InfoSum launches Beacons for cross-cloud data collaboration

InfoSum announced Beacons on November 12, 2025, introducing infrastructure for cross-cloud data collaboration that addresses the industry's transition from identity-based marketing to AI-led growth strategies. The WPP-owned data collaboration platform deployed the technology to operate directly within customer cloud environments across Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

Disney will serve as among the first organizations to implement Beacons, according to the announcement. The technology advances InfoSum's approach to data collaboration without requiring data movement between parties. The system uses vector-based matching to generate insights while maintaining data in its original environment.

"The market has been asking for true interoperable data collaboration without movement, and Beacons deliver exactly that," stated Lauren Wetzel, CEO at InfoSum. "Unlike existing solutions that force data sharing and compromise control, security, and privacy, Beacons represent a fundamental shift."

The announcement follows WPP's acquisition of InfoSum on April 3, 2025, positioning the holding company to expand data collaboration capabilities across its client base. That acquisition marked a significant development in marketing technology infrastructure as agencies evolved from media buyers into orchestrators of complex data networks.

Technical architecture addresses platform fragmentation

Beacons deploy directly into data owners' cloud environments, eliminating the requirement for data copying or centralization. The system integrates with major cloud platforms through APIs, enabling teams to collaborate on data in multiple formats from various locations. This deployment model addresses what InfoSum characterizes as one of the industry's primary barriers: platform fragmentation.

Built on AWS Nitro Enclaves, the technology delivers what Joe Carroll, UK Head of Telco, Media, Entertainment, Games and Sports at AWS, described as "greater interoperability, scale, and security." The Nitro Enclaves framework provides isolated computing environments within AWS infrastructure.

The system supports vector databases, enabling collaboration on expanded data formats including images, videos, audio, and free text. This capability extends beyond traditional identifier-based matching to enable behavioral and contextual analysis. Vector-based matching generates what InfoSum characterizes as richer insights and higher match rates compared to identity-focused approaches.

Teams receive continuous real-time insights rather than batch reports. The platform scales across multiple parties without performance degradation, according to the technical specifications.

Industry context and privacy-first approach

Data collaboration platforms emerged as the advertising industry confronted privacy regulations and identifier deprecation. Nielsen Marketing Cloud data became available on InfoSum's platform on August 20, 2025, extending access to trusted audience datasets across United States, United Kingdom, and Canada markets through secure collaboration frameworks.

InfoSum partnered with Choreograph in August 2024 to enhance campaign planning for GroupM clients through data clean room technology. That collaboration addressed challenges as media owners and brands sought to leverage first-party data while navigating privacy concerns and regulatory requirements.

The Federal Trade Commission issued guidance on November 13, 2024, warning that data clean rooms present complicated privacy implications despite marketing claims. The regulatory body emphasized that default clean room configurations typically lack privacy-preserving characteristics without appropriate constraints.

Beacons ensure personal data remains in its original environment, according to InfoSum materials. The privacy-first architecture maintains data security through separate dataset management while enabling analysis and insight generation.

WPP integration and client access

Brian Lesser, CEO at WPP Media, stated that "Beacons will make it easier than ever for marketers to fully benefit from AI-led data solutions." The integration into WPP Open enables clients to train custom intelligence models in secure environments while maintaining control over data assets.

WPP's Open ecosystem serves as the infrastructure foundation for data collaboration across the holding company's cloud environments, client relationships, and capabilities. InfoSum functions as the foundational technology underpinning this ecosystem.

Dana McGraw, SVP of Data and Measurement Science at Disney, described the continued collaboration with InfoSum and WPP as demonstrating "how effective and invaluable proprietary technology is." McGraw stated that "for more than a decade, data has informed Disney Advertising's innovation strategy on behalf of brands and marketers – driving smarter decisions, deeper insights, and more meaningful connections for clients."

Disney launched its Compass platform on January 6, 2025, consolidating first-party data access and measurement tools across its entertainment properties. The platform integrated Disney's Audience Graph and Clean Room capabilities into a centralized interface for advertisers.

Disney's advertising infrastructure expanded throughout 2025, including programmatic advertising capabilities across streaming platforms and integration with multiple demand-side platforms. Disney inventory became available on Amazon DSP on June 17, 2025, creating connections between content ecosystems and commerce data.

AI-ready capabilities and market positioning

Doruk Aytulu, Director of ISV GTM and Marketplace for EMEA at Google Cloud, characterized Beacons as "a leap forward in secure, cross-cloud data collaboration." The system enables organizations to derive AI-ready insights directly within Google Cloud environments without data movement.

The technology addresses requirements as organizations transition to AI-led growth strategies. Marketing teams increasingly require solutions enabling connection of intelligence directly into media environments. Vector-based approaches adapt in real time as behavioral patterns shift without exposing underlying data.

Amazon launched AI agents for Marketing Cloud analytics queries, translating business questions into executable database queries through conversational prompts. LG Ad Solutions introduced Agentiv on October 30, 2025, operating more than 20 intelligent agents for media planning and data collaboration workflows.

The proliferation of AI-powered advertising tools reflects broader industry trends documented by McKinsey in July 2025 research. Agentic AI systems capable of autonomous planning and execution attracted $1.1 billion in equity investment during 2024, with job postings increasing 985 percent from 2023 to 2024.

Measurement and privacy technology developments

Privacy-enhancing technologies gained traction as traditional tracking methods faced regulatory scrutiny. Adobe launched Real-Time CDP Collaboration on February 20, 2025, enabling advertisers and publishers to work with first-party data through secure collaboration environments.

IAB Tech Lab released PAIR protocol version 1.1 on July 16, 2025, clarifying technical definitions and introducing encoding requirements for cryptographic matching between advertisers and publishers. The protocol enables secure first-party data matching without third-party cookies.

VideoAmp expanded its AWS partnership on July 9, 2025, delivering privacy-enhanced measurement solutions through AWS Clean Rooms. The integration enabled cross-platform reach analysis, campaign attribution, and custom analytics within controlled environments.

Data quality emerged as a critical concern. Research published in September 2025 revealed 45% of marketing data used for business decisions contained accuracy problems, with poor data quality costing organizations an average of $12.9 million annually through misleading insights and wasted resources.

Regulatory landscape and implementation considerations

The European Commission proposed GDPR amendments in November 2025 that would reshape personal data protection by narrowing sensitive data definitions and expanding AI training exemptions. The Digital Omnibus initiative addressed industry pressure regarding AI development costs and perceived regulatory friction.

Privacy-enhancing technologies require careful implementation beyond marketing claims. Organizations must establish appropriate constraints limiting data analysis and controlling exportable information. These constraints must be designed, implemented, and monitored to effectively limit data usage and disclosure.

InfoSum's patented cross-cloud decentralized technology leverages Privacy-Enhancing Technologies to transform how companies generate insights from collaborative data analysis. The platform functions as infrastructure for trusted data collaboration across cloud environments, client relationships, and capabilities.

The company positions itself as building the most secure, connected, and accessible data collaboration network. As foundational infrastructure for WPP's Open ecosystem, InfoSum powers trusted data collaboration across advertising technology platforms and client environments.

Beacons become available to InfoSum clients operating across supported cloud platforms. The technology deployment reflects industry movement toward sophisticated data collaboration frameworks balancing utility with privacy protection as regulatory requirements expand and traditional identifiers decline.

Timeline

• August 29, 2024: InfoSum and Choreograph collaborate to enhance data-driven advertising through secure data collaboration techniques
• November 13, 2024: FTC warns data clean rooms not a privacy silver bullet despite growing industry use
• February 20, 2025: Adobe launches data collaboration tool for privacy-first advertising with Real-Time CDP Collaboration
• April 3, 2025: WPP acquires InfoSum to strengthen AI-driven data capabilities
• June 17, 2025: Disney inventory becomes available on Amazon DSP through DRAX integration
• July 9, 2025: VideoAmp expands AWS partnership for privacy-enhanced measurement
• July 16, 2025: IAB Tech Lab releases PAIR 1.1 protocol to simplify encrypted data matching
• August 20, 2025: Nielsen Marketing Cloud data becomes available on InfoSum platform
• September 4, 2025: Marketing data quality crisis reveals 45% of business decisions based on unreliable information
• October 30, 2025: LG Ad Solutions introduces AI platform for CTV advertising operations
• November 12, 2025: InfoSum announces Beacons for cross-cloud data collaboration

Summary

Who: InfoSum, a WPP company and data collaboration platform, announced Beacons with Disney among the first brand partners to leverage the technology. Key executives include Lauren Wetzel (CEO at InfoSum), Brian Lesser (CEO at WPP Media), Dana McGraw (SVP of Data and Measurement Science at Disney), Joe Carroll (UK Head at AWS), and Doruk Aytulu (Director at Google Cloud).

What: Beacons represent infrastructure for AI-ready cross-cloud data collaboration, deploying directly into customer environments across AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. The technology uses vector-based matching to enable insights beyond identity-focused approaches, supporting expanded data formats including images, videos, audio, and free text while maintaining data in original environments.

When: The announcement occurred on November 12, 2025, following WPP's acquisition of InfoSum on April 3, 2025. The development represents the culmination of InfoSum's evolution as WPP's privacy-first data collaboration technology.

Where: Beacons operate across major cloud platforms including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, deploying within customer cloud environments rather than requiring centralized data repositories. The technology serves global organizations requiring secure data collaboration across fragmented platform ecosystems.

Why: The technology addresses the advertising industry's transition from identity-based marketing to AI-led growth strategies as privacy regulations expand and traditional identifiers decline. Organizations require solutions enabling intelligence connection directly into media environments while maintaining strict privacy protections. Platform fragmentation created barriers to effective data collaboration, with existing solutions often requiring data movement that introduces security risks and governance challenges.