Business Analytics
Top Stories
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Feature
28 Jul 2026
How to get reliable BI insights from AI-augmented analytics
Before adopting AI-powered BI applications, organizations need stronger business context, trusted workflows and users prepared to assess AI outputs. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2026
Domo acquired for $400M, sells to Progress Software
Amid slow growth and a sliding stock price, the analytics provider is the latest specialist to join forces with a larger enterprise rather than remain independent. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Jul 2019
Tableau vs. Power BI vs. Qlik: Comparing BI software choices
Tableau, Power BI and Qlik Sense offer similar self-service BI functionality, consultant Rick Sherman says. But he points to some of their strengths and weaknesses. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jun 2019
Music data visualization comes to life in Tableau collection
With its new collection of visualizations about music, Tableau demonstrates how users are using its platform to understand the information behind the music. Continue Reading
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News
24 Jun 2019
Power BI update firms up Microsoft analytics market
With its latest update to Power BI, Microsoft showed its commitment to its business intelligence platform and maintained its position as an industry leader. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2019
MicroStrategy product development advances after Voice.com sale
Analytics and BI vendor MicroStrategy sells the Voice.com domain name and moves forward with product R&D in a competitive market that is consolidating quickly. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Jun 2019
Social media analytics best practices tempered by privacy laws
Social media provides a fertile landscape of information and insight into consumer behavior, but collecting and analyzing that data carries all sorts of privacy pitfalls. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2019
How the Salesforce acquisition will affect Tableau users
In the wake of Salesforce's acquisition of Tableau, it remains to be seen whether Tableau users will be pushed to the cloud and how Tableau's pace of innovation might be affected. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jun 2019
Google acquisition of Looker to boost Google Cloud analytics
By acquiring Looker, Google will enhance its analytics and BI capabilities available through Google Cloud, while becoming a formidable force in the enterprise-level BI space. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 May 2019
6 tips for effective customer data mining
Digging into customer data can improve sales opportunities -- but how do you balance that against data privacy concerns? Get insights from data professionals. Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2019
Latest Tableau BI software update upgrades map technology
Tableau Software has released Tableau 2019.2, an update to previous BI software. It includes upgrades to location data, new vector maps and other requested upgrades. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 May 2019
McDonald's orders up customer service analytics, shakes up fast food
The fast-food giant is acquiring Dynamic Yield, a big data analytics platform, in pursuit of a more personalized customer experience on drive-thru and digital orders. Continue Reading
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News
15 May 2019
Sisense acquisition of Periscope yields versatile BI platform
The Sisense merger with Periscope Data is expected to create a new, combined BI product that will cater to casual business users and advanced data scientists alike. Continue Reading
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News
15 May 2019
Qlik multi-cloud, Kubernetes options drive cloud-first vision
Qlik advances its plan to be a cloud- and SaaS-first analytics vendor with new multi-cloud and Kubernetes deployment options. But on prem still is a priority -- for now. Continue Reading
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News
15 May 2019
Qlik debuts free data literacy certification
Qlik unveiled a free data literacy certification in the hopes of making people -- both customers and non-customers -- more data literate. Continue Reading
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News
03 May 2019
SAS Viya cloud software at center of SAS analytics strategy
The spotlight at SAS Global Forum 2019 was on the vendor's Viya analytics tools, which are getting new functionality and licensing options meant to spur deployments. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 May 2019
Beyond customer sentiment: How to put NLP technology to work
Natural language processing tools and apps have finally arrived -- but how are organizations putting NLP to work? Here are some possibilities that might not be obvious. Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2019
SAS Platform update expands AI in Viya cloud analytics tools
A new version of the SAS analytics platform adds a variety of AI features to SAS Viya, the cloud-based software that SAS hopes will secure its place in the AI future. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Apr 2019
A future data scientist needs business, deep learning skills
As automation grows, data scientists will focus more on business needs, strategic oversight and deep learning and less on model creation and other routine tasks. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Apr 2019
Augmented BI tools speed insights with less manual labor
Through AI, machine learning and NLP, augmented analytics reduces the manual labor of traditional BI work to more quickly and accurately locate and analyze relevant data. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Apr 2019
Most in-demand data science skills include ML, Python
Experts detail the skills employers want most in data scientists -- notably machine learning and programming languages -- and why often the most valuable expertise comes with time. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Apr 2019
How to integrate Power BI and SharePoint via embedded reports
Expert Brien Posey explains two methods for including Power BI reports on pages in SharePoint Online's cloud service: publishing a link to a report, or embedding one. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Apr 2019
Data-rich organizations turn focus to ethical data mining
As data analytics has increasingly become a core component of organizations' strategies, concerns have arisen around how data is mined. Experts offer tips. Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2019
Cloud AutoML, BigQuery ML upgrades expand Google stake in ML
Google introduced a raft of updates to its cloud-based machine learning and AI products, including expanded capabilities for its AutoML and BigQuery ML tools. Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2019
Google's BigQuery ML needs big changes to compete
On the eve of Google Cloud Next '19, experts assess the impact of Google's BigQuery ML since its release and their hopes for the automated machine learning tool's future. Continue Reading
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News
04 Apr 2019
Equifax and FICO unite to move into alternative data market
With the Equifax-FICO alliance, the credit giants are offering a combined Data Decisions Cloud suite they hope can solidify their place in the alternative data market. Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2019
$1 billion SAS AI investment recharges vendor's mission
SAS' new AI initiative includes a $1 billion investment and partnership with AI chip vendor Nvidia. The goal is to bring advanced AI tech to end users. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Apr 2019
Qlik Research head talks Associative Engine, NLP and Data Swarm
Elif Tutuk, research head at Qlik, discusses projects her team is working on -- including a smarter Associative Engine, multi-attribute visualizations and NLP. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Mar 2019
Yellowfin Signals delivers automated insights to BI users
BI vendor Yellowfin's Signals tool automatically alerts users about changes in business data with an aim to broaden the use of analytics in organizations. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Mar 2019
Analytics an uneasy balance between data collection and privacy
In the age of GDPR and privacy regulations, attention must be paid to user privacy. Data management tools that employ AI as part of analytics can help achieve that. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Mar 2019
7 enterprise use cases for real-time streaming analytics
Organizations are tapping into real-time streaming analytics to respond quickly to customers and provide a range of services. Learn how some companies are utilizing such platforms. Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2019
Tableau-VoiceBase deal brings speech analytics data to users
Tableau's partnership with AI speech analytics vendor VoiceBase enables users both inside and outside of the contact center to easily derive insights from speech analytics data. Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2019
NYPD's Patternizr crime analysis tool raises AI bias concerns
The NYPD has rolled out Patternizr, a machine learning algorithm that helps analysts identify crime patterns but highlights the complexity around eliminating AI bias in real-world systems. Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2019
Users find data preparation tools vital to BI strategies
Data preparation isn't the sexiest topic, but it's critically important to IT and business users, according to a study by Dresner Advisory Services. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Mar 2019
Augmented analytics tools, NLP search, graph are trending
Augmented analytics, NLP and graph analytics are changing the data and analytics market, according to Gartner -- enabling users to more easily get at and share data. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Feb 2019
3 best practices for harnessing social media analytics data
How can organizations leverage social media analytics data? Analytics professionals offer tips, starting with picking metrics that track to your goals. Continue Reading
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News
22 Feb 2019
Attunity acquisition expands data management for Qlik users
Qlik's acquisition of Attunity is another sign of the BI vendor's data management ambitions -- and may help attract new users that want to unify big data and analytics. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Feb 2019
What to consider when choosing big data file formats
While JSON may be the go-to data format for developers, Parquet, ORC or other options may be better for analytics apps. Learn more about big data file formats. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Feb 2019
Avoid turbulence when shifting to data analytics in the cloud
When migrating BI and data analytics to the cloud, factor existing analytics processes, software evaluation, data protection and cost controls into a thoughtful plan of action. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Feb 2019
Information Builders CEO on cloud-first approach, machine learning
Information Builders' new CEO, Frank Vella, said the company's focus on cloud and machine learning will help it solidify a firm position in today's BI and analytics market. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Feb 2019
New Information Builders CEO targets modern CX, development
In Q&A, new CEO Frank Vella discusses how Information Builders is modernizing its WebFocus platform to make it easier to use and changing the vendor's internal culture. Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2019
Tableau Ask Data gives BI users simple NLP data query tool
Tableau's new Ask Data software uses natural language processing to enable users of any skill level to more easily search for data insights by typing text queries. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Feb 2019
Expert urges data pros to hone data science skills
IT expert William McKnight shares job tips for data professionals looking to prosper in a changing enterprise. His first piece of advice: continually foster data science skills. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Jan 2019
Demand for data scientists is booming and will only increase
Fueled by big data and AI, demand for data science skills is growing exponentially, according to job sites. The supply of skilled applicants, however, is growing at a slower pace. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Jan 2019
5 tips for migrating to BI in the cloud without overpaying
Moving BI and analytics to the cloud requires a strategy to avoid excessive costs. Get tips from experts and IT pros on what to watch out for and what to address. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Jan 2019
Better sentiment analysis can bolster customer data analytics
Customer data analytics are easy to gather in the social media era -- but they can be misleading if based on sentiment analysis culled from automated social media monitoring. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2019
Qlik's CrunchBot acquisition adds AI chatbot to analytics
Qlik's acquisition of CrunchBot, an AI chatbot, aims to help users of its BI software get data easier and underscores a growing enterprise trend: conversational analytics. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Jan 2019
IT managers look to deploy BI, analytics in the cloud
More organizations plan to use cloud-based BI and analytics and focus on data governance and predictive analytics, TechTarget's 2019 IT Priorities Survey found. Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Jan 2019
AI, graph databases among top BI and analytics trends
Leading trends in BI and analytics include machine learning, multi-cloud and graph databases. IT expert William McKnight details in a webinar how they'll affect enterprises. Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2019
MicroStrategy 2019 platform touts 'zero-click' analytics
MicroStrategy's latest BI platform supports a 'zero-click' analytics future with help from new voice and vision capabilities. The aim: quicker decisions and the democratization of data. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Jan 2019
Analytics trends we'll see in 2019
BI and analytics software looks to evolve further in 2019, as tools will keep getting easier to use and more AI-powered technologies will augment user experiences. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Dec 2018
How to make a self-service BI tools deployment less painful
Self-service BI can be a big change for everyone in an organization. Expert Rick Sherman offers three principles to keep in mind that could make things easier. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Dec 2018
Bolster citizen data scientists with support, training
As more citizen data scientists take on work traditionally tasked to business analysts, organizations must consider how to support them. Start with a centralized data team. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Dec 2018
4 ways natural language querying in BI tools can benefit users
Natural language queries help ease access to BI data and improve analytics insights. See how organizations are putting natural language querying techniques to work. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Dec 2018
5 tips for enabling citizen data scientists
Self-service analytics tools are enabling citizen data scientists to dig deeper into BI than ever before. Experts offer insights into how to empower data democratization. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Dec 2018
How the rise of augmented analytics tools affects BI vendors
BI vendors are responding to interest in augmented analytics capabilities with simplified interfaces and features that allow for access to deeper insights. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Dec 2018
Why data literacy skills still matter with augmented analytics
Democratizing data analytics gives everyone access to tools and information, but data literacy is still required for analyzing data and delivering successful outcomes. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Dec 2018
The benefits and challenges of augmented data discovery tools
Augmented data discovery tools enable users to gain faster insights into data, via automated data prep and pattern discovery, but they aren't without their challenges. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Dec 2018
Tips for creating curated data sets for self-service BI users
Data curation initiatives can help streamline BI processes by reducing the amount of time users spend locating and preparing data. Get four tips for preparing data sets. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Nov 2018
What the Tableau Hyper engine does and how it was developed
Tableau's Hyper data engine boosts processing speeds in its BI and data visualization software. The lead engineers offer insight on what went into making Hyper work. Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2018
Deep learning in big data analytics with Sisense Hunch
Sisense Hunch, a new Sisense BI tool, enables big data analytics for IoT devices by using deep learning to automatically extract insights from big data. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Nov 2018
How Morgan Stanley scaled up Tableau self-service analytics
Morgan Stanley wanted to empower users to make data-driven decisions. A Tableau analytics platform was the answer. The problem: introducing it to 30,000 users. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Nov 2018
Data silos can live or die by a self-service BI strategy
Self-service BI is a driving force behind the reshaping or possible demise of data silos. But sound data governance and corporate attitude adjustments are needed first. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Nov 2018
Rules change for self-service BI subscription pricing models
As self-service BI tools become commonplace, look for subscription pricing models to change according to the cloud, group data usage pricing and how data is shared. Continue Reading
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Answer
26 Nov 2018
What data management challenges do analytics programs face?
Expert Anne Marie Smith shares five reasons why organizations' analytics programs might fail and how a data management framework and other programs can help. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Nov 2018
10 dos and don'ts for deploying self-service BI tools
Self-service BI doesn't just happen. Organizations must ensure data quality and watch how analysts work. Experts offer 10 tips for enabling a self-service culture. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Nov 2018
10 features to look for in visualization tools for big data
Big data is meaningless if it isn't understandable. Experts explain why users need data visualization tools that offer embeddability, actionability and more. Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2018
ThoughtSpot SearchIQ enables voice analytics
Part of the ThoughtSpot 5 update, which adds a number of upgrades to the BI platform, SearchIQ allows users to take advantage of conversational analytics. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Nov 2018
At Logi Analytics and Tableau, beta feedback drives creation
Constructive commentary from software beta testing can help work out bugs and bring about new ideas, which BI vendors Logi Analytics and Tableau can attest to. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Nov 2018
6 big data visualization project ideas and tools
These data visualization project examples and tools illustrate how enterprises are expanding the use of "data viz" tools to get a better look at big data. Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2018
Data literacy training offerings key to BI vendors
Tableau announced a basic certification training exam, adding to its roster of online data literacy courses. Self-service BI rival Qlik also has a big focus on data literacy. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Oct 2018
10 tips for implementing visualization for big data projects
Organizations need to keep users and design at the forefront when launching data visualization efforts, according to experts. Find out why colors and sizing matter. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Oct 2018
Choosing the best visualization tools for big data analytics
Data-driven enterprises use visualization tools to tell the stories hidden in big data -- stories which help users turn information into profit. Here's how to choose the right tool. Continue Reading
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News
24 Oct 2018
Tableau extensions get more dev tools for integrations
With the Tableau Developer Program, developers will be able to use a Tableau Online development sandbox and sample codes, among other free resources. Continue Reading
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News
24 Oct 2018
Tableau new features include NLP, AI, machine learning
Tableau unveiled AI and NLP tools intended to improve users' experience with its BI platform by adding smart capabilities to Tableau 2019, now out in a public beta. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Oct 2018
3 ways to make machine learning in business more effective
Dun & Bradstreet analytics exec Nipa Basu offers three tips on how to integrate machine learning tools into business processes to help drive better decision-making. Continue Reading
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News
17 Oct 2018
Nationwide sees ups, downs with self-service Tableau tools
Tableau provides users at insurer Nationwide with a versatile, self-service analytics platform. But the IT team faces some challenges with the self-service software. Continue Reading
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News
12 Oct 2018
Looker 6 update adds analytics applications to BI tool
With Looker 6, users of the BI platform can now access packaged applications that are designed for uses such as web analytics and digital marketing analytics. Continue Reading
- 01 Oct 2018
- 01 Oct 2018
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Opinion
01 Oct 2018
What-if business planning simulation at its predictive best
Simulating timely and accurate business scenarios can be an essential competitive weapon for predicting the performance, pitfalls and benefits of strategic initiatives. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Oct 2018
Data science teams use business ties to boost data knowledge
To ensure that advanced analytics applications are relevant to business operations, data scientists are collaborating with workers who are experts on business data. Continue Reading
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Infographic
01 Oct 2018
Automated predictive analytics tools spawn wannabe scientists
They don't own the same depth of data science skills, but automated predictive analytics tools hatch a new breed of 'data scientists' who can produce actionable predictive models. Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2018
IBM pushes automation, NLP in Cognos Analytics 11.1 update
Cognos Analytics' new features include an AI assistant that responds in natural language, predictive analytics capabilities and tools for better data storytelling. Continue Reading
- 01 Oct 2018
- 01 Oct 2018
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Feature
01 Oct 2018
Augmented analytics, automated tools facilitate data analysis
From Tableau to Google, vendors increasingly incorporate augmented and automated analytics tools into their software to speed analytics work and open it up to more users. Continue Reading
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Opinion
01 Oct 2018
Augmented analytics reveals the hidden side of things
The rise of augmented analytics empowers businesses to find correlations in data that might very well be the critical difference in operational efficiency and cost savings. Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2018
Tibco analytics capabilities get upgrade in Spotfire X
New Tibco AI and natural language processing functions in the soon-to-be-released Spotfire X look to create a simpler and faster experience for self-service BI users. Continue Reading
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News
12 Sep 2018
Using visualizations and analytics in media content
By using the best mass media BI practices, from data visualization to measuring metrics, companies like Condé Nast and Comcast are attracting consumers and raising revenues. Continue Reading
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News
30 Aug 2018
Alteryx 2018.3 gives users new data visualization options
The latest version of Alteryx's data preparation and analytics software adds new visualization capabilities -- something that beta user Voxx Analytics says was needed. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Aug 2018
Options arise for expanding data scientists' skills
Data science programs aren't just for universities anymore. Now, data scientists can turn to massive open online courses, online texts and other resources to boost their skill sets. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Aug 2018
Qlik Sense and predictive analytics in education flag troubled students
Using academic analytics and Qlik Sense, administrators at Virginia's Loudoun County public school district are looking to identify and help at-risk students faster and more accurately. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 Aug 2018
Reddit and the aspiring data scientist
For amateur data scientists, Reddit provides the opportunity to post about personal projects, chat with like-minded people and get free advice from a large community. Continue Reading
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Podcast
08 Aug 2018
Talking Data: AI advances and the MIT Startup Exchange
The Talking Data podcast team discusses some of the MIT startups that are making advances in AI and natural language processing. Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2018
Tableau BI gets Extensions API in version 2018.2 update
Tableau's BI software sees general release of a 2018.2 update with an API for dashboard extensions, while a 2018.3 beta adds more new analytics capabilities. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jul 2018
BigQuery ML moves machine learning into Google BigQuery
Google is enabling BigQuery users to build SQL-based machine learning models inside the cloud data warehouse via a BigQuery ML technology now out in beta. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2018
Qlik-Podium acquisition aims to boost BI data management
With its acquisition of Podium Data, Qlik seeks to amplify its enterprise BI data management capabilities and raise the level of competition with Tableau and Power BI. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2018
Data analytics in government efforts lack structure
Data analytics in government agencies lack organization, focusing on immediate problems instead of attacking underlying causes without a unified strategy or system. Continue Reading
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Answer
19 Jul 2018
How do augmented analytics and BI tools differ?
See how augmented analytics compares to traditional BI and self-service analytics tools and what this new generation of AI-powered data analysis platforms can deliver. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Jul 2018
Rising demand for business analytics education programs
Colleges and universities are increasingly offering business analytics degrees. The graduates can help build IT and business capabilities of small and medium-sized organizations. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Jul 2018
Heat map view sets table for food warehouse optimization
Inspired by the vivid views of stadium heat maps, a Midwest food distributor worked with Information Builders to gain a better view of its supply chain workings. The result was a novel warehouse optimization system. Continue Reading
