The latest high tech device to debut isn’t a smartphone or flying drone — it’s actually a hockey puck. The National Hockey League has teamed up with Sportvision to put chips in hockey pucks so that they can measure things like shot speed and trajectory. The pucks, along with jerseys that are also equipped with chips, are in use at this year’s World Cup of Hockey.
All that extra data might seem boring or not super useful to anyone who isn’t a sports fan. But microdata is a growing trend in sports — and in every other aspect aspect of life it seems. And this move shows that the NHL is looking to keep up.
Other sports like baseball and football give fans access to tons of data that they can analyze and obsess over. And so far, Hockey has stayed fairly low tech in comparison. But as viewers demand more and more data, it seems the NHL may have no chance but to listen. In fact, even if the NHL doesn’t choose to use the technology going forward, several teams have expressed interest in getting their hands on that type of data.
The Benefit of Being Data Driven
So this situation demonstrates not only the growing power of technology in terms of accessing data, but also the importance of keeping up with industry trends. Is there a way your small business can access more data about your industry? How would you use that data, assuming you could get your hands on it?
As with the NHL, you may find that your competitors already have a surprising amount of data at their finger tips — and that this data is being used to give other brands an edge in the marketplace. How can your business stay up with these trends and collect the data you need to grow?
[“source-smallbiztrends”]
