Centralized and decentralized ecosystems allow for different types of operation. This is why we will explain in this article the difference between a centralized and decentralized ecosystem.
What are centralized ecosystems ?
In a centralized data marketplace, data is offered via a centralized location (Fruhwirth, Michael & Rachinger, Michael & Prlja, Emina., 2020). This means that data can be uploaded in a variety of formats to a centralized point such as a marketplace, data lake, or any other type of available infrastructure.
An example of a centralized data ecosystem would be the Dawex data exchange platform. In this model, Dawex acts as a centralized marketplace for private actors to provide, purchase, and exchange data from various sources. The centralized model is the most commonly practiced model in data ecosystems today.
What are decentralized ecosystems ?
The decentralized model is a newer model of the data ecosystem created in an effort to innovate, especially when using personal data (data about an individual). In a decentralized data marketplace, “the data assets are with the data provider and the data user, using for example a blockchain” (Fruhwirth, Michael & Rachinger, Michael & Prlja, Emina., 2020). This means that technical infrastructures such as APIs or blockchain technologies are put in place to build pathways for databases to communicate with each other and transmit data.
An example of this type of decentralized ecosystem is Visions in the Oriane project, in which a variety of actors, both public and private, connect to an API that allows them to send and request data of all types through the common infrastructure. In addition to consistent business models, the governance rules for these types of ecosystems are incredibly important to ensure the stability of the ecosystem.
While the types of orchestrators and the nature of the ecosystem can impact the governance and infrastructure of these ecosystems. It is also important to understand the actors that participate in these ecosystems, as they too have an impact on how exchanges are conducted.
Also to be discovered : New data sharing model: “data ecosystems”.
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