Open data and data sharing present both opportunities and challenges for publishers according to this perspective from an open access publisher. Publishers are well-positioned to help maximize the impact of research by collecting, organizing and distributing knowledge, including data. However, issues remain around data citation, storage and linking data to publications. Solutions discussed include innovative article types for data publication, data awards to incentivize sharing, and guidance for sharing human subjects data while protecting privacy. Overall publishers aim to better serve science through transparency and addressing open data issues.