The role of the virtual observatory in observatory operations

The International Virtual Observatory Alliance plays a pivotal role in making astronomy data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). Virtual Observatory standards are now mature and underpin data discovery, usage and interoperability from most major observatories around the world, including those managed by NASA, ESA, ESO and many others. New facilities such as Vera Rubin Observatory and SKAO are currently being built with these standards fully integrated, and they are central to their future operations. The VO is an enabling excellence through interoperability among both the service implementations and in the data exchange layer, and continues to demonstrate success year after year. In this talk I will give an overview of the importance of the VO to the modern observatory, highlighting its successes and discussing some of its upcoming challenges.