Architecture Components - Big Data Analytics: Disruptive Technologies for Changing the Game - page 42

Figure 4.5: Identity resolution
exchange. When such direct means are not available, entity resolution technolo-
gies are providing ways to discover and resolve identities (see Figure 4.5).
Identity resolution is the next step in the evolution of matching technolo-
gies for MDM. Initially developed by Jeff Jonas for the casino industry, this is
a powerful technology that takes into account both normal as well as deceptive
data from customers. The technology is based on a set of rules that place the
probability of a match on a set of seemingly unrelated facts. As hard facts match,
the probabilities are altered to relect newly discovered information. Customer-
initiated actions, such as accepting a promotion, can be hard evidence added to
customer handles or user IDs, connecting them to device IDs, product IDs, or
customer account information.
Whenever I have made this idea part of a presentation, I have seen several
raised eyebrows and questions about customer privacy. Customer privacy is
always an area of major concern. For years, corporations collected all types of
privacy information and matched it from a variety of sources to obtain a single
view of customer. However, most of that information collection was transparent
to the customer and happened with full disclosure. Now, however, Big Data has