Earlier this year, I attended a Dataversity demo with an Informatica MDM product and the speaker was asked the question, is a data marketplace the same as a data catalog? In other words, do you need a catalog if you have a marketplace? This question is a commonly asked one as I have been approached with this multiple times in my various positions in cataloging. It is important to put the whole picture together when working with your data. Having these important components in place helps you to optimize your data and empower your data consumers in your companies.
The speaker answered this question in a great way as he described a holistically layered system of components seamlessly working together. The data catalog layer is on the bottom. Then, there is a governance layer on top which gives you cleaned, mastered and governed data. With the governance layer, you have trusted and greater data completeness and accuracy. Then, on top of that, there is the marketplace layer which helps to democratize the data – allowing all users access to discover and consume the data.
Another key aspect is role-based access and marketplaces. Role-based access involves filtering views according to users’ roles in the company. User groups and the read/write privileges are typical capabilities in tools. Marketplaces allow users to gain access to desired data, share and collaborate around data. Imagine an Amazon model for data. You search for data that you desire; then add the data to a shopping cart. You “checkout” and then receive access to your desired data.
Data Marketplace: Uses, Benefits, Difference & Best Practices! Altan blog (November 24th, 2023). https://atlan.com/data-marketplace/
Knight, Michelle (December 20, 2023). What Is a Data Catalog? Types, Benefits, Uses. Dataversity Blog.
https://www.dataversity.net/what-is-a-data-catalog/
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