Alation introduced a partner program for developers of connectors for Data Catalog, the organization’s flagship product. Partners receive additional support and tools for connector development.
Alation Data Catalog uses machine learning to catalog massive amounts of data, structured or not. As a result, analytics professionals spend less time querying data and more time processing data.
Alation currently features prebuilt connectors for more than 80 data sources, including AWS, Databricks, Snowflake and Tableau. Customers use the connectors to route external data to Alation’s system. Now, the organization is introducing a partner program for developers of new connectors.
Open platform
Members of the partner program receive tools for connector development using the Alation Open Connector Framework, a software development kit (SDK). Anyone who wants to develop a connector for a new data source can enlist for the program.
Partners can have their connectors vetted by Alation. Connectors that pass the bar receive a certification. As a result, end users can implement them with confidence.
“Our goal is to make Alation the most open and extensible data catalog on the market, and the Partner Program for the Open Connector Framework is a key step in that journey”, said Raj Gossain, Chief Product Officer of Alation.
“We’re setting the industry precedent that organizations should have the option to connect all data sources to their data intelligence platform. By enabling and certifying partners to build connectors, Alation is helping organizations future-proof their technology investments.”
Competition
Alation Data Catalog isn’t unique in the market. Examples of similar products include Microsoft Azure Data Catalog, Collibra Platform and Informatica Enterprise Data Catalog. Like Alation, competitors offer a range of prebuilt connectors, as well as the means to develop connectors for new data sources.
The organization’s new partner program is an attempt to distinguish itself. In addition to documentation, partners receive support for connector development and maintenance. Alation was founded in 2012. Over the past decade, the organization raised $340 million in growth capital. The company is currently valued at about $1.7 billion.
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