I was intrigued reading about the huge quality of data seized as part of the US raid on the home of Osama bin Laden. In an excellent article in The Times today – Experts work in shifts to access and assess seized intelligence data we learn that “Ten agencies are involved. Headed by the CIA, the task force embedded in the Virginia building consists of representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, the National Media Exploitation Centre, the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency and the Treasury”. 200m pages, “100 flash drives, 5 desktop computers, armfuls of laptops and ten years’ worth of handwritten journals”.
It was the ‘National Media Exploitation Centre” that surprised me as I’d never heard of it. But what struck me was what a wonderful opportunity this all presented to Autonomy. This kind of exercise is exactly at the core of Autonomy’s competence. Having said that, I’ll probably get an email from Mike Lynch telling me that they are already involved or, more likely, “I’m not allowed to tell you whether we are involved but…”
Indeed Autonomy shares are up 7% since bin Laden was found – 14% YTD.
Note – Richard Holway is a long term Autonomy shareholder.