Stewart Bond
Director, Data Integration Software at IDC
Stewart Bond is Research Director of IDC’s Data Integration and Intelligence Software service. Mr. Bond's core research coverage includes watching emerging trends that are shaping and changing data movement, ingestion, transformation, mastering, cleansing and consumption in the era of digital transformation. Having worked in the IT industry for over 30 years, from early experience in database and application development, through solution design and deployment, to strategic architectural consulting, Stewart has worked through some significant changes in the IT industry. His depth of field experience coupled with market insight gives him a unique perspective, valued by his customers and peers.
How did you get to become an expert in your key topics?
Early in my career I did a lot of work with databases, from desktop database application development to Oracle RDBMS. I also did a lot of application development in different languages, from COBOL to Visual Basic. I began working as a consultant in the late 90’s at a startup company with a focus on data and application integration. I started with IBM Global Services in 2000 as an IT Architect, focusing on application and data integration architecture strategy, solution design, development and deployment for global public and private organizations. In 2010 I joined a successful startup that I helped create. Not long after joining the investor had other ideas for the company, and so I found my way into the world of industry research and began my career as an influencer. Having practical integration implementation experience across a broad range of industries, has been a benefit in my role as an influencer in my conversations with integration solution buyers, and vendors of integration software.
What topic areas are you most passionate about?
I have been very passionate about data intelligence, that is, intelligence about data from metadata – the data about data. It is summed up well in my blog post here. I believe that I was instrumental in promoting this term in the market. Much of my research has focused on data intelligence over the past few years, and I am now building out an agenda this year focusing on DataOps, where I will further apply the value of intelligence about data in the DataOps discipline.
Which influencers influence you within those key topics?
I cannot point to one influencer that has shaped my perspectives on data intelligence, but rather it has been through numerous interviews and conversations with users, chief data officers and vendors. I would say though that the work DAMA has done in its DMBOK has influenced how I think about the practices surrounding data governance, development, security, integration, quality, and so on, all which use intelligence about data. As I move into the area of DataOps, the work that Chris Bergh and the work his team at Data Kitchen have done has influenced how I think about and define the discipline. I also find I am influenced by peers in the analyst community as I network with them.
Outside of key topics, who else influences you?
I am influenced by many of my colleagues at IDC, specifically Carl Olofson and Dan Vesset. I am also influenced by Dr. Richard Wang and his team at the MITCDOIQ and in the conversations I have with Chief Data Officers at those events.
How would you describe your offline influence?
My offline influence is what drives my online influence. The content I create, the research I do, the speaking engagements either in person or virtual, are why I get invited to events which is a large volume of my tweets. My LinkedIn posts are often relevant to documents I have published at IDC, or IDC blog posts.
If a brand wanted to work with you, which activities would you be most interested in collaborating on?
I would need to participate as an employee of IDC, and we offer all of these types of engagements/deliverables.
What’s your best source of information for getting ahead of a story?
What brands have you worked with?
Informatica, Talend, IBM, HVR, Qlik, Tableau, Trifacta, Alation, Collibra, erwin, Infogix, Experian, Google Cloud, Hitachi Vantara, Confluent, Matillion, Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, Progress Software, SAP, TIBCO, Alteryx, ASG Technologies, Cloudera, Axway, OpenText, data.World, Denodo, Equalum, IBI, Precisely, Splunk, Syniti, Quantexa and SAS.
Which non-paid activities would you be keen to take part in if the opportunity raised your profile or delivered value to your audience?
I would be keen to provide a quote for content or news article, share / create a social post, or participate in online chat. I could also speak at or attend an event but It would need to be an industry event that raised my profile. I could participate in a podcast or webinar, so long as the conditions were similar to the speaking engagement. Vendor events are paid engagements.
What are your passions outside of work?
Curling, both recreational and competitive. Fishing, both recreational and competitive.
What would be the best way for a brand to contact you?
You can reach me via LinkedIn or Twitter