The OpenData Manifesto
If databases are open source commodities, why can database vendors still charge 80% margins? It's because running production database clusters requires specialized expertise. Said another way, the cost of databases today is in the operations, not the code.
We can fix this imbalance. Thanks to object storage, we now have durable, globally addressable storage that makes radically simpler database architectures possible. What's more, the work needed to use object storage optimally is substantially similar across modern databases. OpenData leverages this to build multiple databases on a shared core. Bespoke operational know how disappears. Fewer people are needed to run many databases. Operational costs collapse.
OpenData is a collection of databases designed natively for object storage. Each database is focused on one usecase. All databases share:
- a common core, so operational expertise transfers across every database
- common tooling, so you have one operational model to learn
- open data formats and MIT licensing, so there is no vendor lock-in
The future belongs to those who own their infrastructure without being owned by it.
