Unlocking Data Value in the Age of AI and Data Streaming

Seema Acharya, software engineering manager at Mercedes-Benz R&D North America, discussed how Mercedes-Benz uses a data streaming platform to collect and process data from various sources, creating personalized experiences for customers. The platform handles 800 terabytes of data per month and provides real-time insights into customer behavior, enabling the company to drastically reduce time-to-market for new projects. Industry experts shared examples of how data streaming platforms can help businesses deliver personalized entertainment experiences, manage market data, detect fraud in real-time, and extract value from data at scale. The industry is shifting towards a "shift-left" strategy, where data processing and governance are moved closer to data generation time to eliminate duplicate pipelines, reduce risk, and leverage high-quality data products. Companies like Confluent are making it easier for businesses to harness the power of their data by providing simple and powerful data streaming solutions. The acquisition of WarpStream has expanded Confluent's offerings to include a data streaming solution for every company, regardless of their needs or infrastructure.