Cloudera recently hosted its EVOLVE25 event in New York, introducing updates that reinforce its commitment to open data architectures and hybrid data management. The announcements centered on a unified platform across cloud and on-premises deployments. Cloudera also announced the Iceberg REST Catalog and Cloudera Lakehouse Optimizer, both of which extend the provider’s ability to manage and share data across cloud and on-premises environments. These announcements are consistent with our assertion that through 2027, three-quarters of enterprises will adopt data fabric technologies to facilitate the management and processing of data across multiple data platforms and cloud environments.
Founded in 2008 to commercialize the Apache Hadoop data-processing framework, Cloudera quickly became synonymous with big data. The company’s early growth was
At EVOLVE25, Cloudera’s leadership emphasized the provider’s shift from completing its transformation to focusing on innovation. CEO Charles Sansbury noted that, with nearly all customers migrated to Cloudera Data Platform (CDP), attention turn to enhancing the experience and expanding capabilities. Recent acquisitions, including Octopai for data lineage and Taikun for container orchestration, contribute to this effort by enabling a consistent, cloud-like experience anywhere data resides.
This theme—delivering a cloud experience anywhere—ran throughout the event. CTO Sergio Gaona described the evolution from large-scale Hadoop-based systems to today’s converged architectures, which combine the scalability and control of on-premises systems with the convenience of cloud environments. The company’s unified approach aims to address the complexity of multi-engine, multi-location data environments that often hinder AI adoption. As Chief Strategy Officer Abhas Ricky explained, data remains the only sustainable advantage in a world where technology is increasingly commoditized. His remarks on “intelligent autonomy” and “private AI” reflected a broader enterprise trend toward bringing AI to data rather than moving data to AI—particularly important for regulated industries emphasizing trust, explainability and compliance.
One of the most significant announcements was Cloudera’s Iceberg REST Catalog, which provides open interoperability for zero-copy data sharing across clouds, data centers and software providers. We have written previously about the importance of open table formats and data catalogs. Think of Iceberg REST Catalog support as the roadmap for third-party data, analytics and AI engines that also support Iceberg table formats to access Cloudera-managed data directly without duplication. It ensures that data policies, lineage and metadata intelligence are applied consistently across all engines, simplifying compliance and accelerating the time required to make data usable for AI and analytics.
Complementing the REST Catalog, Cloudera Lakehouse Optimizer introduces automated table maintenance and optimization for Apache Iceberg tables. The service manages tasks such as rewriting manifest and position delete files and optimizing data layouts, reducing the need for manual maintenance. From a governance perspective, the Optimizer integrates with Cloudera’s platform to maintain observability and control. Policies can be applied at either the table or catalog level, providing flexibility for different operational requirements. The result is a more cost-effective, automated approach to managing large Iceberg datasets without sacrificing visibility or control.
EVOLVE25 also highlighted Cloudera’s progress toward providing a unified and simplified experience. The event showcased the company’s focus on automation, multi-engine flexibility and an improved user interface expected in the coming year. These updates align with the overall market movement toward converged data services, bringing ingestion, transformation and analytics closer together. The convergence of these services is reflected by Cloudera’s inclusion in more than 10 ISG Buyers Guides in the past year, ranging from Data Platforms to AI Platforms to Data Intelligence and Data Governance.
Cloudera’s announcements underscore an important trend: the convergence of data management, governance and AI enablement within open frameworks. As organizations move deeper into AI adoption, data accessibility and interoperability are becoming as critical as model development itself. Cloudera’s approach may also signal a shift in competitive positioning. By emphasizing open interoperability rather than proprietary integration, the provider is positioned as an enabler of a multi-vendor ecosystem—an appealing proposition for enterprises wary of lock-in. I recommend that enterprises evaluating data platform and AI requirements include Cloudera in the evaluation set.
Regards,
David Menninger