Organisations in the private sector are substantially less likely to undertake open data initiatives than their public sector counterparts.

A study of more than 1,000 businesses by LM Research, on behalf of data integration firm Informatica, found that 68% of enterprises would not be prepared to allow customers and partners to access their data. This is despite more than four-fifths (82%) claiming that they support online open data initiatives instigated by governments.

Almost half (43%) of those surveyed said that privacy was chief among their concerns on opening up data availability, while 32% voiced anxieties over the protection of intellectual property, followed by 29% who feared the repercussions of poor-quality data.

“While the value of increased access to data is clear, it’s understandable that businesses worry about what competitors would be able to do if they opened up the windows to their world,” remarked John Poulter, senior vice president of EMEA at Informatica.