A data sharing tool is a software which allows real-time data sharing across various systems. These platforms offer scalability, security and governance, and user-friendliness for business users who are not tech-savvy. Contrary to traditional, single-box systems these are designed to support the dynamic nature of real-time data sharing. This includes multiple producers, consumers and clouds, as well as companies and divisions. It also provides high data throughput rates and bidirectional data flow.
In medical settings this involves sharing unidentified patient records with researchers and other healthcare professionals. This allows collaboration on research projects in order to improve care and accelerate the development of medical treatments. This allows for quicker second opinions and helps patients determine the best treatment options.
Data sharing also enables research to be more efficient. Researchers can pool their knowledge and resources to avoid duplication of effort and allowing them to conduct more comprehensive trend analyses across the entire geographical or topic area. Researchers can also save money by using existing data.
In a final public sector example, Airbnb recently shared anonymized host data with New York City to help solve the issue of illegal short-term rentals. This shows how data sharing can benefit both the private and public sector.