Open table formats let any engine read the same files in object storage. Companies are decoupling compute from data entirely: the files sit in buckets, and whichever tool is cheapest or fastest for the job queries them. The traditional warehouse is becoming optional.
The catch
Someone still has to manage schemas, compaction and access control, and the tools for that are younger than the formats. Expect consolidation as vendors race to be the catalogue everyone trusts.
Key takeaways
- Open table formats decouple compute from storage
- Warehouse vendors reposition as query engines
- Catalogue and governance tooling lags
This story is part of our ongoing coverage of cloud & infrastructure. We will update it as more details emerge.
