The 2021 cloud data platform survey reveals that most IT professionals see high potential in data lakes, with 69% of respondents stating that their organizations have implemented a data lake. However, many struggle with implementing and utilizing data lakes, citing challenges such as end-user consumption and visualization tools not being directly connected to the data lake, and wasting time preparing data rather than analyzing it. To overcome these challenges, organizations are investing in technology, with 59% selecting "technology" as their top investment choice. The survey also highlights the importance of log data retention, with 87% of respondents agreeing that they're using all data at their disposal, but retaining less log data than those who disagreed. Furthermore, data security is a concern, with organizations experiencing breaches more frequently when retaining less log data. Ultimately, the survey emphasizes the need for easy, cost-effective, and reliable ways to access and analyze all available data to succeed in 2022.