What You Missed at Gartner London: 7 Things You Need to Know

London recently played host to the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit, a premier event for data and analytics leaders. This year’s event sparked important conversations on topics such as AI, master data management (MDM), and the demand to deliver business value fast. From thought-provoking sessions led by Gartner analysts and leading vendors to a vibrant exhibit hall showcasing industry innovation, attendees were sure to leave London filled with insights and inspiration. Below, we’re recapping our observations and top takeaways from the event to help you stay ahead.

Preparing Your Data—and Your People—for the AI Era

Data leaders are spending a lot of time thinking about how to prepare their organizations for the AI era. And what they are realizing is that success depends not just on high-quality data. It also requires their organization to foster a culture that welcomes change, collaboration, and continuous learning. That’s why, to be successful, they must invest in both data and people. Ensuring their data is clean, trustworthy, and accessible is a critical step. But so, too, is cultivating AI literacy. Doing so requires data leaders not just build awareness about AI, but also establish trust by empowering teams to understand both the potential AI holds—and the risks. 

AI Governance Is the New Data Governance 

While data governance has long been a top priority for data leaders, at this year’s event, there was a pronounced shift in focus to the growing urgency—and complexity—of governing AI systems. Instead of asking, “How do we implement AI?” the question became, “How do we govern AI responsibly?” As new regulations such as the EU AI Act emerge, data leaders worldwide are exploring not just how to operationalize AI, but how to do so in a way that is compliant, auditable, and transparent. 

Shifting from Cloud Migration to Cloud Optimization

The decision to move to the cloud has been a long-standing topic of debate within organizations. But this year, the conversation shifted. Data leaders are no longer deliberating if or when they should migrate to the cloud, but rather how they should navigate and optimize their data usage across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. This shift marks a new era where companies are no longer focused on getting to the cloud but rather on maximizing their data and aligning their use of cloud-based technologies with their strategic goals.

Banish the Buzzwords

The data and technology landscape is littered with buzzwords—and data leaders are fed up! Instead of providing clarity, this proliferation of jargon blurs meaning, making it difficult for data leaders to assess what capabilities and innovations a technology or data provider can deliver. Their advice: Ditch the buzzwords in favor of clear, transparent communications that demonstrate real business value.

Self-service Analytics, AI, and the Need for Better Data

Predefined analytics, including canned reports and standardized dashboards, are a mainstay in organizations today. But as momentum shifts towards true, AI-powered self-service analytics—and the reliance on centralized analytics teams lessens—the underlying data becomes even more critical. That’s why data leaders are hyper-focused on ensuring their data is accurate, complete, up-to-date, and trustworthy. Which brings us to our next observation.

When It Comes to MDM, There Is a Need for Speed

For years, master data management (MDM) solutions have promised to deliver the accurate, trustworthy golden records companies need to make better decisions. And for years, traditional rules-based solutions have fallen short of expectations. That’s why this year, Tamr’s AI-native MDM solution resonated with data leaders. Not only does our AI-native MDM solution deliver on the promise of golden records, but it does so cheaper, faster, and better than traditional MDM. 

It’s Time to (Finally!) Break the Rules

The role of the Chief Data Officer (CDO) is evolving beyond traditional responsibilities like data hygiene. Today, CDOs are expected to directly impact business performance. Not only are they held accountable for key KPIs, but CDOs are also under pressure to quickly demonstrate ROI on initiatives such as MDM and Customer 360. And what savvy CDOs are realizing is that their traditional, rules-based approaches simply do not scale. Instead, they need an AI-native solution that enables them to deliver trustworthy golden records in real time, enabling everyone to make better, more confident decisions.

Reflecting on the key themes from the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit in London, one thing is clear: The conversations happening now are actively shaping the future of data, AI, and analytics. For data leaders, the road ahead is not only promising, but transformative. We can’t wait to see what the future holds.

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