Mesh4X is an adaptive data integration platform designed to break down barriers to information flow, allowing organizations and individuals to share awareness reliably, selectively, and securely, with anyone, using any device, from any database, over any network. Using Mesh4x, every user knows what every other user knows. When a disaster relief worker notes in a spreadsheet that beds are available in a local shelter, that piece of information is automatically synchronized to all of the different websites, PDAs, databases, and maps of every organization cooperating in the response. Mesh4x allows information to flow between established applications (like Excel, Access, GoogleEarth, MySQL, Oracle and many others), and between devices (laptops, smartphones, PDAs, and servers) reliably, selectively, and securely in a distributed "data mesh". If necessary, Mesh4X can synchronize data over nothing but a stream of SMS messages, merely by plugging an ordinary cellphone into a laptop. You may learn more about Mesh4X on InSTEDD's website here.
The Problem: Cross-organizational data sharing shouldn’t be this hard
While advances in information technology have made it possible for individual organizations to collect, organize, and analyze data as never before, sharing of data between organizations remains problematic. This is a major obstacle to effective humanitarian action today. Organizations choose to adopt different information systems and software applications for many good reasons, yet a consequence of this is that data ends up fragmented across multiple organizations’ servers, PCs, and networks and remains “trapped” in different databases and formats. This fragmentation incurs a high opportunity cost, as each organization working on a problem ends up having to act based on a fraction of what is actually known collectively.
What is Mesh4X?
Mesh4x allows organizations to create seamless cross-organizational information sharing between different databases, desktop applications, websites, and devices. It allows you to create or join a shared “data mesh” that links together disparate software and servers and synchronizes data between them automatically. You choose the data you wish to share and others do the same, enabling dispersed groups within or across organizations to see and synchronize data. Using Mesh4X, changes to data in any one location in the mesh are automatically synchronized to every other location. For cases where no Internet access is available at all, there is no longer any need for the slow transport of files physically between locations. Mesh4X gives you the option to synchronize all data via a series of SMS text messages. Using Mesh4X, you’ll have access to more information, and sooner, when making critical decisions. When you need to collaborate with multiple organizations toward a shared goal, everyone will have a more complete and up-to-date understanding of needs, resources, and who is doing what where.
More Information
Mesh4X is a free and open source software platform based on open standards, including RDF and XForms for data, Microsoft's FeedSync for synchronization, and Google's KML for mapping. Code libraries for synchronization are available in multiple languages, including Java and C#.NET. The open source project for Mesh4X includes data adapters that allow you to integrate a wide range of data storage endpoints into the datamesh, including MS Access, Oracle, MySQL, Amazon S3, MS SQL Server, and even Excel spreadsheets. It also includes transport adapters that allow you to synchronize data remotely via HTTP, SMS, or files (e.g. attachments sent in email)). INSTEDD is currently working on the design of a Mesh4X-based graphical system integration client, code-named FUSE, to allow non-technical users to share data with colleagues through a data mesh. To learn more about Mesh4X from a technical perspective, test out demo applications, and start using it today, visit the Project Home website at www.mesh4x.org.
