Zeotap launches Open CDP: a composable Customer Data Platform that runs on open-source compute in customers’ lakehouses

# What was announced Zeotap introduced Open CDP, a new deployment option for its composable Customer Data Platform (CDP). The platform runs entirely on open-source compute using Apache Spark and stores data in open Iceberg tables that live in the customer's own lakehouse.

# What this changes for customers Open CDP lets organizations run the full CDP stack inside their own data environment and jurisdiction. Instead of relying on Zeotap's proprietary warehouse or a managed proprietary layer under the CDP, the product operates directly on the customer's lakehouse using open formats and engines.

For organizations that must keep data in-country or under specific governance controls, this approach keeps compute and storage within their boundaries while still delivering a composable CDP.

# Technical elements called out

• Compute: Apache Spark as the open-source compute engine used by the offering.
• Storage/format: Apache Iceberg table format for open table storage inside the customer's lakehouse.
• Deployment model: Composable CDP that runs on the customer's own lakehouse rather than on a proprietary underlying warehouse.

# Why organizations would consider it Running the CDP on open-source compute and on an existing lakehouse can help teams that need to:

• Maintain jurisdictional control over customer data and processing,
• Avoid vendor lock-in tied to a proprietary warehouse layer,
• Integrate the CDP into existing lakehouse-based data architectures.

# Where this fits in the market The announcement positions Zeotap's Open CDP alongside broader industry moves toward open lakehouse architectures and governance across engines and catalogs. It responds to needs for portable governance and for CDP deployments that align with in-house data platforms rather than requiring a separate proprietary warehouse beneath the product.

# Practical implications for implementation Customers considering Open CDP should evaluate their existing lakehouse setup, including whether they already use Apache Spark and Iceberg-compatible catalogs. Integration work will center on ensuring the lakehouse can host the Iceberg tables and provide the compute resources in the customer's jurisdiction, plus any existing governance and access-control mechanisms the organization requires.

# Short summary Zeotap's Open CDP provides a way to run a composable CDP entirely on open technologies—Apache Spark and Iceberg—inside a customer-owned lakehouse, with an emphasis on keeping data and processing within the customer's jurisdiction and avoiding an embedded proprietary warehouse layer.