Elastic VP Chris Townsend on improving government data agility and usability

Chris Townsend, Vice President of Sales, Public Sector, at Elastic, discussed the benefits of a data-mesh approach, emphasizing its role in improving data agility, governance, and usability by interrogating data where it resides. He highlighted the OpenTelemetry Project’s efforts to standardize data sharing and cited the Department of Homeland Security’s Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program as a practical use case. Townsend also explored the potential of generative AI in closing skills gaps in government agencies, citing examples like the VA’s PACT Act and internal security platform enhancements, which leverage large language models to streamline processes and improve efficiency.