Self-service and collaborative business intelligence
Top Stories
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Feature
24 Jan 2022
Top data preparation challenges and how to overcome them
Data preparation is a crucial part of analytics applications, but it's complicated. Here are seven common challenges that can send the data prep process off track. Continue Reading
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News
12 Jan 2022
Self-service capabilities crucial to analytics success
According to a new report from the Harvard Business Review and ThoughtSpot, empowering employees with self-service capabilities is fuel for a strong business intelligence program. Continue Reading
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News
22 Dec 2021
5 business intelligence trends to watch in 2022
Predicted trends for 2022 include rising adoption of automated insight delivery and augmented analytics capabilities, including natural language processing and AutoML. Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2021
Cloud maturation, data mesh among 2021 top analytics trends
After years of slow growth, this was the year analytics in the cloud became the norm and on-premises BI receded to the background. It was also the year data mesh emerged. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Nov 2021
Harness the power of data literacy through democratizing data
Author Jordan Morrow weighs in on enterprise strategies to improve democratizing data through expanded use of BI and augmented analytics. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Nov 2021
Data literacy aids democratization of data
In this excerpt from 'Be Data Literate,' author Jordan Morrow discusses how 'hyped' area of analytics such as BI and embedded analytics contribute to the democratization of data. Continue Reading
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News
21 Oct 2021
Toucan Toco expands beyond data storytelling
Once a niche vendor with a particular area of expertise, the startup's latest update includes data preparation and embedded BI tools, among others, as it broadens its scope. Continue Reading
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News
13 Aug 2021
Augmented analytics capabilities mark the new era of BI
Augmented intelligence capabilities like automated data prep and natural language processing are now common, showing that BI has advanced to a new era of technological innovation. Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Aug 2021
Embedded analytics leads to improved productivity
With many enterprises still in the early stages of using AI technologies, embedded BI remains a key means of making data accessible to a broad array of potential users. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2021
Expert: It's time for the death of the analytics dashboard
Dashboards take substantial time to build and maintain, and they've become outdated with the current pace of business, says ThoughtSpot's chief data strategy officer. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Jul 2021
Enabling collaboration a rising analytics trend
A proliferation of tools that enable collaboration is an emerging trend among BI vendors as 2021 passes its midpoint. Adding AI capabilities, meanwhile, remains a major trend. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Jul 2021
Top trends include value of analytics getting recognized
The high valuations investors are placing on data and analytics vendors, as well as the importance of AI and self-service BI amid the pandemic, marked the first half of 2021. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Jun 2021
Does hiring a freelance data scientist make sense for you?
Enterprises need to make the right hiring choices when it comes to supporting their data projects. Here are some reasons your company may or may not consider hiring a freelancer. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 May 2021
SaaS adoption, real-time BI among top analytics trends
More enterprises using SaaS and the need for data in real time are among the top trends in analytics, according to Dan Sommer, senior director and market intelligence lead at Qlik. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 May 2021
Gartner: Data-driven decision-making never more important
Organizations must take a concerted approach to most effectively take advantage of their data, Gartner analyst Gareth Herschel said during the advisory firm's virtual conference. Continue Reading
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News
29 Apr 2021
Toucan Toco unveils native integration with Snowflake
A France-based data storytelling startup unveiled its first native integration with a cloud service provider, aligning with Snowflake to improve security and speed queries. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Apr 2021
The top 4 self-service BI benefits for enterprises
Self-service BI adoption is trending because it democratizes data access and analytics. Explore the benefits these platforms offer enterprises. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Mar 2021
Ultimate guide to business intelligence in the enterprise
Enterprise BI systems bring a variety of uses, business benefits and challenges to organizations, as explained in this in-depth business intelligence guide. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Mar 2021
Top tips for a successful self-service BI strategy
As self-service BI adoption continues across enterprises, it's important to make sure you have a good strategy. Here are the top tips for a successful self-service deployment. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Feb 2021
Gartner predicts data storytelling will dominate BI by 2025
With analytics still the domain of data experts, Gartner predicts data narratives will be the BI capability that makes analytics accessible to a broad audience. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2021
BI vendor Phocas raises funds to build predictive analytics
With its eyes on expansion and new analytics product development, a veteran Australian-based BI vendor raised $34 million in venture capital funding. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Jan 2021
Data governance for self-service analytics best practices
Establish a strong data governance strategy that will support your self-service analytics environment by including these best practices in your organization's process. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Jan 2021
Augmented data preparation the next step for self-service BI
Augmented data tools play a key role in expanding data use across organizations. Read on to find out how augmented data preparation tools democratize data in self-service BI. Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2021
Data storytelling vendor Toucan Toco poised for growth
Startup data storytelling vendor Toucan Toco has big goals for 2021, including doubling its annual revenues and expanding its customer base by about 50%. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Aug 2020
What makes up a strong data science team structure?
Enterprises rely on a strong data science team to get the most from their data. Read on to find out what talents you'll need to employ to support your organization's data. Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2020
Success of self-service BI depends on solid infrastructure
A clear data governance policy and effective training are critical to enabling self-service analytics users to make data-driven decisions for their organizations. Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Aug 2020
20 top BI tools and how to choose the right one
To help you buy the right BI tool for your data analysis needs, here's a look at 20 leading technologies, the different types of BI software and key features to look for. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Jul 2020
Alteryx ADAPT a program for laid-off workers, recent grads
Alteryx is offering a free training program in data science to help people whose jobs have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as new graduates entering the workforce. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Jul 2020
State of the self-service analytics market
Self-service analytics are important to strong enterprise analytics. Experts talk about how top vendors in the market are keeping up with user needs. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Jul 2020
8 self-service BI best practices for larger organizations
Self-service BI programs can streamline the analytics process, but scaling one out to thousands of business users requires proper planning and project management. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Jul 2020
Overcoming the top 3 analytics adoption challenges
Analytics is a growing part of many businesses. Experts talk about some of the most pressing challenges enterprises may face when implementing new analytics strategies. Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2020
HR use case shows value of Oracle Analytics Cloud
A use case presented during Oracle Analytics' virtual user conference shows how the vendor's platform can bring value to an organization thanks to its usability. Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2020
Latest Power BI update focuses on ease of use
Featuring new natural language generation and data modeling capabilities, the latest Power BI platform upgrade aims to help organizations develop a data-driven culture. Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
New no-code data modeling prowess added to Tableau platform
Tableau 2020.2, the latest update from Tableau, features enhanced no-code data modeling capabilities and a mobile-first tool to view key performance indicators in a single location. Continue Reading
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News
05 May 2020
Employees empowered to make data-driven decisions spur growth
A new report from ThoughtSpot and the Harvard Business Review finds that organizations empowering front-line employees to make analytic decisions poised to outperform their competitors. Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2020
AtScale 2020.2 adds new self-service, cloud capabilities
The latest platform update from AtScale features new self-service analytics tools and the ability to run natively on the platforms of all three major cloud service providers. Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2020
Self-service analytics spurs GoodData BI platform overhaul
GoodData is in the process of redesigning its entire business intelligence platform to make it more accessible to self-service and citizen data scientist users. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Mar 2020
Natural language query tools offer answers within limits
Natural language query tools could one day allow end users to do all their data analysis without the aid of data scientists, but at this point the capabilities remain limited. Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2020
Birst analytics key to partnership between Infor, Snowflake
A new partnership between Infor and Snowflake will use BI tools from Birst, acquired by Infor in 2017, to enable users to build automated data warehouses on Snowflake. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Feb 2020
Embedded BI and analytics apps speed workflows, insight access
Embedded BI is fast becoming a focal point for analytics uses as data analysts, developers and business users enjoy faster processing, reduced workloads and better outcomes. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Feb 2020
What Salesforce means for Tableau in the cloud
After the Salesforce acquisition, users have wondered about the future of Tableau in the cloud. Experts weigh in on how the transition could benefit the platform. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Feb 2020
MicroStrategy analytics suite fosters insurance co-op's growth
Using MicroStrategy's BI platform, a Canada-based insurance co-operative has been able to spread analytics to end users throughout the organization. Continue Reading
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News
30 Jan 2020
New funding fuels startup analytics vendor Kloud.io's growth
Armed with $4 million in new seed funding, startup Kloud.io aims to expand its engineering and marketing efforts to fuel the growth of its no-code analytics platform. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Jan 2020
Sigma analytics platform's interface simplifies queries
Featuring a spreadsheet interface designed to make queries simple for citizen data scientists, Sigma Computing is trying to make analytics available to all business users. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Jan 2020
How to compare and choose augmented analytics tools
Choosing an augmented BI and analytics vendor can be difficult when their offerings are so similar. Analysts at Gartner and Forrester offer advice for choosing augmented analytics tools. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Jan 2020
5 ways enterprises adapt to the data scientist shortage
Where are all the data scientists? Coping with the data scientist shortage is a struggle for many enterprises. Here are five ways to effectively manage with the shortage. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Dec 2019
How to improve data governance for self-service analytics
Citizen data scientists and self-service analytics are on the rise as the data scientist shortage continues. Here are some data management best practices to support them. Continue Reading
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Guide
11 Dec 2019
Augmented analytics tools: Business uses, benefits and barriers
This guide examines the capabilities and potential benefits of augmented analytics technologies and offers guidance on how to use them to simplify BI and analytics processes. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Dec 2019
BI vendors jump into low-code/no-code tools for developers
A spate of BI vendors included easy-to-use tools for developers in their recent updates, perhaps marking the start of a new trend in the analytics software market. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Nov 2019
Everything you need to know about augmented analytics vendors
Augmented analytics is set to become the newest trend in BI and analytics, and vendors are making big investments to develop products smarter for a wider range of users. Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2019
Salesforce acquisition of Tableau finally getting real
With Salesforce and Tableau finally free to start integrating, Andrew Beers, Tableau's chief technology officer, talks about what the future might be for Tableau and its users. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 Nov 2019
Tableau or Qlik: What separates the data visualization tools?
While leading data visualization vendors Tableau and Qlik may seem similar, there are substantial differences. Understanding the differences is key to making the right decision. Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2019
Tableau analytics platform gets AI, data management upgrades
Augmented intelligence, improved data management capabilities and a tool to monitor KPIs are at the core of improvements unveiled by Tableau on Wednesday. Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2019
Evolution of analytics marked by wider dissemination of data
With BI platforms getting easier to use by the year and enabling more self-service users in process, the value of analytics is being realized by a growing audience. Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2019
Analytics revolution has spread the wealth of information
Business intelligence over the last 20 years has been marked by the opening up of data to everyday business users after it was once the sole possession of IT departments. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Nov 2019
NLP makes augmented data discovery a reality in analytics
BI vendors are increasingly using NLP technology to make their products work more like a web search, with simplified user interfaces and improved ease of use for customers. Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2019
Looker 7 advances embedded BI capabilities of vendor's suite
The latest update of Looker's business intelligence platform, unveiled Wednesday at the vendor's user conference, is highlighted by improved embedded analytics capabilities. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Oct 2019
Salesforce acquisition of Tableau likely to bring changes
Since Salesforce's Tableau acquisition, many have wondered what will happen to Tableau's on-premises customers. Find out what industry experts have to say. 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
23 Aug 2019
Travel company Clarity bakes ThoughtSpot into analytics tool
Travel management company Clarity has turned to ThoughtSpot to create an analytics tool for clients as well as for internal use Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Aug 2019
Enterprise data marketplace aims to ease self-service chaos
Self-service data preparation can duplicate work and slow down analytics. One possible fix: an internal marketplace where users can 'shop' for data assets. 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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Feature
25 Jul 2019
Analyst forecasts the next big things in BI
In a Q&A, Wayne Eckerson looks at the state of the business intelligence industry, and self-service analytics, and discusses what new innovations excite him about the future. 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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Feature
10 May 2019
Data virtualization layer feeds logical data warehouse, Agile BI
Indiana University is using data virtualization to combine data from various source systems for analysis, as part of an initiative to improve strategic decision-making. 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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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
08 Apr 2019
How modern business intelligence shapes up to big data
Business intelligence and analytics strategies have evolved in recent years in the face of big data. Here, we get a supplier CEO perspective, some analyst counsel, and testimony from Nationwide, Schroders and King 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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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
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
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
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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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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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
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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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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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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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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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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Feature
20 Jul 2018
Data science tools of the trade fill skills gap
Data science tools are becoming more intelligent and better at understanding intent and context. But don't stop advertising that data scientist job on the web just yet. 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
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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Tip
16 May 2018
Seven good data visualization practices for visual integrity
Data visualizations need visual integrity to ensure that the data they present can be interpreted correctly. Follow these design steps to help make visualizations trustworthy. 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
14 Mar 2018
Diversified data sets for analytics deliver top results
Analytics teams should focus on data diversity to ensure that their projects deliver the most meaningful insights -- but they must be wary of some stumbling blocks. 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