The global network of magnetic observatories represents a unique collective asset for the scientific community. Since observatory data record a wide range of physical phenomena, they are also used for a wide range of applications. Historically, magnetic observatories were established to support global magnetic-field mapping projects, but since the dawn of the space age and the International Geophysical Year, observatory data have become important for the analysis and monitoring of the ionosphere and magnetosphere. The diversification and expansion of the observatory-data user community has brought demands for data that meet new and more stringent standards. In cooperation with the many institutes that support magnetic observatories, Intermagnet has been helping to coordinate and facilitate observatory modernization and improved operation. Since its inception in 1987, Intermagnet has grown to include the collaboration of 56 institutes from 41 countries that support over 125 observatories. Intermagnet's original concentration was on the production of fully-calibrated and carefully-processed 1-minute resolution data. While this remains a high priority, real-time data dissemination and 1-second-resolution data have become important new focus areas. The future of geomagnetism is likely to involve more fully integrated treatments of global data sets, and with this will come new opportunities for the global community of magnetic observatories.