Real-time data is gradually becoming a standard requirement in systems design. Our customers are beginning to demand it, our colleagues in other departments are starting to expect it. Whether you’re letting people book a taxi, recommending their next binge-watch, or delivering business reports to management, faster data is just obviously better. Or is it?Does real-time data matter everywhere, or does it just have sweet spots in some sectors and some use-cases? Is it a cost-benefit question - is the idea great in theory, but still too hard to adopt in practice? Would everyone be streaming their data live if streaming their data live was easier? If the future of data is, “now, not later,” then what’s holding that future back?In this week’s Developer Voices we talk to Thomas Camp of Ably, and chew through the use-cases, software stacks, and education needed to speed up the way we process data. We consider everything from the front-end to the back, from user experience to business needs, and from greenfield projects to incrementally adapting existing systems.If you’re wondering what all the batch vs. streaming fuss is about, or you want to know how you can drag the industry there sooner, we have some answers. It’ll only take an hour. ?--Thomas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomascamp333/Ably: https://ably.com/Kris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/krisajenkinsKris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisjenkins/