Meanwhile, the
next challenge is already looming: sharing all that data. Especially in the supply
chain, a fluent, flawless exchange of data is of great importance in order to
goods flows as efficiently and effectively as possible.
The Neutral
Logistics Information Platform (NLIP) has launched a new initiative for this purpose
launched a new initiative: iSHARE. This should become an ' agreement system' that allows
to identify, authenticate and
authorisation. In other words: with iSHARE, companies will soon be able to
exactly who they are sharing data with, to check whether those persons or
companies really are who they are, and then determine what data those
persons or companies may use and what they may do with it.
iSHARE will
not a platform, assures project leader Vincent Jansen in a lecture during ICT & Logistics.
Perhaps it will become a kind of plug-in like iDeal that enables a
safe and controlled exchange of data, but that may
change. iDeal is also in fact nothing more than a book of agreements
that allows banks to communicate with each other. In any case,
data sharing become easier. "Now companies are often still busy
provide individuals and companies with login details to give access to data.
That will soon no longer be necessary," Jansen says.
Jansen remains
deliberately remains vague about what iShare will look like. That has to be determined in consultation
with private and public parties. Not for nothing did the
NLIP launched a poll at the exhibition stand to survey the wishes and expectations of the
On the basis of those expectations, some things should be developed in 2016
be developed so that iSHARE is ready to be applied in 2017.
The NLIP also does not want to develop something completely new, but connect to the
various data-sharing initiatives that already exist.
The
comparison with blockchain technology quickly looms, however. That too is in
basically nothing more than an agreement system - but I still don't quite get it
still don't quite get it - where companies can access data stored in different
different databases. Those who are authorised to do so can access all
Internet to quickly and easily access all those data, just as if they were
collected in their own database. Several people in the room raised the
question whether iSHARE is not actually working towards a blockchain concept, but that
Jansen doesn't want to get into that yet. " If we have to switch with the whole sector tomorrow
to blockchain, that is a very big step. With iSHARE, we might be able to
take a first step. I can imagine it eventually moving towards
blockchain, but we will have to explore that as a sector. We cannot
not push it through."
Marcel te Lindert - journalist logistics and supply chain
