Information wants to be free, but providing the services to archive, mobilize and analyse data require tremendous effort.  The technical architecture of many of these services is hidden from the end users, and much of the research into user interactions and information management is published in disciplinary journals outside of typical ecology journals.  Given the importance of integrated data services for ecologists, this session provides two services: (1) We provide overviews of the technical, ethical, financial and community-building challenges in managing and mobilizing large volumes of heterogeneous data, and (2) provide the opportunity for engagement with the user community (you!) through a facilitated discussion at the end of the session to discuss the future of data services, specifically as they relate to ecologists.