New horizontally scalable technologies, like machine intelligence, deep learning and automation, can ratchet enterprise performance to the ceiling — that is, if they can rally them around a core of big data at the heart of their business.

“If you look at the top five companies by market cap, their greatest asset is their data,” said Dave Vellante (@dvellante, pictured, right), co-host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio. “And the people surrounding that data, they’re very, very important, because they know how to leverage that data. But if you look at most traditional companies, people are at their core.”

This situation is putting considerable pressure on traditional companies to get clever about data to compete with those rooted deeper in tech. Vellante cracked open the playbook for doing so with co-host John Walls (@JohnWalls21, pictured, left) at the IBM Signature Moment — Machine Learning Everywhere event in New York. (* Disclosure below.)

Traversing the sea of silos

The new method of doing business that revolves around data is embodied in those startups that are the envy of Silicon Valley and beyond. “You’re certainly seeing it with the likes of Uber, Airbnb … — it’s built on these existing cloud-and-security-off-the-shelf … horizontal technologies,” Vellante said.

One need only speak to a taxi company owner or hotelier to find out how those technologies can build a superior product or service. “Digital technology has transformed to the extent now that there’s nobody safe, because you can just slap this application in, you put this technology in — and I’m gonna change your business overnight,” Walls said.

A major hurdle traditional companies face on the road to becoming data-driven is their old habit of organizing their innards in silos, according to Vellante. “But digital and data allows companies and disruptors to traverse silos like never before,” he said.

Amazon.com Inc.’s move to purchase Whole Foods Market Inc. and Apple Inc.’s reach into healthcare are examples of this. “So you’re seeing these big giants disrupt all of these different industries — and even smaller guys; there’s certainly room for startups. But it’s all around the data and the digital transformation,” Vellante stated.

As data itself must be spread horizontally through a business, staffers must broaden their portfolio of skills, Vellante added. “We talk about five-tool baseball players. … You need multi-tool players, those that understand not only the domain of whether it’s marketing or sales or operational expertise or finance, but they also require digital expertise,” he concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the IBM Signature Moment — Machine Learning Everywhere) event.
(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the IBM Signature Moment Machine Learning Everywhere event. Neither IBM, the event sponsor, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE