IT General Manager Peter Wright Shares the Future of Promotional Tech
By Rebecca Factor & Calista Vantarakis on June 28th, 2018
(From above) Peter Wright.
At Edge, technology is the heart of everything we do and is a critical piece of our promotions. We pick Peters brain on a very topical subject: data security and where he sees data trends evolving.
“I truly believe we are living through such a transformative time. It is a joy to work in this industry and be part of that change.”
Edge: How long have you been working at Edge?
Peter: The time has flown by 2.5 years.
Edge: In one sentence, what does your role involve?
Peter: I bring promotions to life through technology and help our clients connect to their customers.
Edge: What are you most excited about for the future in the tech world?
Peter: The most exciting development for me is the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the continual innovation in lowering costs and availability of these technologies. All of this and we are still in the early stages of the digital revolution. We often think that it would be great to live in earlier times, but the amount of change within our lifetimes has been unprecedented. I truly believe we are living through such a transformative time. It is a joy to work in this industry and be part of that change.
Edge: Where do you see data trends evolving and what is Edge working on to support these future changes?
Peter: Data has always been at the core of Edge, having collected 50 million+ entries over the years. The industry is moving to use very large data sets, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to produce predicative data. At Edge we have a major initiative underway using machine learning to produce scenario-based analysis and model campaign outcomes.
Edge: We understand it’s critical for the data collected during promotions to be kept private and secure. Can you share with us the measures Edge has in place to ensure this?
Peter: Edge has many systems and processes in place to protect data: these include firewalls, network segmentation, encryption, and active monitoring of activity on our servers. This is all supported by a rigorous security policy framework. In addition to all of that, we conduct quarterly vulnerability scans and undertake regular routine security assessments to continually test the effectiveness of that security.
Edge: Why do you think analysing data is vital after running a promotion?
Peter: I believe analysing data after a promotion is extremely vital and often forgotten! Each promotion we run provides an insight to consumer behaviour. We work with many clients that use the promotion as an opportunity to collect valuable data from their customers. At Edge our flexible systems allow us to respond to our clients needs and ensure the maximum data value is returned from each promotion.
Edge: With technology driven promotional platforms being a big piece of the pie, tell us about the process for getting the platform up and running?
Peter: Edge currently has a major project underway to take our promotional platform to the next level. We have designed this system from the ground up, utilising all the advancements in both database design and in technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). The new platform will be smart, agile, connected, and predictive.
Edge: In your opinion, what’s the most important thing to consider during the planning stage of building a promotional platform?
Peter: A key input into our design process was to make data at the centre of our creation, in doing so we have focused on creating the most flexible architecture possible. Another key consideration was the interconnectivity of our platform as promotions both consume and create data outputs. To ensure we can lead the way to the future in promotions for our clients we have reimagined how promotions might be executed in the future and created a system that will continue to evolve with technology.
3 Short Fire Questions…
- Last message sent to was: email about a client report! (data again)
- Apple or PC man? PC
- Favourite meal to cook: I love to cook slow cooked lamb, (8 – 10 hours) and roasted vegetables, and raspberry soufflé
Rebecca Factor & Calista Vantarakis
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