Kai Waehner lays out the state of things:
Data streaming is a new software category. It has grown from niche adoption to becoming a fundamental part of modern data architecture, leveraging open source technologies like Apache Kafka and Flink. With real-time data processing transforming industries, the ecosystem of tools, platforms, and cloud services has evolved significantly. This blog post explores the data streaming landscape of 2025, analyzing key players, trends, and market dynamics shaping this space.
It’s always important to keep the writer’s bias in mind when reading these articles (and we all have biases, whether or not we admit to them). With that preparatory throat-clearing out of the way, Kai does an excellent job laying out the players, the criteria he uses for analysis, and the current state of the field.