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Summary

KuppingerCole Report
By Martin Kuppinger
EXECUTIVE VIEW July 16, 2021
Executive View Informatica Cloud Data
Governance and Catalog
Informatica Cloud Data Governance and Catalog is a comprehensive
solution for managing data and its metadata in a SaaS solution, providing the
data catalog and data governance across all corporate data, regardless of
where the data resides. It utilizes the AI capabilities of Informatica CLAIRE
and is a feature-rich solution, fully integrated into the Informatica Intelligent
Data Management Cloud

By Martin Kuppinger
[email protected]
Content
1 Introduction .................................................... 3
2 Product Description .............................................. 5
3 Strengths and Challenges ......................................... 8
4 Related Research ............................................... 10
Content of Figures ............................................... 11
Copyright ...................................................... 12
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1 Introduction
Data is essential to the Digital Business. It fuels business decisions at all levels, from the strategic to the
operational. Data is essential in marketing automation. It is essential for automating manufacturing
processes. It is essential for everything around AI (Artificial Intelligence), given that AI and the related ML
(Machine Learning) build on large amounts of data

With the evolution of the past years, the need for managing data has changed. Relational SQL databases
or, even earlier, hierarchical databases, have shifted away from the center of attention. Cloud databases of
many kinds are common today, with large CSPs (Cloud Service Providers) such as AWS (Amazon Web
Services) or Microsoft Azure providing not just one, but sometimes more than 10 kinds of databases. Big
data approaches and analytics solutions have become the focus of attention

However, with the immense growth of both data and data stores, and the multitude of technical solutions,
another challenge became apparent: Data that is not known to the users and data that cannot be accessed
is of little value. Furthermore, with regulations such as the EU GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation),
the need for knowing where certain type of data such as PII (Personally Identifiable Information) resides,
has become essential. From a business perspective, though, it is important to note that this is not just a
regulatory mandate, but a business mandate. Data can only be used when it is known, and data can only be
protected when it is known

Another trend over the past few years has been what some call "data democratization". Behind that is the
fact that there is a need for and concrete use of data by more people than ever before. Making data
available helps people at all levels in the business to use that data for their job

The broadened and the new use cases around data also require new categories of solutions: Data
Catalogs, Metadata Management, and Data Governance. These three terms are closely related,
increasingly resulting in integrated solutions

Metadata Management refers to solutions that enable organizations to manage data across a range
of systems, maintaining metadata of the data. This also includes capabilities such as data lineage,
i.e., analyzing and documenting the flow of data between various systems

Data Catalogs are where this metadata is stored and managed. A data catalog is the central
repository that provides a view on the enterprise data across all managed data stores. It enables the
use of such data and delivers the capabilities for "data democratization"

Data Governance builds on Metadata Management and enables control of the use and flow of data

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For businesses, it is becoming increasingly important to have solutions for Data Governance, Data
Catalogs, and Metadata Management in place. Only then will organizations succeed in utilizing the potential
that is in the data they have and collect. Only then will they succeed in having the data on hand that is
needed for business applications, decision support, automation, and AI/ML. And only then, will organizations
be able to control the sprawl of data, with new cloud data stores, new analytical solutions, and AI

Management of cloud data stores; governance of data and fulfilment of regulatory compliance requirements;
governance and explainability of AI/ML models; a common understanding of data and its usage; and the
efficient utilization of data: All that will only work with strong data management in place. Data Catalogs and
Data Governance are the cornerstones of the modern, digital business

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Report No.: ev80927
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2 Product Description
Informatica is a leader in the data management space. They offer a broad range of solutions for all areas of
Data Management, including Data Catalogs, Data Lineage, Data Quality, and Data Governance

The newest addition to this portfolio, and a logical step following the introduction of the Intelligent Data
Management Cloud by Informatica, is their Cloud Data Governance and Data Catalog solutions. Informatica
is already present in both areas with their on-premises solutions, and takes a market-leading role in this
space. However, Informatica Cloud Data Governance and Data Catalog is not just a lift-and-shift of their
existing technology, but a cloud-native SaaS offering. As with the Intelligent Data Management Cloud,
Informatica has invested in leveraging the broad set of capabilities they already offer, but extended these
and delivered them tailor-made to the specifics of SaaS services

Cloud Data Governance and Catalog is part of the Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud, thus
tightly integrating with the broad range of other services therein. Pricing is, as with the other services,
consumption-based

The goal is to deliver a comprehensive, cloud-based solution for managing metadata, Data Governance,
and the Data Catalog, that leverages Informatica CLAIRE, its AI/ML engine, to deliver intelligence and
automation. Another important capability of this new offering is the integrated approach to governance of
data and AI models

As already mentioned above, Informatica Cloud Data Governance and Catalog is not just a revamp of the
on-premises solutions Informatica offers in this area, but a cloud-native solution. It operates using a
serverless model, i.e., in a deployment model that is built for scale and does not require prior deployment of
servers. Being serverless also allows for massive scaling of the solution. While being provided as SaaS
solution, it can catalog ang govern data in a multi-cloud environment, i.e., across multiple clouds, and
integrated with data sources both in the cloud and on-premises. It is integrated with the various other
modules of the Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud, and it comes with a comprehensive set of
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to access the capabilities of the solution programmatically. Last,
but not least, it is not only built to manage and govern AI models, but also utilizes AI to increase end-user
productivity, e.g., in discovering useful data

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Figure 1: Informatica Cloud Data Governance and Catalog, tightly integrated with the Informatica Intelligent Data Cloud
and Informatica CLAIRE AI platform, provides a unified perspective on all data to the various groups of users. [Source
of graphic: Informatica.]
Informatica Cloud Data Governance and Catalog builds on a graph representation of the data. All metadata
is held in a "connected knowledge graph", i.e., a structure that links data and allows the users to navigate
through the data, understanding the relationship of different metadata and data. To populate the graph,
Informatica builds on the proven capabilities for metadata extraction, data lineage, data profiling, data
classification and linkage to business glossary, and data quality management

The solution is able to extract and qualify data from a very broad range of sources, ranging from legacy on-
premise solutions, to modern cloud storage. Thus, it can build a comprehensive representation of data and
its lineage

Users have a range of options for either navigating through the data catalog, or searching for data. Search,
amongst other options, includes capabilities such as natural language-like search, query generators,
previews of data assets, and delivers perspectives for both technical and business users. Informatica Cloud
Data Governance and Catalog also creates and displays key metrics on data that help users to better
understand the value and usefulness of data, e.g., by ratings for the data quality

Additionally, there is a range of different components in the user interface, from the graph representation
and search capabilities to dashboards, task lists, and workflows. Workflows, e.g., can be used to manage
approvals to business glossary and terminology, or for triggering the human tasks required in managing and
improving data quality for newly-added data sources

As mentioned before, Informatica Cloud Data Governance and Catalog also makes extensive use of the AI
capabilities provided by Informatica CLAIRE as an integral part of the Informatica Intelligent Data
Management Cloud. Beyond that, the solution also supports the management of the AI models by adding
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Report No.: ev80927
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governance capabilities for AI models. AI models can be represented as assets in the data catalog &
governance tool, inputs and outputs can be documented, key metrics related to performance, bias and data
drift can be tracked and monitored, and parameters for alerting can be set, e.g., if drift and bias scores are
outside of defined thresholds

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Report No.: ev80927
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3 Strengths and Challenges
Informatica has leveraged the proven strength in Data Governance, Data Catalogs, and Data Management
for its new SaaS solution, the Information Cloud Data Governance and Catalog. The new solution provides
not just a parity set of features, but adds capabilities specifically for AI Governance, and for utilizing AI to
improve its core feature set. Furthermore, the solution has been architected as a real SaaS service, being
serverless and highly scalable. With the multi-cloud support, it also supports the common business needs of
managing data already sprawling across multiple clouds, plus the connect back to data still held on-
premises

Due to the very broad set of capabilities and the inherent challenges of Data Management and Data
Governance, customers are strongly advised to thoroughly plan and execute their data journey. A significant
advantage that the new SaaS solution brings is that consumption of services can commence gradually, and
is backed by a pay-per-use data model across capabilities within Cloud Data Governance and Catalog, and
also across all services in the Intelligent Data Management Cloud. That allows for a step-wise roll-out of
new capabilities. In any case, however, there needs to be a clear plan, and there need to be defined
responsibilities, processes, and policies for Data Management in the organization. Only then will businesses
succeed in leveraging the potential of all the data they own

Informatica Cloud Data Governance and Catalog is an interesting solution for organizations moving towards
a centralized, efficient, and comprehensive approach to Data Management and Data Governance, that
helps in making data available for analytics, AI and other business use cases. We strongly recommend
including this solution in the tools evaluation for that market segment

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Report No.: ev80927
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Strengths
Comprehensive set of capabilities across all areas of Data Management and Data Governance
Deployed as SaaS solution, serverless architecture, ready to govern data across multiple clouds
Pay-per-use pricing model, allowing for flexibility in scaling based on business needs

Modern user interface with a variety of options for the users, from dashboard to business and technical
views
Supports a knowledge graph representation for navigation and drill-down into the connected data
Outstanding capabilities in the area of data lineage
Good support for a broad range of data sources, including strong legacy support
Integrates with Informatica CLAIRE AI capabilities, but also allows for governance of AI models
Challenges
Variety of components within the solution, and in the Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud
(IDMC), requiring customers to understand their needs and to have a well-thought-out roadmap for
implementation, though having integrated data management capabilities in the same platform provides
added flexibility

Inherent complexity of Data Management and Data Governance requires a well-thought-out approach
for the organization’s journey towards becoming data-driven or data-backed
Despite strong capabilities, the effort required for connecting to data sources and adding them to the
data catalog and data lineage must not be underestimated, though having these capabilities in a SaaS
service simplifies management and operations, and enables faster time to value

KuppingerCole Executive View
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Report No.: ev80927
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4 Related Research
Database and Big Data Security (kuppingercole.com)
Enterprise Databases in the Cloud (kuppingercole.com)
Database and Big Data Security (kuppingercole.com)
Getting a Grip on Your Big Data - Informatica Announces Acquisition of Compact Solutions
(kuppingercole.com)
Fighting Data Friction, One Battle at a Time (kuppingercole.com)
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Report No.: ev80927
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Content of Figures
Figure 1: Informatica Cloud Data Governance and Catalog, tightly integrated with the Informatica Intelligent
Data Cloud and Informatica CLAIRE AI platform, provides a unified perspective on all data to the various
groups of users. [Source of graphic: Informatica.]
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Copyright
©2021 KuppingerCole Analysts AG all rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution of this publication in
any form is forbidden unless prior written permission. All conclusions, recommendations and predictions in
this document represent KuppingerCole´s initial view. Through gathering more information and performing
deep analysis, positions presented in this document will be subject to refinements or even major changes

KuppingerCole disclaim all warranties as to the completeness, accuracy and/or adequacy of this
information. Even if KuppingerCole research documents may discuss legal issues related to information
security and technology, KuppingerCole do not provide any legal services or advice and its publications
shall not be used as such. KuppingerCole shall have no liability for errors or inadequacies in the information
contained in this document. Any opinion expressed may be subject to change without notice. All product and
company names are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does
not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them

KuppingerCole Analysts support IT professionals with outstanding expertise in defining IT strategies and
in relevant decision-making processes. As a leading analyst ompany, KuppingerCole provides first-hand
vendor-neutral information. Our services allow you to feel comfortable and secure in taking decisions
essential to your business

KuppingerCole, founded in 2004, is a global, independent analyst organization headquartered in Europe

We specialize in providing vendor-neutral advice, expertise, thought leadership, and practical relevance in
Cybersecurity, Digital Identity & IAM (Identity and Access Management), Cloud Risk and Security, and
Artificial Intelligence, as well as for all technologies fostering Digital Transformation. We support companies,
corporate users, integrators and software manufacturers in meeting both tactical and strategic challenges
and make better decisions for the success of their business. Maintaining a balance between immediate
implementation and long-term viability is at the heart of our philosophy

For further information, please contact [email protected]

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Executive View Informatica Cloud Data Governance and Catalog
Report No.: ev80927
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Informatica Cloud Data Governance and Catalog is an interesting solution for organizations moving towards a centralized, efficient, and comprehensive approach to Data Management …