OpenTelemetry (OTel) is transforming observability by breaking away from proprietary systems that limit flexibility and control over telemetry data. By using community-standard instrumentation and the OTel Collector, organizations can freely manage their metrics, logs, and traces, facilitating seamless integration with various tools without being locked into a single vendor. This shift allows for the implementation of SODA (Send Observability Data Anywhere), which enables deliberate data routing to the most suitable tools, enhancing cost efficiency, flexibility, and innovation in observability platforms. OTel supports a pluggable architecture, allowing organizations to adapt their data transport as needs evolve and store historical data in open formats for long-term access and analysis. This approach not only reduces costs but also enables leveraging telemetry data for broader business insights, bridging the gap between observability and internal analytics. While the flexibility offered by OTel and SODA increases opportunities for innovation and efficiency, it also requires careful management to avoid fragmented data silos that can complicate incident response and analysis.