Why Next-Gen Data Catalogs are a Must-Have

Next-Gen Data Catalogs

Data management is undergoing a significant transformation with the emergence of next-generation data catalogs. As organizations face an unprecedented surge in data volumes across their operations, sophisticated yet user-friendly tools are becoming increasingly necessary to manage this information overload effectively. Next-generation data catalogs have emerged as a compelling solution, offering an impressive array of advanced features and intuitive functionality that caters to diverse user needs.

Data Catalogs Make Big Moves

The evolution of data catalogs in recent years has been remarkable. While proficient at metadata organization and management, traditional catalog systems were primarily designed with IT professionals in mind, resulting in interfaces and workflows that proved challenging for users with limited technical expertise. As businesses across industries began generating and exchanging increasingly larger volumes of data, a pressing need arose for non-technical users to harness data insights for various business objectives and strategic decision-making processes.

Modern data catalogs have undergone a fundamental shift in their approach, prioritizing user experience and accessibility. These next-generation solutions emphasize intuitive data discovery, comprehensive understanding, and seamless access to critical information regardless of technical proficiency. This transformation aligns perfectly with the contemporary perspective that data represents a valuable organizational asset that should be readily available to all stakeholders who require it for their roles and responsibilities.

Reasons for the Shift

The evolution of data catalogs can be attributed to several compelling factors:

• More Data Getting Made: The exponential growth in data generation across various sources and platforms necessitates more sophisticated and efficient data discovery, management, and utilization methods.
• People Want to Crunch Numbers Themselves: Business professionals increasingly seek data autonomy, driving the demand for self-service analytics capabilities through user-friendly catalog interfaces.
• Moving to the Cloud: The distributed nature of modern data environments, spanning cloud services, on-premises data centers, and third-party applications, creates an urgent need for enhanced visibility and unified data management.
• Playing by the Rules: Stringent regulatory requirements and compliance standards mandate a comprehensive understanding of data lineage, governance, and metadata management.
• Smart Tech Gets Smarter: Advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities continue to evolve, offering increasingly sophisticated automated solutions for data classification, tagging, and discovery processes.

The Eckerson Group recently published a Top Tier Report on Next-Generation Data Catalogs that provides detailed insights into the future trajectory of this technology space. The report emphasizes that next-generation data catalogs need to focus on ease of use, speed of deployment, and affordability to meet evolving business requirements effectively.

In their comprehensive analysis, the report specifically highlighted Actian Zeenea Data Discovery Platform, noting that Zeenea stands out as unique among data catalog vendors. Zeenea supports an enterprise data marketplace in which multiple business domains can share data products in a seamless fashion. When business users request access to a data product, Zeenea routes their requests through a third-party workflow system, such as Jira or ServiceNow. Zeenea also integrates with numerous third-party applications, such as Monte Carlo and Soda, to import metadata into the catalog. This innovative approach demonstrates the platform’s commitment to delivering a comprehensive and integrated data management solution.

Ways to Use and Put Next-Gen Data Catalogs into Action

Next-generation data catalogs are revolutionizing how organizations manage and utilize their data assets. By prioritizing ease of use, data accessibility, and improved decision-making, these innovative tools empower businesses to navigate the complexities of modern data landscapes with unprecedented efficiency. The emergence of enterprise data marketplaces, as exemplified by Actian Zeenea’s Data Discovery Platform, marks a significant leap forward in collaborative data sharing and governance. These marketplaces facilitate seamless data exchange between different business domains while maintaining strict security protocols and access controls.

As data continues to grow exponentially in volume and importance, the role of next-gen catalogs in driving business success cannot be overstated. Their ability to democratize data access while maintaining robust governance frameworks positions them as indispensable assets for forward-thinking organizations. These catalogs enable organizations to implement comprehensive data governance strategies, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements while fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making. Through automated metadata management and advanced search capabilities, they significantly reduce the time and effort required to locate and utilize relevant data assets.

Curious about harnessing the power of next-gen data catalogs for your business? Explore Actian Zeenea and discover how it can transform your data management strategy. In this era of data-driven decision-making, the question isn’t whether you can afford to invest in advanced data catalog solutions—it’s whether you can afford not to. With features like automated data discovery, intelligent metadata management, and seamless integration capabilities, Actian Zeenea provides a comprehensive solution that addresses the evolving needs of modern enterprises while ensuring scalability and future-readiness.

About Traci Curran

Traci Curran serves as Director of Product Marketing at Actian focused on the Actian Data Platform. With more than 20 years of experience in technology marketing, Traci has previously held senior marketing roles at CloudBolt Software, Racemi (acquired by DXC Corporation), as well as some of the world’s most innovative startups. Traci is passionate about helping customers understand how they can accelerate innovation and gain competitive advantage by leveraging digital transformation and cloud technologies.