Eighty-one percent of major enterprise leaders across EMEA, North America, and APJ told us in late February that they are focusing their data AI strategies around an open-source mandate. That alone may not surprise you. But the speed at which this transformation is unfolding might.

When asked how much time they expect for the integration of AI and data on an open-source and sovereign platform, 78% said less than three years. The future is arriving fast — and the question isn’t whether it will happen, but whether your current platform and partnerships are truly equipped to flourish in this new world. 

Can your open-source platform thrive in the new reality?

This North Star has deep repercussions for legacy, mission-critical workloads, particularly those built for massive parallel processing. Today, 67% of enterprise leaders are already infusing AI into these workloads. Data must now escape siloed architectures and evolve into intelligent, real-time ecosystems. 

But this shift introduces a paradox. Many organizations believe they’re advancing toward this future — but without a committed, open-source foundation, they risk mistaking movement for real momentum. The illusion of progress is dangerous: It leaves legacy platforms stranded, disconnected from the skills, tools, and economics of the new AI-powered world.  

Before you move forward, ask yourself three critical questions:

1. Does your open-source partner have true leadership and long-term commitment to your chosen open-source environment?

Open-source is only as powerful as the collective community behind it. Your partner must be a consistent, visible leader in the ecosystem — not just a consumer of community value, but a contributor to it.

2. Is there a clear roadmap for extending the value of your legacy environment in an open-source world? 

Forty-seven percent of successful organizations we surveyed are aiming to become full AI and data platforms. That journey demands a clear roadmap — not vague aspirations, but deliberate, open-source–based transformation, especially for complex, high-scale workloads.

3. Can you avoid vendor lock-in as this new era unfolds?

Vendor-agnostic support isn’t optional; it’s a matter of survival. In a world of rapid change, a closed-source pivot can trap your organization. Just imagine needing to “fork back” into open-source because your partner abandoned the project. 

EDB is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation 

You need a partner who’s not only fluent in open-source but committed to its progress, long-term vitality, and strategic future. As your data estate evolves into a powerful AI-driven platform, that foundation must be built on trust, transparency, and technical leadership.

EnterpriseDB (EDB) is that partner. As the leading contributor to Postgres®, EDB proves its commitment to both the technology and the community, driving nearly 40% of key contributions across PostgreSQL and its broader ecosystem, compared to top commercial vendors. Our engineering investments ensure that Postgres keeps evolving to meet the demands of intelligent, high-scale workloads.

That level of contribution isn’t just technical — it’s directional. It means EDB is shaping the future of Postgres itself, ensuring that it remains the strongest foundation for AI and data workloads.

EDB Postgres® AI is the only open-source platform built specifically to support sovereign AI and data strategies. It is designed for intelligent applications that demand performance, flexibility, and control.

You might be in one of these once-open-source, now-proprietary parking lots

Imagine sitting in a parking lot while others speed past in vehicles powered by the latest open-source AI innovations. That’s the risk when your original platform — once open but now effectively stalled — can no longer keep up. Without the fuel of a vibrant community and a partner committed to continuous innovation, you’re stuck watching the future unfold without you. 

The decision is no longer optional: Stay parked on a dead-end path, or move to a partner who guarantees long-term global stability; leads with engineering contributions; and is actively building toward the future with AI, ML, and vector search capabilities as part of the open-source stack. 

In a world where open-source is accelerating faster than ever, your North Star must begin in the code, align to your modernization roadmap, and be backed by a partner who’s all in on your success. With EDB, that future isn’t just possible — it’s already underway. To find out how we can help companies escape this dilemma, read more. 

About the Author

Jozef de Vries is the Chief Product Engineering Officer at EDB, where he spearheads innovation and product development across EDB’s hybrid portfolio, helping enterprises unlock the power of PostgreSQL for modern data challenges. A visionary in database technologies, de Vries joined EDB in 2020 bringing nearly 15 years of leadership experience from IBM, where he built and scaled the IBM Cloud Database development organization through a strategic combination of organic growth, mergers, and acquisitions.

With a passion for driving transformational change through open-source technology, de Vries is committed to helping businesses navigate the complex intersection of AI, data, and infrastructure to achieve long-term success.