There’s a revolution in computing going on behind the scenes. Everyone in business has heard about Big Data, but the reality is those Big Data ideas splashed across the headlines are only a stepping stone toward a greater change.

How data is managed and collected is important, but how data can be understood is critical. That’s where the real revolution is happening. IBM has thrown its hat into the ring with what it calls cognitive computing.

To gain some insight on this second data revolution, Jeff Frick (@JeffFrick), cohost of theCUBE, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, joined Sandy Carter, GM of IBM Ecosystems and Social Business Evangelism, during the Girls in Tech Catalyst Conference 2016 event.

Sharing the understanding

Carter opened the conversation with a lead into the most important point of this second revolution: Cognitive computing isn’t coming; it’s here and growing bigger every day. She mentioned how excited she was for the changes that are happening to applications and the way we do business. To share that excitement, she has been performing demos on how everyone could get involved and engaged with the technology.

She then pointed out a number of things she wanted to get across in her presentations. First, is understanding what cognitive computing is. It’s about software that helps people learn, understand and reason. Most important for the Girls in Tech Conference, she described a skills gap in the machine learning field, creating an advantage for any women willing to train in that field.

Harnessing the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a huge opportunity for cognitive computing. Such a network will produce an unprecedented amount of data that must be understood. Carter said many of the demos she gave used examples where IoT and cognitive technology worked together.

Carter called the combination of IoT and cognitive “catnip for developers,” and the possibilities, she said, made it one of the hottest things in Silicon Valley.

Watch the full interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of the Girls in Tech Catalyst Conference.

Photo by SiliconANGLE