The Platform Awkward Age: Why Open Formats Signal Industry Maturity

The talk will demonstrate that moving away from proprietary specifications in favor of open formats (Parquet, Iceberg, Delta Lake, Arrow) is not a technological fad, but a sign of platform maturity. We will examine the economic and strategic drivers behind this transition, real-world migration case studies, and how openness reshapes approaches to storage, portability, and long-term data value. The key takeaway: choosing an open format is an investment in the future, not a compromise for today.