Fivetran Launches ODI Data Access Benchmark to Expose Data Barriers in AI Workloads
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape enterprise operations, access to high-quality data has become a critical success factor. Addressing this need, Fivetran has introduced the Open Data Infrastructure (ODI) Data Access Benchmark, a new industry standard designed to evaluate how enterprise software vendors enable—or restrict—access to customer data.
Available via the Open Data Infrastructure initiative, this benchmark brings much-needed transparency to the technical and commercial limitations that impact how organizations leverage data for analytics, operations, and AI-driven applications.
What Is the ODI Data Access Benchmark?
The ODI Data Access Benchmark is built on the principles of Open Data Infrastructure (ODI)—an architectural framework that ensures organizations can freely access, move, and utilize their data across platforms without restrictions or vendor lock-in.
This benchmark provides a standardized approach to assessing real-world data accessibility across modern enterprise ecosystems. It highlights how vendor practices directly affect an organization’s ability to scale AI initiatives effectively.
The Hidden Bottleneck in AI Adoption
As businesses move AI from experimentation to production, a major challenge is emerging: limited access to critical data.
Many enterprise software vendors impose constraints such as:
- Incomplete APIs that restrict access to essential data objects
- Throughput limitations that slow down large-scale data replication
- Egress fees and pricing barriers that increase the cost of moving data
These limitations do more than create inefficiencies—they actively hinder the speed and scalability of AI deployment.
Why Open Data Infrastructure Matters
The shift toward AI-first operations demands a more open and flexible data ecosystem. Organizations need the ability to:
- Access complete datasets without restrictions
- Move data seamlessly across platforms
- Avoid hidden costs and vendor dependencies
Open Data Infrastructure enables this flexibility, ensuring that businesses are not locked into closed ecosystems that limit innovation.
Key Evaluation Criteria of the Benchmark
The ODI Data Access Benchmark evaluates enterprise vendors across three core dimensions:
- Coverage – Measures whether critical data objects are fully accessible via APIs
- Performance – Assesses support for high-throughput data replication, including change data capture (CDC)
- Egress Charges – Evaluates whether data can be moved freely without additional fees or restrictive terms
Together, these factors determine whether an organization’s data infrastructure is capable of supporting advanced analytics and AI at scale.
Driving Transparency in Data Access
One of the primary goals of the benchmark is to bring greater visibility into how data access is structured across enterprise platforms. By standardizing evaluation criteria, organizations can better understand whether their existing systems are truly AI-ready.
This transparency empowers businesses to make informed decisions about their data strategies, ensuring they can scale efficiently in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.
Industry Call to Action
Fivetran is urging software vendors to prioritize:
- Complete data accessibility
- High-performance data movement
- Transparent and cost-effective pricing models
At the same time, organizations are encouraged to evaluate whether their current data infrastructure can meet the growing demands of AI and advanced analytics.
The company also plans to expand the benchmark over time, incorporating more vendors and data sources to provide a broader industry perspective.
Methodology and Credibility
The ODI Scorecard is developed using publicly available documentation and reflects generally available vendor capabilities. The evaluation process is applied consistently across all vendors, ensuring fairness and objectivity.
Importantly:
- No vendor has paid for or influenced their ranking
- Scores are based solely on documented features and capabilities
- Ratings are continuously reviewed and updated as new information becomes available
With deep integration across hundreds of enterprise applications, Fivetran brings practical insights into how data access limitations affect organizations in real-world scenarios.
Final Thoughts
As AI adoption accelerates, data accessibility is no longer optional—it’s foundational. Benchmarks like the ODI Data Access Benchmark play a crucial role in helping organizations identify limitations, avoid vendor lock-in, and build scalable, future-ready data infrastructures.
