This presentation explores the challenges and evolution in data and technology, emphasizing the growth of data sources, user concurrency, and distributed ownership. It delves into the strategic significance of a unified analytics tier to enable a Phase 2 of virtualization. Key components like an Entitlement Service, Data Catalog(s), MALT, and Data Contracts are discussed and what has been learned forcing those technologies and patterns to also evolve. This presentation underscores the importance of aligning with business outcomes, tracking the influence on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and establishing or improving a governance strategy as the organization matures.

In this session, Chad Sanderson, CEO of Gable.ai and author of the upcoming O’Reilly book: "Data Contracts," tackles the necessity of modern data management in an age of hyper iteration, experimentation, and AI. He will explore why traditional data management practices fail and how the cloud has fundamentally changed data development. The talk will cover a modern application of data management best practices, including data change detection, data contracts, observability, and CI/CD tests, and outline the roles of data producers and consumers. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of modern data management's components and how to leverage them for better data handling and decision-making.