Data Streams brings an e-commerce experience to the world of data
Buying and selling data is difficult. But it doesn't have to be. At Narrative, we believe that buying and selling data should be fast, easy, and transparent.
Introducing Data Streams — Data transactions, reimagined
Data Streams are pre-packaged data offerings that can be discovered, purchased, and delivered through simple e-commerce experience.
With the release of Data Streams, we’re removing the barriers to entry for buyers and sellers. For data buyers, anyone can easily search for data, purchase it, and quickly move it into their business systems. Data sellers can easily make their data assets available to a broad community of buyers. Data Streams democratizes access to data.
We think the best way to understand how Data Streams makes buying data faster and easier is to just try it out yourself—that's why we made it free and open to all. If you want to know why Data Streams makes buying data faster and easier, read on 👇
Inspired by e-commerce
Search. Click. Pay. Ship. Receive. That’s the simplicity of a retailer-to-shopper online transaction. From cleaning supplies to clothes to cars, consumers can buy anything from anywhere. As a result, humans now also expect more assistive, intuitive, and creative experiences from the systems they use at work. In an effort to make Data Streams easy to use, we drew inspiration from the products that we buy and use each day as consumers.
Clear pricing and forecasts
One of the most complex and inconsistent elements of buying and selling data is pricing and inventory availability. We knew it was important to make it clear to customers what they were buying, how much was available, and how much it would cost. Data Streams will provide that intuitive experience for customers so that they can easily make decisions about what data they want to buy.
Fast and simple delivery
You shouldn’t have to be an engineer to get the data you need to do your job. With Data Streams, we made the delivery of data to buyers as simple as getting a package delivered to you from Amazon. At launch, Data Streams can be delivered to an Amazon S3 bucket or sent directly to Facebook Ads as a custom audience. Additional delivery endpoints will be available later this year.
Accessibility and transparency
Transparency has always been at the core of Narrative’s belief system. We’ve continued that tradition in new and exciting ways with Data Streams. The platform is open to anyone that wants to use it. Accessibility is an important component to moving the data streaming market forward. By making Data Streams open and transparent to everyone, we can shine a light on what is actually happening.
No lengthy set-up
The majority of B2B systems require that users register, sign contracts, and complete a lengthy set-up process before they can start using them. We believe this process poses a barrier to entry, and can create the perception that the data transactions are being obfuscated. Getting started, searching, and completing Data Streams transactions does not require a length registration.
Data is bought and sold every day, but it often happens in the online equivalent of a "back room." We want businesses and consumers to have a better understanding of how the data economy works. Data Streams allows you to see up front who is selling data and what data they are selling.
Clear data definitions
At launch, Narrative’s data partners will be selling over half a million different Data Streams. Each of those streams have a clear definition so that buyers know exactly what they are getting. Historically, the business rules defining the composition of a data set have been completely opaque to customers. That opacity only benefits data brokers who are trying to hide something.
Data supply chain transparency
Knowing what data is available is important, but so is understanding where it came from. It is important to us that both sides of the data economy don’t lose visibility into the market by working through Narrative. We offer a forum for buyers and sellers to transact data. There are no intermediaries on either side to obfuscate the actual source. Transparent sourcing of data will create credibility and sustainability for the data economy, ensuring that it is an industry that will thrive for years to come.
Turn-key revenue for suppliers
Data Streams provides a scaled, diverse, and active market for companies to monetize their data assets. Companies looking to monetize their first-party data can easily integrate their data into Data Streams with minimal effort and create a new revenue stream for their company.
What’s next?
This release is a major milestone for us at Narrative, but we’re just getting started.
In the coming months we will:
- Add additional data types to Data Streams
- Make it easier for sellers to create unique data offerings
- Release features that make it easier for consumers and companies to better understand the data and privacy landscape
- Much more