OpenTelemetry is emerging as a unified standard for observability signals, seeking to combine the strengths of previous initiatives like OpenTracing and OpenCensus to create a comprehensive framework for distributed tracing. The discussion at OpenObservability, featuring representatives from projects like Zipkin, Jaeger, and Skywalking, highlighted the challenges and opportunities in standardizing tracing practices within the industry. OpenTelemetry aims to standardize data formats and instrumentation, offering a vendor-neutral API and a standard SDK, which could simplify the integration of distributed tracing tools. This effort is seen as a significant step forward, although it also presents challenges in balancing existing approaches and accommodating diverse technologies. The ongoing development includes creating agents and collectors that adhere to the new standards, facilitating easier adoption and more sophisticated telemetry practices. Despite the complexities involved, the consensus is that OpenTelemetry has the potential to reshape the observability landscape by providing a standardized approach that supports both legacy and modern systems.