ISG Software Research Analyst Perspectives

2024 Market Agenda for Analytics and Data: Automating Intelligence

Posted by Matt Aslett on 26 January 2024

Ventana Research recently announced its 2024 Market Agenda for Analytics and Data, continuing the guidance we have offered for two decades to help enterprises derive optimal value and improve business outcomes. Enterprises of all sizes in all industries and geographies strive to improve efficiency, productivity and customer experiences through analytics and data. Doing so relies on the ability to... Read More

Topics: embedded analytics, Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Governance, Data Management, natural language processing, data operations, Process Mining, Streaming Analytics, Streaming Data Events, analytic data platforms, Analytics and Data

The 2024 Market Agenda for CX: The Steady Rollout of Gen AI

Posted by Keith Dawson on 25 January 2024

Ventana Research recently announced its Market Agenda in the expertise area of Customer Experience. CX has emerged as a way for enterprises to demonstrate value and stand out in the marketplace. The technology underlying modern CX is transitioning from tools that are based on communication to those centered on data analysis and process automation. No technology has had as dramatic impact as... Read More

Topics: Customer Experience, Voice of the Customer, Self-service, Analytics, Contact Center, agent management

Explorium Facilitates the Use of External Data for Analytics and AI

Posted by Matt Aslett on 03 January 2024

The phrase ‘big data’ may have largely gone out of fashion, but the concept of storing and processing all relevant data continues to be important for enterprises seeking to be more data-driven. Doing so requires analytic data platforms capable of storing and processing data in multiple formats and data models. This will be an important focus for the forthcoming Data Platforms Buyer’s Guide 2024.... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Management, Data, Digital Technology, data operations, Analytics and Data, AI and Machine Learning

Avoiding the Complexity and Cost of the Modern Data Stack

Posted by Matt Aslett on 19 December 2023

I recently discussed how fashion has a surprisingly significant role to play in the data market as various architectural approaches to data storage and processing take turns enjoying a phase in the limelight. Pendulum swing is a theory of fashion that describes the periodic movement of trends between two extremes, such as short and long hemlines or skinny and baggy/flared trousers. Pendulum swing... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Cloud Computing, Data Management, Data, Digital Technology, data operations, Analytics and Data, AI and Machine Learning

Oracle Evolves Database Services for Generative AI and Multi-Cloud

Posted by Matt Aslett on 13 December 2023

I previously described how Oracle had positioned its database portfolio to address any and all data platform requirements. The caveat to that statement at the time was that any organization wanting to take advantage of the company’s flagship Oracle Autonomous Database could only do so using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) cloud computing service, their own datacenter or a hybrid cloud... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Data Management, Data, Digital Technology, analytic data platforms, Analytics and Data

Snowflake Expands Data Platform with Container Services

Posted by Matt Aslett on 07 November 2023

I previously wrote about the challenge facing distributed SQL database providers to avoid becoming pigeonholed as only being suitable for a niche set of requirements. Factors including performance, reliability, security and scalability provide a focal point for new vendors to differentiate from established providers and get a foot in the door with customer accounts. Expanding and retaining those... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Cloud Computing, Data, Digital Technology, Streaming Data Events, analytic data platforms, Analytics and Data, AI and Machine Learning

Alteryx Uses Generative AI to Enhance Analytic Operations

Posted by David Menninger on 01 November 2023

Alteryx was founded in 1997 and initially focused on analyzing demographic and geographically organized data. In 2006, the company released its eponymous product that established its direction for what the product is today. In 2017, it went public in an IPO on the NYSE. At the time of the IPO, Alteryx was focusing much of its marketing efforts on the data preparation market, particularly to... Read More

Topics: business intelligence, Analytics, data operations, Analytic Operations, Analytics and Data, AI and Machine Learning

Vector Search and RAG Improve Trust in Generative AI

Posted by Matt Aslett on 31 October 2023

I previously discussed the trust and accuracy limitations of large language models, suggesting that data and analytics vendors provide guidance about potentially inaccurate results and the risks of creating a misplaced level of trust. In the months that have followed, we are seeing some clarity from these vendors about the approaches organizations can take to increase trust and accuracy when... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data, Digital Technology, natural language processing, data operations, analytic data platforms, Analytics and Data

Stream and Event Processing Require Real-Time Analytics

Posted by David Menninger on 25 October 2023

In my past perspectives, I’ve written about the evolution from data at rest to data in motion and the fact that you can’t rely on dashboards for real-time analytics. Organizations are becoming more and more event-driven and operating based on streaming data. As well, analytics are becoming more and more intertwined with operations. More than one-fifth of organizations (22%) describe their... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data, Digital Technology, Streaming Analytics, Streaming Data Events, Analytics and Data

Databricks Utilizes Unity Catalog to Support Generative AI Development

Posted by Matt Aslett on 17 October 2023

I previously described how Databricks had positioned its Lakehouse Platform as the basis for data engineering, data science and data warehousing. The lakehouse design pattern provides a flexible environment for storing and processing data from multiple enterprise applications and workloads for multiple use cases. I assert that by 2025, 8 in 10 current data lake adopters will invest in data... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Governance, Data Management, Data, Digital Technology, analytic data platforms, Analytics and Data, AI and Machine Learning

The Buyers Guide for Mobile Analytics Classifies and Rates Vendors

Posted by David Menninger on 17 October 2023

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Buyers Guide, an assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Ventana Research 2023 Mobile Analytics Buyers Guide is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect the... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Analytics and Data

Mobile Analytics Buyers Guide: Market Observations

Posted by David Menninger on 16 October 2023

The 2023 Ventana Research Buyers Guide for Mobile Analytics research enables me to provide observations about how the market has advanced. The processes and technology of the mobile analytics software industry play an instrumental role in enabling an organization’s business units and IT to optimally utilize data in both tactical and strategic ways. To accomplish this, organizations must provide... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Analytics and Data

The Buyers Guide for Collaborative Analytics Classifies and Rates Vendors

Posted by David Menninger on 13 October 2023

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Buyers Guide, an assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Ventana Research 2023 Collaborative Analytics Buyers Guide is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Analytics and Data

Collaborative Analytics Buyers Guide: Market Observations

Posted by David Menninger on 12 October 2023

The 2023 Ventana Research Buyers Guide for Collaborative Analytics research enables me to provide observations about how the market has advanced. Analytics almost universally involves collaboration among a team of individuals. Interpreting the results of the analyses, choosing a course of action and tracking the implementation of those actions spans multiple roles and departments within an... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Analytics and Data

The Buyers Guide for Embedded Analytics Classifies and Rates Vendors

Posted by David Menninger on 11 October 2023

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Buyers Guide, an assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Ventana Research 2023 Embedded Analytics Buyers Guide is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect the... Read More

Topics: embedded analytics, Analytics

Embedded Analytics Buyers Guide: Market Observations

Posted by David Menninger on 10 October 2023

The 2023 Ventana Research Buyers Guide for Embedded Analytics research enables me to provide observations about how the market has advanced. The processes and technology of the analytics and data software industry play an instrumental role in enabling an organization’s business units and IT to optimally utilize data in both tactical and strategic ways. To accomplish this, organizations must... Read More

Topics: embedded analytics, Analytics

The Buyers Guide for Augmented Analytics Classifies and Rates Vendors

Posted by David Menninger on 06 October 2023

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Buyers Guide, an assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Ventana Research 2023 Augmented Analytics Buyers Guide is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect the... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Augmented Analytics, AI and Machine Learning

Augmented Analytics Buyers Guide 2023: Market Observations

Posted by David Menninger on 05 October 2023

The 2023 Ventana Research Buyers Guide for Augmented Analytics research enables me to provide observations about how the market has advanced. For decades, organizations have been improving and expanding the way they use analytics and data software, commonly referred to as business intelligence (BI), to improve their operations. Vendors have made dramatic improvements to BI products with highly... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Augmented Analytics, AI and Machine Learning

The Buyers Guide for Analytics and Data Classifies and Rates Vendors

Posted by David Menninger on 04 October 2023

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Buyers Guide, an assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Ventana Research 2023 Analytics and Data Buyers Guide is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect the... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Analytics and Data

Analytics and Data Buyers Guide 2023: Market Observations

Posted by David Menninger on 03 October 2023

The 2023 Ventana Research Buyers Guide for Analytics and Data research enables me to provide observations about how the market has advanced. The processes and technology of the analytics and data software industry continue to play an instrumental role in enabling an organization’s business units and IT to optimally utilize data in both tactical and strategic ways. To accomplish this,... Read More

Topics: Analytics, Analytics and Data