I have written a number of papers on the need for an open platform that enables the exchange of metadata between tools. (For example, see this blog post).
The original plan was to develop this platform inside the Apache Atlas open source project. However we were only a few months into the implementation when it became obvious that this was big enough to become its own open source project. So we started the Egeria project under the ODPi foundation. The ODPi is part of the Linux Foundation and provides a home for projects related to data intensice processing. Its initial focus was on standards around Apache Hadoop platforms. However, as the number of Hadoop vendors dimished, the ODPi turned its focus to other topics and Egeria was one of them.
The Egeria project has evolved rapidly. It now has a healthy community who have built a comprehensive developer platform for metadata integration and are in the process of creating a catalog of pre-built connectors for different types of third party technology.
Follow this link to learn more.
Photo: harbor decorations, Horta, Faial Island, Azores
Design Patterns for Information 