---
title: "Past, Present & Future of Data Catalogs: The Need for a DataOps Focused Approach | Atlan"
url: "https://atlan.com/masterclass-forrester/"
description: "Join us for an interactive masterclass with Michele Goetz, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, and the author of the Wave."
keywords: "Dataops, data catalog, data catalog tools, atlan, data, metadata catalog, master data management, data discovery, data access, data catalog example, data catalog software, data catalog template, data catalog products, data catalog vendors, data lake data catalog, best data catalog tools, data catalog solutions, data catalog products, metadata management, data catalog creation tools"
---

> Atlan is hosting Context Conference, bringing together the leaders and builders at the frontier of giving AI the context it needs to understand their business. It runs online on October 28, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM ET. Atlan co-founder Prukalpa Sankar opens and closes the day. Leaders from AstraZeneca, BNY and Verizon share why they invest in context and what they get from it. Registrants get early access to The AI Context Gap, a new study from MIT Technology Review Insights. Register: https://atlan.com/context-conference/

Masterclass by Atlan (on-demand recording): **Past, Present, & Future of Data Catalogs - the need for a DataOps focused approach.** An interactive masterclass with Michele Goetz, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, and the author of The Forrester Wave: Enterprise Data Catalogs For DataOps, Q2 2022.

The recording is behind a form: [watch the masterclass at https://atlan.com/masterclass-forrester/](https://atlan.com/masterclass-forrester/).

## A paradigm shift: data catalogs for DataOps

What the masterclass covers:

- **Key trends driving modern metadata management** - the need for enterprise data catalogs to provide deeper context, create end-to-end lineage, and drive automation from metadata.
- **Diversity, granularity, & dynamic nature of data** - open APIs and personalized experiences across development and delivery processes to enable the diverse humans of data.
- **Enabling a self-serve ecosystem at scale** - creating bidirectional flow of metadata, embedded collaboration, and workflows between the data and developer environments.
- **Insights from the author of the Forrester Wave report** - a deep exploration of Enterprise Data Catalogs for the DataOps environment and the trends to look out for in the future.
- **How to evaluate an EDC for the DataOps environment** - evaluation criteria used in the Forrester study and what data leaders should look for to select the right metadata platform.
- **Open AMA with Michele Goetz, Forrester Research** - questions on what makes a best-in-class modern data platform, shared ahead or asked directly during the masterclass.

## Atlan named a Leader in The Forrester Wave Data Governance Solutions, Q3 2025

"Atlan named a Leader and Customer favorite, earning the highest possible score in 15 criteria." [Download the full report](https://atlan.com/forrester-wave/).

## From The Forrester Wave: Enterprise data catalogs evolve to support modern data platforms

Metadata management is not new, but it is one of the fastest evolving and critical components of a best-in-class and modern data platform.

Conceptual data understanding is viable for consumption use cases like analytics, governance, and business processes that data governance catalogs provide. But data engineers need detailed telemetry and logical data of the data environment to make the right trade-offs to architect and build data-driven applications. Which is why they need enterprise data catalogs for the DataOps environment to understand and activate data.

As a result of these trends, enterprise data catalog (EDC) customers should look for providers that:

- Address the diversity, granularity, and dynamic nature of data and metadata.
- Generate deep transparency of the nature and path of data flow and delivery.
- Deliver a UI/UX that reinforces modern DataOps and engineering best practices.

Quotes shown, attributed to Forrester:

- "They need data catalogs for the DataOps environment to understand and activate data."
- "Atlan maintains a strong focus for continued innovation in this metadata-driven data and application ecosystem."

[Read more](https://atlan.com/forms/forrester-wave/)