Master data management (MDM) is critical to achieving effective information governance, according to Gartner, Inc. Failure to manage information accurately has been the root cause of several incidents, including the leak of sensitive information to WikiLeaks, and can be fatal to the success of MDM programmes. "The recent global financial crisis has put information governance in the spotlight," said Ted Friedman, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. "Information governance is a priority of IT and business leaders as a result of various pressures, including regulatory compliance mandates and the urgent need for improved decision-making." MDM is a technology-enabled business discipline in which business and IT organisations work together to ensure the uniformity, accuracy, stewardship, semantic consistency and accountability of the organisation's official, shared master data assets.