Crafting an effective data strategy across cloud systems can feel like trying to herd cats. Despite advancements in data engineering and predictive modeling, chief information officers (CIOs) face the tough challenge of making data accessible and breaking down silos that hinder progress. 

Breaking down data silos: the CIO’s dilemma 

Enterprise data is often stuck in silos—scattered across business systems, SaaS applications, and data warehouses. This fragmentation creates “BI breadlines,” where data requests pile up and slow down progress. Making data accessible and agile is easier said than done, especially with centralized management and tangled data systems. 

Traditional data systems struggle under the weight of today’s demands. “The size, complexity, and distributed nature of data, speed of action, and the continuous intelligence required by digital business means that rigid and centralized architectures and tools break down,” says Donald Feinberg, VP and analyst at Gartner ITL Data and Analytics.

Multiple cloud environments, each with its own setup, add to the chaos, making data integration a tough nut to crack. 

Embrace the data fabric: your secret weapon 

A data fabric acts like a digital quilt, stitching together various data tools to create a unified and flexible architecture. It aligns data services and streams within your organization, simplifying data management on a massive scale. 

A data fabric enables CIOs and data practitioners to unify their business intelligence (BI) architecture without moving data out of the cloud. With a connected setup and a suite of APIs, you can control where data is written and ensure it stays secure.

Imagine having rich charting tools, real-time alerts, augmented capabilities, and powerful business apps—all integrated across your cloud environments. 

How a multi-cloud solution can transform your data strategy 

A multi-cloud data fabric offers flexibility and speed. It lets IT managers orchestrate workflows efficiently and allows business users to access data without compromising security. It can help to: 

• Integrate all your data: Dark data, SaaS data, non-traditional sources—bring them all into your cloud data warehouse (CDW). 
• Cut out shadow data: Eliminate the need for shadow IT while keeping your systems intact. 
• Put data to use securely: Use your CDW data without moving it or compromising security. 
• Maximize investments: Get the most out of your CDW investments. 
• Reduce tech debt: Slash tech debt and IT backlog from business user data requests. 

A multi-cloud solution can build integrated data pipelines that cater to both technical and business users by using intuitive data transformation tools. This means your data can move across clouds, making it easier to share securely with customers and partners. 

By integrating dark data, SaaS data, and non-traditional sources into your CDW, you eliminate shadow IT while keeping systems intact. This allows you to leverage data without moving it or compromising security, maximizing your CDW investments and reducing tech burden from business user data requests. 

Future-proof your data strategy with Domo 

Creating a data fabric is essential for modern data architecture. It enables self-service BI, delivering real-time insights and automated alerts while giving IT complete control. You can build intelligent apps for specific needs, share data securely, and govern data consistently across environments. 

A data fabric provides the tools needed for self-service BI and allows IT to maintain control and governance over data usage. This dual capability ensures that businesses respond swiftly to changes while maintaining data integrity and security. 

Ready to transform your data strategy? Watch this video to learn more about Domo’s multi-cloud data fabric.