Alation Launches Active Data Governance
Alation aims to transform the traditionally burdensome approach to data governance that currently impedes successful adoption of a framework and strategy. The company recognizes the important role that data governance plays in an ever-changing regulatory and social landscape but sees the disconnect that exists between the governance structure and the capabilities of end users.
Insert Alation’s Active Data Governance: an approach that emphasizes the business’ use and reliance on their data. This approach goes beyond compliance and the ticked boxes of data governance framework and instead enables a business’ data users to integrate data governance within their day-to-day activities. Active data governance leans on machine learning and crowdsourcing to “automate and accelerate data stewardship.” It’s a solution to what co-founder and CDO of Alation, Aaron Kalb, calls out as data governance’s historically slow-moving work pace. By integrating automation into the process, data governance moves from a passive, manual, time-consuming process, to an active, dynamic, streamlined enabler of the business.
The company’s recent partnerships with other leaders in the data privacy (BigID) and analytics/AI space (Databricks) indicates an appetite for synergistic product advancements and an acknowledgement of the importance of a healthy and collaborative data ecosystem for the business.
Source: KM World, Alation – Eight Questions on Data Governance
Our Take
Alation is an example of an organization that has capitalized on changes in the industry and has jumped at opportunities for growth. The shift to focus on bringing machine learning and automation into metadata helps to streamline the processes involved in data governance. This amplifies the goal of helping users effectively leverage data.
It is interesting to see the collaborations and acquisitions that have happened in recent months within the respective data solution vendor spheres. Vendors in this space often fall into one of three categories: vendors who try to “do it all,” vendors who focus on further developing areas they already have competencies within, and vendors who are introducing AI technologies to automate and streamline their processes.
Alation’s “people first” approach to Active Data Governance complements its product offerings in the privacy and compliance space. By putting the responsibility and the capabilities in the hands of those end users charged with handling and processing the data, it takes out the typical hierarchical top-down approach out of data governance.
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