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data Article

<hr /> If it feels like you’re drowning in AI, you’re not alone.ChatGPT might only be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/30/chatgpts-one-year-anniversary-how-the-viral-ai-chatbot-has-changed.html#:~:text=Nov.,human%20than%20an%20AI%20system.">a year old</a> (and acting a bit like a toddler), but the wave of innovation it spurred is dominating every conversation. To complicate matters, the ecosystem dynamics are evolving on a daily… er, hourly basis. One possible life raft on these stormy seas has emerged: data provenance. But before we drop anchor on that, let’s review the last few weeks of “AI headwinds,” shall we? And try to keep your head above water…First, we had the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/22/technology/openai-board-capitalists.html">epic drama at OpenAI</a> as Sam Altman played musical chairs with <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/microsoft-sharepoint">Microsoft</a>. The market is still unpacking what it means, but the hit left more than a black eye for both brands.Synchronously, AWS opened the proverbial floodgates at <a target="_blank" href="https://reinvent.awsevents.com/">re:Invent,</a> the cloud juggernaut’s annual confab in Las Vegas. AI felt like the only show on the strip, with Amazon introducing a slew of new models, services, and its hyper-connective <a target="_blank" href="https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/introducing-amazon-q-a-new-generative-ai-powered-assistant-preview/">Amazon Q assistant</a>. Finally, not to be bested by its cloud rivals, Google just unveiled its highly anticipated <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.google/technology/ai/google-gemini-ai/#sundar-note">Gemini AI</a> last week, an advanced LLM built for multimodal reasoning across text, images, video, and code.And that’s just scratching the surface. Floodgates… drowning… is there a lifejacket on this boat?  Despite the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/08/technology/eu-ai-act-regulation.html">EU’s landmark agreement</a> to limit the use of artificial intelligence, we can all agree that the genie isn’t going back in the bottle. And with businesses set to increase their AI investments by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/north-american-businesses-plan-to-invest-67-more-in-generative-ai-in-2024-to-drive-efficiency-experience-and-growth-infosys-research-301967370.html#:~:text=The%20research%20forecasts%20that%20companies,67%25%20in%20the%20next%20year.">almost 70% next year</a>, the pros currently outweigh the cons.  Still, there are challenges aplenty. As more organizations dive into AI, big questions linger around accuracy, security, and governance. Between rampant hallucinations, unsavory biases, and other “shenanigans,” organizations are wrestling with existential issues as they lean more heavily on AI to crunch their data. It’s worth pointing out that machine learning technologies have been around for quite some time, and data has always been the lifeblood. The recent AI acceleration is due in part to the advent of new LLMs, but also the growth of compute capabilities and cloud services to manage more of the heavy lifting. Now, enterprises can rapidly build and train their own AI models and leverage more datasets for critical use cases – like <a target="_blank" href="https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/publicsector/predict-diabetic-patient-readmission-using-multi-model-training-amazon-sagemaker-pipelines/">predicting diabetes</a> based on procedure data from diagnoses and medical claims.  But what about the trustworthiness of the data they’re feeding to AI? Do they know where, when, and how it was collected? If they rely on third-party entities, how do they ensure the data they inherit is clean and complete?This is one of the questions the <a target="_blank" href="https://dataandtrustalliance.org/">Data &amp; Trust Alliance</a> is endeavoring to answer. The not-for-profit consortium is comprised of Fortune 500 businesses across multiple industries (IBM, Pfizer, Nielsen, Walmart, Meta, just to name a few) – all focused on learning, developing, and adopting responsible data and AI governance.I recently spoke with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinapodnar/">Kristina Podnar</a>, Senior Policy Director for the organization, about the Alliance’s proposed <a target="_blank" href="https://dataandtrustalliance.org/our-initiatives/data-provenance-standards">Data Provenance Standards</a>. Kristina is an industry authority and one of the sharpest, most passionate voices on the subject of Digital Policy. She walked me through the proposed standards and the elegant role of metadata in delivering this essential layer of transparency.   <h3>An alliance built for trust</h3>A bit of history for context: The Data &amp; Trust Alliance was formed in 2020 by two heavy hitters: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-chenault/">Ken Chenault</a>, General Catalyst chairman and managing director, and former American Express chairman and CEO; and <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_J._Palmisano">Sam Palmisano</a>, former CEO of IBM. In addition to helming some of the world’s largest brands, these pioneering luminaries have served on numerous boards – including Airbnb, NCAA, Berkshire Hathaway – and continue to be influential figures across industries. As Kristina recalled, both Chenault and Palmisano observed that the next era of business won’t be dependent on data and AI, but on trustworthy data and AI. To help guide the responsible use of data and intelligent systems, they formed the Data &amp; Trust Alliance – which resides within the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thecge.net/">Center for Global Enterprise</a> (CGE), a New York-based non-profit.The Alliance is built on a core belief that every enterprise in every industry is (or will soon be) a data enterprise, and must be responsible stewards of their data, algorithms, and AI. To support this mission, the organization doesn’t lobby or advocate on public policy issues; instead, it maintains a fierce commitment to developing tools and sharing practices to enhance learning. “Unlike other coalitions that publish a lot of guiding principles, the Data &amp; Trust alliance is all about actually creating tools, which member companies can adopt,” she said. “In the coalition are folks like American Express, Deloitte, Nike, Starbucks, AARP – the list goes on. These organizations get together around a table and ask, what are the biggest challenges we're facing right now? And then let's actually create a solution and adopt it.”According to Kristina, there have been several initiatives that the Alliance has taken on since its inception. This includes a data assessment resource for mergers and acquisitions, and a toolkit for preventing or detecting bias in HR hiring practices when using AI. The latter predates <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/dca/about/automated-employment-decision-tools.page">NYC’s Automated Employment Decision Tool law</a> – the first of its kind in the country, and a potential indicator of future legislation (the bill has also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/08/04/1030513/podcast-beating-the-ai-hiring-machines/">garnered criticism</a> from a range of entities).<h3>The Data Provenance Standards initiative </h3>According to the Data &amp; Trust Alliance, having clear data provenance – understanding the origin, lineage, and rights associated with data – is vital to establishing trust around the insights and decisions coming from data-enabled systems. This includes AI applications. As it stands, data scientists <a target="_blank" href="https://www.anaconda.com/resources/whitepapers/state-of-data-science-report-2022">spend</a> nearly 40% of their time on data preparation and cleansing tasks, which is a huge drag on productivity. Further, 61% of CEOs <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/c-suite-study/ceo">cite</a> the lack of clarity into data lineage and provenance as the central risks preventing the adoption of AI across their businesses.All these factors led to the development of the Data Provenance Standards, which were co-created by 19 Data &amp; Trust Alliance member organizations, along with multiple third-party industry partners and ecosystem experts. The organization took a “for industry, by industry” approach when developing the proposed standards, identifying provenance pain points from 25 use cases across its diverse members. The resulting set focuses on the eight most essential, valuable, and feasible standards for small and large enterprises to implement – irrespective of industry.“The interesting thing about these data provenance standards is they’re built on top of AI use cases,” Kristina shared. “But in reality, they apply to any data, including traditional data. It's the first set of standards really targeted at trustworthiness.”Unlike other principles and industry guidelines that are voluntary in compliance, the Data &amp; Trust Alliance’s provenance standards were designed to be actionable specifically for data governance practitioners. When implemented, they will provide transparency into the origin of the datasets used for both traditional data applications and a rapidly growing number of AI applications – which will ultimately enhance AI value and trustworthiness. <h3>It’s all in the metadata</h3>The word policy might give you the shivers, but that’s where the Data Provenance Standards provide an elegant solution: metadata.“First of all, it's not policy,” Kristina explained. “They are a set of standards, and it's rich metadata that goes along with that. They extend the concept of metadata into a set of trustworthy considerations. At the root of all eight standards, there's a provenance metadata unique ID, and that unique label tracks the history and origin for each data set.”As she further pointed out, the standards apply at the dataset level – not at the element row or table level – acting as an overall “fingerprint” for divining the lineage of the dataset. The eight proposed Data Provenance Standards surface metadata and associated values for: <ol><li>Lineage: Provides the provenance metadata unique ID, along with a blockchain ledger ID or other identifier. </li><li>Source: Contains information about the user, organization, software systems, and even IP address of the originator. </li><li>Legal Rights: Includes details about attribution, copyrights and trademarks, and any laws or regulations that are applicable. </li><li>Privacy and Protection: Covers any protected data classifications or if any privacy-enhancing techniques were applied.</li><li>Generation Date: Codes the year, date, month, and timestamp for the data. </li><li>Data Type: Delineates if the data is structured or unstructured.</li><li>Generation Method: Provides info on how the data was created, via web crawling, data mining, or other methods. </li><li>Intended Use and Restrictions: Details how the data should be used and by what audiences. </li></ol>To see example values, you can download the <a target="_blank" href="https://dataandtrustalliance.org/Data-Provenance-Standards-Information-pack.pdf">Standards information pack</a> from the Data &amp; Trust Alliance website. <h3>Helping enterprises make informed choices about data </h3>Providing information about the origin and rights associated with datasets gives enterprises more confidence in the data they source and use. This can have significant benefits, like improving operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, collaboration, and value generation.“If you think about the biggest challenge that corporations or any entity face today, everybody will tell you it’s data quality,” Kristina injected. “We were originally asked to develop a set of standards around data quality, but quality is very subjective. With our Data Provenance Standards, what we can all agree on is where data originated, and the attributes that it actually has.”To illustrate the impact of the Data Provenance Standards, Kristina narrates <a target="_blank" href="https://www.loom.com/share/d94d162418b3485890efdf8b330164ee?sid=9a21dae1-ea68-4ee7-b22b-9fa93f908511">a short video</a> that outlines a hypothetical use case in the healthcare industry. The story focuses on a researcher at a fictitious company that is using predictive AI modeling to study Hepatitis C in young women. The researcher acquires data regularly from third-party sources and needs to ensure that the dataset is reliable. Using the Data Provenance metadata, the researcher is able to inform her decision-making based on a number of key variables. By examining the lineage standard, she sees that the current dataset is derived from multiple sources. The generation date also indicates how fresh the data is and how much cleaning might be involved. With the intended use and restrictions, the researcher is also able to identify blockers for sharing the data with specific entities, such as the federal government. It's a fantastic video and use case. I’ll let you watch it to hear the researcher’s verdict, but the point is clear: armed with this metadata, enterprises can rely on essential information and attributes to make a decision with greater confidence – and ultimately improve outcomes. <h3>Why it matters for DX applications</h3>It’s easy to see how the proposed Data Provenance Standards will impact the digital experience ecosystem. First and foremost: DX applications rely on data. The list is long, but for starters, think about acquiring outside datasets to power digital advertising and marketing initiatives.“It will be interesting for third-party data procurement purposes,” said Kristina. “But I think in due course, it’s going to start to impact adtech and martech. It can't help but impact it.”AI is also being woven across every layer of the digital stack, so enhancing transparency will be key to trust at every level – particularly in a decoupled, API-first world that taps lots of data sources. This includes CMS and DXP platforms that are becoming training grounds for AI and connecting with a myriad of external services driven by data.  The new standards are still in a “proposed” mode as the Data &amp; Trust Alliance continues to gather feedback from the market. You can participate in the process by <a target="_blank" href="https://dataandtrustalliance.org/our-initiatives/data-provenance-standards">reviewing the standards</a> and providing input on the metadata and values <a target="_blank" href="https://us14.list-manage.com/survey?u=f2c4b0ec47814ddee58d70038&amp;id=fb47ee5e98&amp;attribution=false">via an online survey</a>.  As a resident Digital Policy rockstar, Kristina seems bullish on the potential impact – namely because the Data &amp; Trust Alliance represents leading global brands that are committed to ensuring this vital transparency.“The reason why this matters is because around the table are the largest procurement entities for data in the world,” Kristina said emphatically. “So if they start to adopt these standards and apply them to their data in the form of metadata, what you actually have is a huge ecosystem play.”That ecosystem won't stop the AI floodgates from opening further, but it might help keep things afloat.   <hr /><figure class="image"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/cms-kickoff-2024-banner.jpg" /></figure><h3>See Kristina Podnar at CMS Kickoff 2024 - January 16-17</h3>CMS Critic is a proud conference partner at this second annual edition of the prestigious international Boye &amp; Co conference, dedicated to the global CMS community. This event will bring together top-notch speakers, Boye &amp; Company's renowned learning format, and engaging social events.Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move forward in 2024. Along with Kristina Podnar, hear from leading voices across the industry on a wide range of topics, including:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/andrew-kumar">Andrew Kumar</a>, GVP at Uniform</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/becky-brown">Becky Brown</a>, Content Strategy Lead at Johnson &amp; Johnson</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/marli-mesibov">Marli Mesibov</a>, Content Strategy at Verily</li></ul><h4> </h4><img style="width:39.13%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/don-cesar-hotel.jpg" /><h4>The Don CeSar: a world-class venue</h4>Is there a better location for a winter kickoff than Florida's beautiful, sugary sand beaches? CMS Kickoff 2024 will be held at the iconic Don CeSar, just steps from the Gulf of Mexico. Dubbed the “Pink Palace,” this majestic hotel and resort provides a stunning backdrop to the conference, along with access to the local food and culture of St. Petersburg Beach. <h4>Get your tickets today</h4>CMS Kickoff offers an intimate, highly focused experience. Space is limited, and only a few seats remain. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity!<a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff24/tickets">Purchase tickets now &gt;</a>

Can you trust your AI data? New standards emerge to help ensure transparency

matt-garrepy

<hr /> Today’s marketers and brands need unfettered control over their data. They want to own and access it quickly and securely. To power that thirst for agency and extensibility, they need more consented ID backing them up. But getting there requires a cost-conscious solution that utilizes the most trusted connections across multiple providers – without the friction of any duplication.Now, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/hightouch-adds-new-ai-powered-adaptive-identity-resolution-to-its-cdp">Hightouch</a>, a composable CDP and AI Decisioning platform, has launched a new composable identity partnership with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.narrative.io/">Narrative I/O</a> that shows real potential for combining the best in data, technology, and governance.Hightouch continues to push the innovation boundaries with its customer data solutions. The company has been deploying new features regularly, including <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/hightouch-adds-new-ai-powered-adaptive-identity-resolution-to-its-cdp">AI-powered adaptive identity resolution</a> capabilities. By leveraging Narrative I/O’s data collaboration features, they’re now enabling marketers and media networks to assemble <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://aws.amazon.com/neptune/identity-graphs-on-aws/">identity graphs</a> by combining first-party data with over 30 third-party identity providers – directly and seamlessly in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.snowflake.com/en/">Snowflake's</a> AI-powered Data Cloud.With this connection, brands and teams can activate audiences at scale across a massive cache of over 250 marketing channels, all while maintaining strict data governance controls.“Our customers consistently asked for more control over their identity data and activation strategies,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/guptakashish/">Kashish Gupta,</a> Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Hightouch. “Our Composable Identity partnership with Narrative and Snowflake answers that call – enterprises own their data, control their identity graph, and can activate audiences how they choose while maintaining strong governance over data use. It's about giving power back to the customer.”Composable strategies are still raging, particularly in the age of agentic AI. This is reflected in the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/an-alliance-for-ai-to-unlock-trusted-agent-to-agent-ecosystems-the-mach-alliance-is-evolving">MACH Alliance’s positioning</a>, crystallizing how organizations are relying on composable, cloud-native solutions to drive AI transformation and enable greater control over data and activation. The Narrative I/O partnership also reinforces what Hightouch sees as a shift in adtech and martech away from single-vendor lock-in and dependency.There’s an important distinction with the Hightouch/Narrative I/O partnership that's worth pointing out. With most traditional identity providers, customer data is treated as a proprietary asset. But this unified solution is challenging the status quo with a deep emphasis on transparency, flexibility, and control – giving enterprises true ownership over their most valuable asset: customer data.<h3 id="powering-data-collaboration-with-identity-graphs">Powering data collaboration with identity graphs</h3>We’ve talked about identity graphs in previous articles. But it’s worth a quicker refresher given their relevant value to CDPs, data warehouses, and the goal of enhancing 360° views of customers. Identity graphs are handy tools that offer a unified picture of customers and prospects based on their interactions with a product or website across a set of devices and identifiers. They’re designed for scale, and commonly used for targeting real-time personalization and advertising across millions of users. Identity graphs are another critical resource in the pursuit of understanding the customer journey. By linking multiple types of identifiers, graphs can shape a complete view of the customer, store profile data, and easily connect new consumer identifiers to profiles. They can also be used to build CDP solutions with an emphasis on data privacy regulation and other forms of compliance. As a forward-thinking data collaboration platform, Narrative I/O enables enterprises to build, own, and control custom identity graphs using multiple best-in-class providers directly in their data warehouse – and they do it for leading brands like Afterpay/Block and Fanatics. Now, by partnering with Hightouch to deliver a composable identity solution, they’re enabling enterprises with more freedom and domain via multi-vendor identity resolution and activation.  "The enterprise identity market has been broken by vendors who want to own your data and limit how you use it," said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-mahlman/">Tim Mahlman,</a> CEO of Narrative I/O. “We built Composable Identity because enterprises should control their identity graphs in their own infrastructure. But ownership without activation is just expensive data storage. Our partnership with Hightouch gives you a transparent identity graph combined with sophisticated orchestration capabilities to actually put that data to work across your entire marketing and advertising stack.”<h3 id="key-capabilities-of-a-composable-identity-solution">Key capabilities of a composable identity solution</h3>There are a few big benefits with the Hightouch/Narrative I/O partnership, starting with the core ability to create third-party identity graphs with multiple vendors. Using combined resources, enterprises will be able to deploy their own composable identity graph by combining first-party data with a wide range of purpose-built solutions through cost-optimized enrichment, accessing credit card tokens, demographic data, and specialized global providers.At the data warehouse level, enterprises will also be capable of building and controlling custom identity graphs directly in their cloud data platform with full transparency into matching logic, data quality, freshness, and match rates – all with no vendor lock-in or proprietary systems. This complete ownership in Snowflake provides further confidence at a foundational level. As mentioned, there are over 250 channels where enterprises can activate identity-enhanced audiences across web, mobile, email, and paid media platforms using <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://hightouch.com/docs/customer-studio/usage">Hightouch’s visual audience builder</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://hightouch.com/integrations">extensive integrations.</a> This offers comprehensive activation and scale that can meet the growing demands of marketing and media networks.Finally, to tackle data misuse and enhance global compliance, this composable identity partnership will provide automated governance at every layer with built-in compliance guardrails – leveraging Narrative's automated data usage controls, Snowflake's built-in data governance, and Hightouch's consent management.“Whether we are talking about marketers or media networks, privacy legislation and signal loss are impacting the ability to activate at scale across channels and attribute disparate impressions to outcomes to validate investment," said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidallenwells/">David Wells,</a> Industry Principal, Advertising and Marketing Technology at Snowflake. “The future of owned and paid media is a federation of data and identity; consented linkages that are stitched together and packaged with an intuitive audience builder that allows optimal performance as well as ownership of one's own graph.”<h3 id="the-verdict">The verdict</h3>Hightouch has already been challenging the definition of the CDP space with its unique approach to AI decisioning and 1:1 AI agent model for lifecycle marketing. Its foundational modularity is providing a good deal of flexibility to composable enterprise stacks, and its continued concentration on yielding value at the data warehouse layer is a key consideration for enterprises looking to enrich their customer data strategies.The benefits of having an identity graph solution are evident. Leading brands are motivated to own their data assets, and having a partnership with Narrative I/O that enables this at scale across multiple vendors and channels is a win-win. Further, the emphasis on security, governance, and compliance reinforces the value play for global organizations with a variety of data privacy and regulatory concerns. If you’re evaluating CDPs, composability and interoperability should be primary considerations, as well as the flexibility and extensibility afforded by a clear agent-driven strategy. But the real proof is in the customer pudding and how the investment is translating into value. If you’re looking for examples of how Hightouch is unlocking this, I’ve previously mentioned their <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://hightouch.com/customers/petsmart">case study for PetSmart,</a> which powers the personalization story and pays it off with double-digit growth.  <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y6yHkPMg6w"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8y6yHkPMg6w" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> From a pricing perspective, Hightouch offers a composable, usage-based approach that challenges the legacy MTU model and user-seat dependency. As usage grows, your costs go down – so they’re delivering value at scale over the long haul. Overall, Hightouch continues to set a high bar. Whether you’re interested in leveraging their AI Decisioning or Composable CDP, it’s worth a demo and some homework around your current infrastructure and your long-term goals.  <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="looking-for-guidance-on-hightouch?-talk-to-an-expert.">Looking for guidance on Hightouch? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contact">Talk to an expert.</a></h4><hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.61%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/storyblok-joyconf-2025-logo.jpg" /><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Storyblok JoyConf 2025</a></h4>October 14-15, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands November 4, 2025 – New York, NY November 6, 2025 – Los Angeles, CAJoin us at JoyConf 2025, where the future of content meets the people shaping it. Built for developers, marketers, and digital innovators, this free conference goes way beyond product updates or yet another strategy playbook. It’s where you’ll get inspired, get real, and get connected – to ideas, to the community, and to what’s possible when you build joyfully. Whether you're building lightning-fast frontends or launching cross-channel campaigns, this is where content becomes connection and collaboration becomes second nature. Come for the talks. Stay for the community. Leave with joy. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Save your spot.</a> <img style="width:28.9%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/sitecore-symposium-2025.jpg" /><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2025</a></h4>November 3-5, 2025 – Orlando, FLAt Sitecore Symposium, you’ll learn how to meet your customers where they are – across channels, moments, and touchpoints that didn’t exist a year ago. You’ll hear how the boldest brands in the world are transforming content into outcomes and creating experiences that are fast, relevant, and human. Join 1,500 marketers, digital leaders, and technologists in Orlando to see what’s possible when personalization scales, AI accelerates creativity, and trust becomes your competitive edge. This is the Third Wave of the Internet. And this is your moment to lead in it. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Get your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:31.44%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/cms-kickoff-2026-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">CMS Kickoff 2026</a></h4>January 13-14, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FLMeet industry leaders at our fourth annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">so secure your tickets today.</a>

Hightouch Partners with Narrative I/O to Power Multi-Vendor Identity Resolution and Activation

<hr /> “If content is king, context is queen.”That’s what <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentstack-raises-57-5-million-in-series-b-round-qa-with-ceo-neha-sampat">Neha Sampat</a>, Contentstack’s founder and CEO, had to say about her company’s latest innovation, speaking to the “royal” relationship between content and data – and how their DXP is poised to help brands adapt to customers in real-time to every interaction and across every channel.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack</a> has been steadily building this evolutionary vision of an “adaptive DXP,” laying the groundwork from the moment <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentstack-just-acquired-lytics-a-real-time-customer-data-platform-heres-why-it-matters">it purchased Lytics</a> – a customer data platform – last January. After breaking that news, I later visited Sampat at Contentstack’s HQ in Austin during a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/groups/cms-experts">Boye &amp; Company CMS Experts</a> meeting, where she rolled out more of the red carpet surrounding her data ambitions. At the time, I had no idea just how fast she would move to “adapt” Lytics. “The future of digital is here,” she said, “which is why we moved so quickly to deliver on our promise to arm customers with the combined power of content and data.”Indeed, the future is here. And for brands to compete, they need more context than ever. That’s where today’s announcement at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">ContentCon 25</a> (the company’s fourth annual customer shindig) comes in. Contentstack just revealed that it has natively added real-time audience insights, intelligent content recommendations, and omnichannel journey orchestration into <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/livin-on-the-edge-contentstacks-new-adaptive-dxp-might-just-rock-your-world">Contentstack EDGE</a> – its fully integrated adaptive digital experience platform.According to Contentstack, this is an industry-first game-changer at the CMS level. Armed with these features – where content and data are seamlessly combined – brands can deliver one-to-one personalized experiences across every channel.Making the announcement at ContentCon will no doubt help to fortify visibility and reinforce the relevance. Featuring speakers from a number of Contentstack’s marquee customers – including Crocs, Mattel, PetMeds, and Volvo – will help bring greater stickiness to the message as they trumpet their success leveraging the platform’s capabilities. To further elevate the message of performance, attendees will be treated to a closing keynote by two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion and Olympic Gold Medalist <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandi_Chastain">Brandi Chastain</a>, co-founder of Bay Football Club.This is sure to score points as partners, agencies, and practitioners leave with practical wisdom – as well as a deeper sense of Contentstack’s roadmap for adaptive digital experiences. <h3 id="a-speedy-expansion-to-the-‘queendom’">A speedy expansion to the ‘queendom’</h3>I recently <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/livin-on-the-edge-contentstacks-new-adaptive-dxp-might-just-rock-your-world">wrote about Contentstack EDGE</a>, the brand envelope for its adaptive DXP. This new platform identity came just five months after its acquisition of Lytics, which demonstrates the speed and efficacy of Contentstack’s team in the pursuit of value from its CDP purchase.We’ve seen other vendors ride hype around M&amp;A, only to have a slow integration and consolidation period that can last years. Worse, the results are sometimes spotty, resulting in a cumbersome UX that misses the mark. This is fast by every modern measure, and the motivation was clear.It’s still early days for these new capabilities, but Contentstack has always doubled down on the user experience, making its native <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentstack-launch-aims-to-simplify-front-end-hosting-interview-with-dean-haddock-senior-product-manager">products like Launch</a> incredibly easy to use. Speed is absolutely critial, but so too is the delivery of an experience that meets – or at best, exceeds – customer expectations. <h3 id="“the-royal-treatment”-of-ai-powered-personalization">“The royal treatment” of AI-powered personalization</h3>AI is the name of the game, and Contentstack has been at the innovation edge since 2023, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/a-closer-look-at-contentstacks-ai-features-with-christine-masters-senior-product-manager">when I first demoed</a> its early GenAI capabilities. They were certainly novel at the time, and they were one of the first platforms to focus on more concrete, high-utility applications at the workflow level – where automation was solving real problems. Personalization has arguably come a long way. It’s not the elusive “Holy Grail” it once was. But according to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentstack-fires-up-brand-relevant-ai-powered-personalization-at-contentcon-2024">Conor Egan,</a> Contentstack’s SVP of Product, there are still barriers to realizing its potential. “Personalization is a priority, but brands struggle to deliver,” he said. “The reality is too abstract, complicated, disconnected or they’re locked into legacy tech that makes agility impossible.”Last year, Contentstack released a new personalization engine that combined brand-aware generative AI content creation, automation, and visual building technology. It was a foundation step that unleashed the benefits of AI while simplifying key aspects of the experience. But to deliver true hyper-personalization at scale, both content and real-time data were essential to the recipe. Now, Contentstack is fulfilling the last mile of its personalization vision, providing a blazing-fast integration that addresses long-standing personalization challenges with a practical solution. And by unifying content, data, and journey orchestration into a single, combined platform, brands can power true personalization at scale – all with clarity and confidence.“We’re not just committed to our vision of the future,” Egan said. “We’re offering customers the tools that make personalization possible today.”<h3 id="‘knighting’-its-adaptive-dxp-with-key-features">‘Knighting’ its adaptive DXP with key features</h3>The announcement provides some details about the feature additions to Contentstack EDGE at a granular level, further defining the company’s vision as an adaptive digital experience platform.First, the integration of Audience Insights will enable users to understand what content is driving engagement and delivering on business goals. The added context can help marketers support targeted campaigns and ground their personalization efforts in data-driven insights. Along with visual maps, audience building, and opportunity insights, brands can learn what their audiences care most about in real time. Worth noting: This feature is available at no additional cost to Contentstack customers today.Then, there’s Real-Time Data Activation, which aims to deliver personalized experiences instantly via seamless access to over 200 data connectors. There’s also native integration with existing data warehouses, activated in real time as customers interact – a key benefit that has emerged as brands tap data from a variety of siloed sources.Finally, with Flows, it’s all about scaling the promise of omnichannel personalization. Users can design and automate what Contentstack calls “adaptive customer journeys,” which can guide individuals seamlessly across web, mobile, email, ads, SMS, and other channels, maximizing engagement and conversions. <h3 id="is-this-a-new-reign-for-adaptive-dxps?">Is this a new reign for adaptive DXPs?</h3>For a space that’s often more buzzword than breakthrough, Contentstack is walking the walk with a rarefied air. This launch doesn’t just expand their platform – it helps reshape what’s possible for brands that are still struggling with the paralysis of personalization.Marketers are hungry for the context that Contentstack is promising. The speed at which they’ve delivered these new insights and journey orchestration capabilities is impressive, but UX is key – and we’ll have to see how organizations embrace the feature set. One big benefit here is Contentstack’s focus on customer intimacy and fueling its product enhancements around a solid feedback loop.Atop everything is the crowning position of adaptive digital experiences. While there’s a clear marketing angle, we’re all being forced to adapt to new realities in the race to digital dominance – and Contentstack is building a platform solution around the challenges and opportunities. You can come up with a fancy new name. But you have to make it mean something. And that’s precisely what they’re doing. Contentstack’s ascension to a DXP throne has been hard-fought, but its strategy seems to be paying off. As noted by several key analyst reports, the company’s composable roadmap and the acquisition of a data layer have catapulted it into new quadrants of consideration. This should assist in the battle against industry stalwarts and the general barrier to greater awareness.I still think one of Contentstack’s greatest assets is its culture. Over the years, I’ve spoken to CEO Neha Sampat about the company’s growth ambitions, but it’s always peppered with stories about people – and how Contentstack is doubling down on expanding through diversity and other human-focused initiatives.Case in point: The company has been recognized for its unmatched customer care and tradition of giving back globally through its Contentstack Cares program, including its support of Pledge 1% and “Girls Who Code.”It might be one of the shiniest gems in its crown – and another reason to watch this company as it continues to expand. <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="looking-for-guidance-on-contentstack?-talk-to-an-expert.">Looking for guidance on Contentstack? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contact">Talk to an expert.</a></h4><hr /> <h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:33.07%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/05/contentcon25-logo-1747412490394.png" /><h4 id="contentstack-contentcon-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">Contentstack ContentCon 25</a></h4>June 3-5, 2025 – Chicago, USAThe future of digital is waiting for you! Contentstack presents ContentCon, the premier event for digital teams and industry leaders who are reimagining the future of digital experiences. Join us for two days of transformative presentations and workshops designed to help you put personalization and AI strategies into action. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://contentcon2025.site.zuddl.com/">Register today! </a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

Context Is Queen: Contentstack Crowns its Adaptive DXP with Native Real-Time Audience Insights

<hr /> When I spoke to the incomparable <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinapodnar/">Kristina Podnar</a> last November, she was – in a word – ecstatic.And rightly so: the <a target="_blank" href="https://dataandtrustalliance.org/work/data-provenance-standards">Data Provenance Standards</a>, an initiative she helped guide into existence as Senior Policy Director at the <a target="_blank" href="https://dataandtrustalliance.org/">Data &amp; Trust Alliance (D&amp;TA)</a>, was finally emerging from the chrysalis and taking flight.The D&amp;TA has become a leading voice in the chorus for trustworthy data and AI. Founded in 2020 by market mavens <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-chenault/">Ken Chenault</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_J._Palmisano">Sam Palmisano</a>, the organization has been keenly focused on guiding the responsible use of data and intelligent systems.If you’re not familiar with the Data Provenance Standards, I encourage you to read my <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/can-you-trust-your-ai-data-new-standards-emerge-to-help-ensure-transparency">previous interview with Kristina</a>, who is an oracle on all things Digital Policy.As we discussed in our conversation, having clear data provenance – understanding the origin, lineage, and rights associated with data – is vital to establishing trust in the details and decisions coming from data-enabled systems. This includes AI applications, which are exploding in popularity and expanding across numerous industry use cases. The Data Provenance Standards were co-created by 19 member organizations of the Data &amp; Trust Alliance, along with multiple third-party industry partners and ecosystem experts. Contributing players include American Express, Humana, IBM, Mastercard, Pfizer, and Walmart (to name a few) – obviously some of the biggest and most notable brands in the world. Now, after testing and validation with more than 50 organizations both inside and outside the Data &amp; Trust Alliance, the organization <a target="_blank" href="https://dataandtrustalliance.org/work/data-provenance-standards">just released version 1.0.0</a> of its Data Provenance Standards. The announcement was detailed in a blog post by the brilliant <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/saira-jesani/">Saira Jesani</a>, Executive Director of D&amp;TA – who I’ve also spoken to previously about this ambitious initiative. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:63.94%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/07/saira-kristina-headshots-2.jpg" alt="Headshots of Saira Jesani, Executive Director, and Kristina Podnar, Senior Policy Director" /></figure>As Saira noted in her overview, the entire journey started because the D&amp;TA members and the broader business community were yearning for, as she called it, “better rules for the road around data quality.” Exacerbated by the race to adopt AI, she went on to frame how data has become the most sustainable source of competitive advantage. This revelation ultimately led to the creation of the Data Provenance Standards, and now to the vital feedback loop that will continue to improve the framework.<h3 id="what-are-the-data-provenance-standards?">What are the Data Provenance Standards?</h3>When first proposed back in November of 2023, Kristina was quick to point out that the new Data Provenance Standards were not a form of policy, but benchmarks accompanied by rich metadata. Functionally, this metadata would serve as a set of trustworthy considerations when validating the integrity of datasets. At launch, eight proposed standards were included, each with a unique provenance metadata ID and a label for tracking the history and origin of each data set. It’s worth noting that the standards apply at the dataset level, acting as an overall “fingerprint” for divining details like the data’s lineage, source, legal rights, and more.<hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="-"> </h4><h4 style="text-align:center" id="“these-practical-standards,-co-created-by-senior-practitioners-across-the-industry,-are-designed-to-help-evaluate-whether-ai-workflows-align-with-ever-changing-regulations-while-also-helping-generate-increased-business-value.”">“These practical standards, co-created by senior practitioners across the industry, are designed to help evaluate whether AI workflows align with ever-changing regulations while also helping generate increased business value.”</h4><h4 style="text-align:center" id="-"> </h4><h4 style="text-align:center" id="rob-thomas">ROB THOMAS</h4><h4 style="text-align:center" id="senior-vice-president,-ibm-software-and-chief-commercial-officer">Senior Vice President, IBM Software and Chief Commercial Officer</h4> <hr /> According to Saira, the standards were designed to facilitate business adoption via two key focus areas. The first is to demonstrate tangible business value by helping organizations assess which datasets are of higher quality. This includes delivering the transparency required for efficient, accurate, and reliable use of data – as well as mitigating the risks from legal, copyright, and regulatory compliance issues.  The second is making the implementation of the standards more streamlined and attainable, thereby encouraging adoption. This is achieved by homing in on the most essential metadata needed to reveal and understand a dataset’s origin, method of creation, and whether it can be legally used.Since last November, we’ve seen significant changes across the regulatory landscape regarding data and AI, chiefly marked by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20230601STO93804/eu-ai-act-first-regulation-on-artificial-intelligence">Europe’s sweeping EU AI Act</a>. As Saira noted, while this is happening at a macro level, we still don’t have standard definitions for its critical elements. To call this a conundrum would be selling it short, to say nothing of the challenges surrounding the quality and integrity of datasets – which are essential for AI model training to deliver accurate and trustworthy results.   “Model evaluation is difficult, with little transparency around the data that trains and feeds those models,” she stated. “The consequences – from copyright infringement to privacy to authenticity – could affect both the technology’s business value and its acceptance by society, limiting organizations’ ability to determine what is to be trusted.”There’s a lot at stake, and that’s why the creation of the Data Provenance Standards is an evolutionary process – one in which the D&amp;TA is steadfast in its commitment to engaging with stakeholders, reviewing feedback, and modifying its approach to improve outcomes and further encourage adoption. <h3 id="what’s-new-in-v1.0.0?">What’s new in v1.0.0?</h3>Since the Data Provenance Standards were first proposed, Saira and Kristina have been working diligently with the D&amp;TA’s ecosystem of data, AI, ethics, and legal experts to enhance business adoption, gauge feedback, and continuously test and validate the standards. This has led to version 1.0.0, which includes multiple refinements.First and foremost, the original eight categories have been simplified down to three standards, streamlining the adoption and facilitation. The accompanying metadata has also been revised, focusing on detail that “shows, not tells” – and giving data, AI, and legal teams stronger evidence to help inform critical decisions.There’s also been a concerted effort to make D&amp;TA queries more specific about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/advocacy-research/tech-at-ftc/2024/02/keeping-your-privacy-enhancing-technology-pet-promises">Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs)</a> to attain more accurate information. PETs are a broad set of tools and practices that enable organizations to build products and functionality while protecting the privacy of users’ data. Demonstrating how PETs fit into the equation further acknowledges D&amp;TA’s commitment to transparency. Along those same lines, v1.0.0 also sports refinements around surfacing consent language – in particular, the content shown to a user when collecting their personal data to assess risks associated with consumer data usage.Here’s one of the biggest outcomes thus far: Thanks to persistent testing and validation over several months, D&amp;TA has assembled a number of case studies, including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/KY5VLRP9">one that has been released by IBM</a>. This example illustrates how the Data Provenance Standards increased overall data quality and reduced clearance review time for datasets used to train AI models. <h3 id="what’s-next-–-and-why-it-matters">What’s next – and why it matters</h3>The Data &amp; Trust Alliance is shepherding a flock of forward-thinking organizations that recognize the challenges – and opportunities – associated with data quality and integrity. Market-leading brands represent a cabal of early adopters around the Data Provenance Standards, but their participation is also an incentive for their broad ecosystems to join the fold, if for no other reason than to do business with the Pfizers and Walmarts of the world.Leading by example is perhaps an obvious force multiplier, but as Saira observed in her post, the D&amp;TA’s goal is to increase transparency across the broader business scope – and encourage all organizations to take advantage of this free tool and realize the benefits of adoption.Accelerating and expanding that adoption is next on the docket. While numerous data suppliers and producers of all sizes participated in the feedback cycle of the Data Provenance Standards, the organization is focused on fully enlisting them as partners in adoption and easing the process with toolset providers. The D&amp;TA’s innovative work is manifesting quantifiable benefits. Since the launch of the proposed Data Provenance Standards, the business value has become more palpable – particularly around the impact to productivity. As it stands, data scientists <a target="_blank" href="https://www.anaconda.com/resources/whitepapers/state-of-data-science-report-2022">spend</a> nearly 40% of their time on data preparation and cleansing tasks, which is a huge drag on productivity. On top of that, 61% of CEOs <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/c-suite-study/ceo">cite</a> the lack of clarity into data lineage and provenance as the central risks preventing adoption of AI across their businesses.Refinement is certainly a predictable expectation when launching a new concept like this. But already, the proof is in the provenance pudding – and the IBM case study is a poignant example of how these standards translate into real business value. Reducing friction and minimizing the barriers to testing AI models can accelerate time to market, all resulting from greater trust and confidence around datasets that have leveraged these standards.In my previous conversations with Kristina (including a chat at the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/a-cms-consultants-takeaways-from-cms-kickoff-2024">Boye &amp; Company CMS Kickoff</a> event in January), we discussed the potential impact of the standards on the content, ad tech, and marketing industries. All of these layers rely heavily on data, but AI has also infected every CMS and martech platform on the planet, both directly and indirectly. This cross-section is pivotal, as brands will increasingly rely on more trustworthy data to support their AI initiatives. The <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management ecosystem</a> is at the foundation of how these technologies and campaigns will be managed. As such, the impact of the Data Provenance Standards could bring greater control and confidence to this sector of the market landscape. In an economy where data is the most valuable currency – and every business across industries is now (or soon will be) a data enterprise – trust is paramount. As organizations race to leverage the potential of AI, good data is absolutely essential. This takes on a heightened imperative when we consider the kinds of initiatives that AI is supporting, like cancer or diabetes research. This is precisely why the Data Provenance Standards are emerging as a key foundation for ensuring the future of data, AI, and – most importantly – people.   <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

Data & Trust Alliance Releases v1.0.0 of Data Provenance Standards, Enhancing Data Quality for AI

<hr /> As 2024 begins to take shape, digital optimization is becoming paramount for organizations as they focus on the ever-elusive goal of growth. With increasing competition across digital properties, brands seek new ways to understand customer behavior and create personalized experiences that allow them to attract, engage, and retain customers.The tools are getting better – and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/amplitude-introduces-snowflake-native-amplitude-app-with-new-snowpark-container-services">Amplitude</a> continues to lead with innovation. The company recently announced the expansion of its Digital Analytics Platform to include Session Replay, new experimentation capabilities, and simplified event tagging. With Session Replay, Amplitude now combines qualitative and quantitative data to help companies understand the “why” behind user behavior. The platform will also offer new Experiment capabilities to help teams build personalized websites and campaigns. Additionally, a visual tag editor will effectively lower the barrier to entry for companies getting started with data collection and instrumentation. “Understanding customer behavior is the key to building successful products and enabling businesses to thrive," said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/francoisajenstat/">Francois Ajenstat</a>, Amplitude’s Chief Product Officer. "With these new capabilities, we’re bringing the next generation of digital analytics to market, combining qualitative and quantitative insights and simplifying how companies get started with Amplitude. With a single platform that is easy to use and easy to scale, every company can deliver better customer experiences that drive growth.”Alongside redesigned pricing options to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes, these new capabilities will help companies see everything their customers do, understand what drives growth, and build better products – all in one place.<h3 id="multiple-platform-enhancements">Multiple platform enhancements</h3>The new features of Amplitude’s platform include:<h4 id="session-replay">Session Replay</h4>With Session Replay, companies can visualize the user journey through the product, showing what customers like and where they get stuck. Integrated with Amplitude Analytics, organizations can access qualitative and quantitative insights to fix issues, drive greater conversion, and, ultimately, improve the customer experience. Session Replay is generally available today.<h4 id="experiment-for-web">Experiment for web</h4>Deliver personalized experiences with Amplitude's new web experimentation capabilities. Easily test multiple landing pages to optimize web and campaign performance. Paired with Amplitude Analytics, teams can gain a holistic understanding of what impacts customer behavior and how to deliver experiences that drive growth. Experiment for web will be generally available in the first half of 2024.<h4 id="visual-tag-editor">Visual tag editor</h4>Visual tag editor automates the data collection and instrumentation process to help teams intuitively track website or app activity. Visual tag editor will be generally available in the first half of 2024. With plans for organizations of all sizes, companies can get all the tools they need at once or start small and scale as their business grows. Plans include Free, Plus, Growth, and Enterprise, and can be explored on the Amplitude website. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

Amplitude Expands Platform Capabilities with Session Replay and Simplified Pricing

cms-critic-staff

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore..."
Those words uttered in the 1939 film <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_(1939_film)" target="_blank">The Wizard of Oz</a> have come to mean a lot of things, but chief among them is “we’ve entered unfamiliar territory.” And while we’re not in a strange new land somewhere over the rainbow, there are certainly huge changes coming to the largest data analytics platform in the world – and that might leave a lot of people clicking their heels and wishing for home.
The story begins last year when Google announced it would sunset <a href="https://www.rootandbranchgroup.com/google-analytics-4-vs-universal-analytics/" target="_blank">Universal Analytics (UA)</a> and require users to migrate to <a href="https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10089681?hl=en" target="_blank">Google Analytics 4 (GA4)</a>. Now, as we approach the zero-day reality of the mandated change, holdouts are being told that if they don't make the move, Google will do it for them. 
<h2>Follow the Yellow Brick Road... or else</h2>
Back in the halcyon days of 2014, <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1071481/remember-when-apple-forced-a-u2-album-on-us-all" target="_blank">Apple and U2</a> shipped a copy of their album Songs of Innocence to every iTunes account on the planet. They saw it as a gift, but it became a touchpoint about data privacy and corporate overreach. 
In some ways, the recent announcement by Google to forcibly move a customer's account evokes the same sentiment. Sure, users and businesses have the option to drop Google Analytics and turn to different platforms like <a href="https://www.semrush.com/" target="_blank">Semrush</a> or <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/unlocking-the-power-of-products-and-people-a-conversation-with-amplitudes-new-cmo-tifenn-dano-kwon/">Amplitude</a>. But how practical is that when you've been tracking everything on Google for years? 
If you're not familiar with the nitty gritty: in March 2022, Google first announced its flagship UA would be <a href="https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11583528?hl=en#:~:text=On%20July%201%2C%202023%2C%20standard,Google%20Analytics%204%20going%20forward." target="_blank">“going away,”</a> leaving many people in the dark about what to expect. Shortly after, it introduced GA4 – which offered some intriguing new features and capabilities.
Google also informed customers they could continue using and collecting data in UA until July 1, 2023. At that point, they would have an additional six months to export their legacy data, which can't be migrated into GA4. 
While Google has been proactively communicating with its users, many have delayed or resisted the call for change. As the end date approaches, these users are in danger of losing their legacy data and missing out on collecting sufficient data in the new GA4. 
Google's solution? We'll take care of it for you – whether you like it or not.
The search giant announced its intentions in <a href="https://searchengineland.com/make-the-switch-to-ga4-or-google-will-do-it-for-you-392612" target="_blank">an email</a> informing users that any accounts without an established GA4 property by March 2023 would have one configured for them by reusing existing site tags.
GA4 might be the Emerald City, but forcing users down the Yellow Brick Road feels more like the work of the Wicked Witch. It's true that many customers could stand to lose a lot of valuable data if they don’t make the switch before July – and the new GA4 has certainly received positive praise from some users (a whole lot of negative, too). But even Steve Jobs and Bono weren't considering the sacred trust that exists between customers and brands when it comes to the power of choice. 
<h2>Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain</h2>
In the film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and her newfound friends journey to see a wizard that will grant them their greatest wishes. Upon closer inspection, they discover the deity they sought was just an ordinary man complicit in deceiving people.
Not to drag out the metaphor, but it might be worth taking a closer look at what’s behind the GA4 curtain as well, and that's the Google Cloud.
Unlike data storage with UA, GA4 only allows access to user and event data <a href="https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7667196?hl=en" target="_blank">for up to 14 months</a> – then it's deleted on a rolling monthly basis. Once the retention period has expired, users will have limited options for accessing their data unless they buy storage in a Google data warehouse.
Since UA users have always had the option to access their legacy data indefinitely, this represents a huge change. In effect, it forces users to assimilate to the Google Cloud and pay a lot more to access data they've always had for free.
<h2>Privacy matters</h2>
One of the primary reasons Google introduced GA4 was to comply with austere data privacy measures impacting Europe. Because UA did not meet regulations such as <a href="https://gdpr.eu/" target="_blank">GDPR</a>, the new GA4 was deployed to help meet those requirements. But lingering questions remain about legacy data being forced onto Google Cloud products without user consent.
To access large chunks of this data, users will need to use <a href="https://cloud.google.com/bigquery-ml/docs" target="_blank">BigQuery</a> – a serverless, ML-powered data warehouse platform in the Google Cloud. It comes at a hefty price for small businesses or individual users who have not had to pay until the forced GA4 migration. This added cost could have a chilling effect on Google's customer base, and perhaps have them seeking alternatives. 
Regarding complexity, many users who have switched to GA4 say it requires more developer-focused knowledge of analytics, as it’s a completely new way of gathering data. This could mean even more costs associated with migration, especially if your team isn't prepared to handle the changes.
In the epic "Battle of the Clouds," things are heating up for Google, which currently trails it two largest rivals. According to <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/18819/worldwide-market-share-of-leading-cloud-infrastructure-service-providers/" target="_blank">Statista</a>, Amazon Web Services (AWS) dominates the market share at 34 percent, with Azure well behind at 21 percent. By further integrating its analytics with its cloud property, Google could strengthen its relative position and drive more adoption by default.
The search king has always reigned over the analytics market, and if GA4 users want to expand their data resources, it seems like Google is shouting from the rooftops, “there’s no place like home.”

Who’s Behind the Curtain? GA4’s Takeover of Universal Analytics

Yellow brick road with Google Analytics logo in the sky in the distance.

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