Business intelligence software
Top Stories
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News
15 Feb 2022
Databricks launches new lakehouse for financial services
The cloud data vendor's new set of capabilities for financial services customers is its second industry-specific lakehouse after it launched one for retail users in January. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Feb 2022
Crate & Barrel modernizes with MicroStrategy BI platform
The home decor chain added governance capabilities and sped time-to-insight by adopting the longtime analytics vendor's platform after 14 years using a legacy system. Continue Reading
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News
24 Sep 2019
TigerGraph Cloud releases graph database as a service
TigerGraph, a graph database vendor, now offers a native cloud database-as-a-service product with its newest release. Continue Reading
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News
19 Sep 2019
Qlik exec discusses AI and its role in the future of BI
The next major trend in business intelligence will be the increasing impact of augmented intelligence and machine learning, Qlik's VP of product marketing Dan Potter says in a Q&A. Continue Reading
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News
19 Sep 2019
SAP BI platform stays strong due to cloud-based architecture
A cloud-native BI platform along with domain-specific applications that can be embedded to serve the needs of various industries keep SAP current and positioned well for the future. Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2019
Tableau 2019.3 highlighted by enhanced AI, new data catalog
Tableau released its third-quarter update Wednesday, featuring Explain Data, an enhanced augmented intelligence tool, and Tableau Catalog, a data management suite. Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2019
Oracle BI platform on the comeback trail
Time had seemingly left Oracle's business intelligence tools behind -- until the vendor responded by consolidating its BI products and catching up to the pace of innovation. Continue Reading
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News
12 Sep 2019
BI for mobile remains a challenge for vendors
While some BI vendors have developed effective mobile apps that provide concise insights, those that have attempted to recreate their desktop dashboards on phones have struggled. Continue Reading
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News
11 Sep 2019
Magento BI update a benefit to vendor's e-commerce customers
Magento rolled out the Magento Business Intelligence Summer 2019 Release, updating its BI platform with enhanced scheduling capabilities and new data visualizations. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Sep 2019
Flowhub provides cannabis industry with tailored BI platform
With marijuana now legal in some form in more than 30 states, Flowhub is selling business intelligence software to an industry still in its early stages. Continue Reading
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News
05 Sep 2019
Yellowfin analytics platform gets upgraded mobile app
Yellowfin upgraded its business intelligence platform with a revamp of its mobile app that will enable users to have more complete functionality while away from their desktops. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Aug 2019
Domain-specific BI vendors gain foothold with expertise
While leading BI vendors target large audiences with their analytics tools, many other companies target a single specialized industry and use their expertise to best serve users. Continue Reading
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News
29 Aug 2019
Tibco analytics platform keeps pace through innovation
Tibco has remained one of the more active business intelligence vendors while some of its competitors have lost some momentum. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Aug 2019
Tableau vs. Qlik Sense: Pros and cons of the BI tools
Products from the two top data visualization vendors are starting to resemble each other as the need for strong visualizations and scalability in self-service BI has crystalized. Continue Reading
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News
28 Aug 2019
ThoughtSpot BI platform gets financial boost, IPO may be near
With its latest round of venture capital funding, ThoughtSpot is planning to invest heavily in product improvement while also pondering a potential initial public offering. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Aug 2019
Phocas BI tool proves its value for manufacturers, wholesalers
With its focus on the manufacturing and wholesale distribution industries, Phocas Software has carved out a niche for itself among other BI software vendors. Continue Reading
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News
16 Aug 2019
The Salesforce acquisition of Tableau complements Einstein Analytics
Given the different strengths of Salesforce's Einstein Analytics platform and Tableau, the BI tools could prove complementary now that Tableau is part of Salesforce. Continue Reading
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News
13 Aug 2019
Reveal moves Infragistics BI platform into embedded analytics
With the release of Reveal, an embedded business intelligence platform, longtime software vendor Infragistics is expanding its presence in the analytics space. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Aug 2019
What's behind the Domo machine learning tool Did You Know
Domo's Did You Know feature uses machine learning algorithms to automatically pull analytics information out of data sets for business users. Here's how it works. Continue Reading
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News
09 Aug 2019
Deal boosts MicroStrategy platform's foray into government
Through its new deal with ImmixGroup, a distributor of enterprise software to the public sector, MicroStrategy aims to increase sales of its BI platform to government agencies. Continue Reading
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News
07 Aug 2019
Splunk Business Flow evidences company's heightened focus on BI
Long known as a data security and IT monitoring vendor, Splunk is honing its data analytics tools and making the foray into business intelligence. Continue Reading
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Infographic
02 Aug 2019
Merger and acquisition activity is altering the BI landscape
From Qlik's acquisition of Podium Data in July 2018 through Salesforce's purchase of Tableau Software in June 2019, the last year in BI has been characterized by a wave of consolidation. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2019
Looker's acquisition by Google seen in a good light for users
Overshadowed at the time by Salesforce's acquisition of Tableau, a few months later, Google's acquisition of Looker is still seen as a major positive for Looker's users. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2019
Updated AtScale platform streamlines analysis of big data
By improving the machine learning and augmented intelligence capabilities of its platform, AtScale's newest release attempts to speed up data querying. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2019
IBM battling to change perception of Cognos Analytics BI platform
While some see IBM's BI suite as being too complicated and expensive for citizen data scientists, the company is adding updates to try and attract the modern user. Continue Reading
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News
03 Jul 2019
Snowflake product VP expounds on data warehouse for the cloud
In this Q&A, Christian Kleinerman, vice president of product development at cloud data warehouse vendor Snowflake, talks about the fast-moving company's plans for the next year. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2019
Independent vendors Qlik, MicroStrategy upgrade BI platforms
Independent business intelligence and analytics vendors Qlik and MicroStrategy update their platforms in a move to stay ahead of their competition. 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
25 Jun 2019
Oracle Analytics Cloud update unifies BI products, pricing
Oracle Analytics Cloud now offers a consistent UI and all-in-one pricing for Oracle's analytics tools. But an on-premises BI update is also on the way for cloud holdouts. 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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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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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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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
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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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
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
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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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
Southern Water’s centralised data team geared for silo busting
Southern Water has centralised its data specialists and overhauled its data management and business intelligence technology to support business decision-making at scale 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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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
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
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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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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Tip
15 Nov 2018
The Power BI-PowerShell cmdlet cheat sheet
DBAs can manage Power BI data sets, workspaces and reports with PowerShell. Using the two tools together makes for a more efficient and effective workflow. 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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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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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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Feature
17 Oct 2018
Experts laud SAP Analytics Cloud but question market position
The platform may be solid for predictive analytics, financial planning and other tasks of business analysts. But why use it instead of SAP BusinessObjects or a third-party BI tool? 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
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Feature
12 Oct 2018
SAP S/4HANA real-time analytics best for tactical decisions
Experts say the built-in tool is fine for operational decisions when running S/4HANA business processes, but not for sophisticated strategic planning and predictive analytics. 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
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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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Definition
13 Sep 2018
JDA Software
JDA Software is a software and consultancy company that specializes in selling supply chain management products and services to businesses. 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
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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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
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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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
29 Jun 2018
A look at the leading data discovery software and vendors
Explore the data discovery software market, including the products and vendors helping enterprises glean insights using data visualization and self-service BI. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Jun 2018
GPU implementation is about more than deep learning
Simulmedia is using GPU technology to power reporting tools, while eyeing future deep learning applications, helping to justify the cost of the hardware while building experience. Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2018
The future of BI is bright, as experts note evolving trends
Fast-evolving tech trends like machine learning and cloud storage management will have big roles in BI in the coming years, especially with the dominance of cloud computing, experts say. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Jun 2018
Data-driven strategy grooms dog care franchise for growth
Camp Bow Wow is growing its day care and boarding business for dogs with the help of a data-driven approach that's powered by a hybrid POS and Tableau system. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jun 2018
Tableau acquisition of MIT AI startup aims at smarter BI software
Tableau acquires AI startup Empirical Systems in a plan to provide users with automated data modeling capabilities and enable broader BI and analytics applications. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Jun 2018
Choosing the right data discovery platform for the enterprise
Obviously, cost and scalability factor into data discovery platform buying decisions, but other features, like visualizations and data support, should carry significant weight. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2018
BI vendors aim to ease visual data analysis by business users
Despite the self-service BI push, enabling end users to take the lead on analyzing and visualizing data is often still a challenge -- one that vendors continue to address. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 May 2018
Understanding data discovery tools in the enterprise
Data discovery tools, aided by the data discovery process, visualize and contextualize data for business users. They are essential for informed business decision-making. Continue Reading
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News
03 May 2018
Qlik readies new Qlik Sense features for cloud, AI, big data
Self-service BI vendor Qlik is beginning to add a promised set of advanced functionality to its Qlik Sense software, but the features will be delivered in stages. Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2018
Tableau Prep tool aims to ease Tableau data preparation work
Tableau users who previously had to rely on software from other vendors to prepare data now have a new option: Tableau Prep, the BI vendor's own data preparation tool. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Apr 2018
Get the most out of your data, reap the benefits of BI tools
The business intelligence software market is large, vibrant and evolving. Learn the ins and outs to make sense of the options and experience the business benefits of BI tools. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Mar 2018
How to boost the value of BI in today's analytics landscape
Basic BI reporting still gives businesses valuable information. But its value can be increased by incorporating it into a broader analytics and data visualization platform. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Mar 2018
Mike Capone, Qlik CEO, says roadmap targets cloud, big data
Qlik software must continue to evolve to keep pace with changes coming from cloud computing, big data and cognitive computing, says Qlik's new CEO Mike Capone. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Mar 2018
New Qlik CEO Mike Capone outlines his business strategy
Mike Capone, Qlik's new CEO, discusses recent layoffs and says the company needs to be more aggressive about touting its successes to avoid falling behind in the self-service BI market. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Feb 2018
Qlik Sense vs. QlikView: How the two Qlik tools compare
The differences between the two main Qlik software offerings may be small, but there are still some key considerations for potential customers to weigh. Continue Reading
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E-Zine
15 Feb 2018
Slow to gain traction, AI apps on the verge of explosion
From chatbots ("Can I help you?") to killer bots ("I'll be back."), artificial intelligence runs the gamut of applications and emotions like no other technology. It's been nearly 70 years since AI first came into consciousness with humankind, yet only recently has it made serious inroads into business and consumer markets, mainly riding the coattails of its offshoot, machine learning.
AI's other offspring -- deep learning, cognitive computing, image recognition and natural language processing -- show plenty of promise but have barely left the womb. Yet market research and industry foot soldiers tell us AI is on the cusp of explosive growth in practically every major industry.
Along those lines, the February issue of Business Information opens with our editor's note, which provides a good dose of common sense and advice for businesses not to throw caution to the whirlwind of hyperbole surrounding AI. Companies anxious to apply AI, particularly machine learning, to their operations for fear they'll fall behind the competition, must first do their homework and separate fact from fiction, all the while keeping in mind that implementing AI apps is difficult and requires time, expense and the right kind of data.
Our cover story takes the issue of good data one step further and examines the very real dangers that bias in machine learning data sets can create. Data scientists have their work cut out for them identifying and pinpointing bias, especially since nearly all data inherently contains bias. In another feature, we look at the usefulness of today's AI tools, which, except for some niche AI apps, are not very useful, but they come with a whole lot of promise as a soon-to-be transformative force in business operations.
Also in this issue, a major components manufacturer uses AI apps to transform its assembly line process, cognitive computing can help improve a doctor's bedside manner, the benefits of AI and machine learning entice healthcare organizations to move to the cloud and humankind's range of reactions to AI's unlimited potential parallel those of the atomic age.
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News
13 Feb 2018
IT analysts look for clarity on IBM analytics tools
IBM's analytics software is strong technically but disjointed and hard to understand, say analysts who think simplifying things should be a priority at the company's Think 2018 conference. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2018
Hyper engine aims to give enterprise Tableau analytics a boost
The Hyper in-memory data engine added in Tableau 10.5 could make Tableau analytics capabilities more expansive, enabling the software to support new use cases, like IoT analytics. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Oct 2017
Virtual assistant apps not quite geared for businesses, yet
While popular among consumers, virtual assistant tools are not exactly deployed in enterprises. But IT leaders are showing interest in this emerging business technology. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Apr 2017
Self-service BI software comparison: Tableau vs. Power BI, Qlik Sense
Three software vendors have taken the lead in the market for self-service BI tools. This chart can help you sort out the differences between these common software applications. Continue Reading
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Buyer's Guide
21 Dec 2015
A buyer's guide to choosing the right BI analytics tool
This buyer's guide will help simplify your search for the right BI analytics tool or set of tools that best meet your organization's needs and objectives. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Dec 2015
A look at SAP BusinessObjects BI suite
SAP BusinessObjects BI platform provides users with self-service access to information to support the decision-making process. Find out what's different in version 4.1. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Dec 2015
Exploring Microsoft Power BI SaaS analytics products
Microsoft Power BI SaaS analytics lets users view their most critical data via a live dashboard, create interactive reports and access their data on the go. Continue Reading
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Definition
31 Jul 2015
embedded BI (embedded business intelligence)
Embedded BI (business intelligence) is the integration of self-service BI tools into commonly used business applications. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Jan 2015
A tale of two retailers profiting from big data
A young and an old retailer shed light on how they're profiting from big data. (Hint: The secret is in their approach to project management.) Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2014
SAP teams up with Birst to offer cloud analytics on Hana
SAP is working with cloud BI supplier Birst to provide “instant analytics in the cloud” on the Hana in-memory database platform Continue Reading
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Answer
09 Jun 2014
The justification for running multiple mobile analytics tools
Finding a mobile analytics tool that will properly serve all end users is nearly impossible, eBay's BI manager says. Continue Reading
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News
23 Sep 2013
Self-service BI: A maturity test for BI programs
TechTarget's Wayne Eckerson shares the key points from a webcast panel discussion he led on self-service business intelligence. His conclusion: It's not as easy as you might think. Continue Reading
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Opinion
05 Aug 2013
Whiteboard it – the power of graph databases
Graph databases map relationships between entities in a network. They won’t replace conventional relational databases, but for harnessing the value of interconnectedness they mark a breakthrough Continue Reading
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Feature
28 May 2013
Embedded BI: Largely invisible, but not for long
TechTarget's Wayne Eckerson tracks the ongoing evolution of embedded business intelligence tools and sees big things ahead for the technology. Make that very big things. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Feb 2013
Rugby Football Union uses IBM predictive analytics for Six Nations
IBM tries out predictive analytics software, TryTracker, developed in association with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Jan 2013
Online gambling sector bets on business intelligence
Online gambling and gaming industries crave structured business data. Volumes can be huge and they need to react to customer behaviour Continue Reading