The data analytics industry is rapidly transforming as cloud integration, artificial intelligence and machine learning revolutionize data management and business decision-making.

Companies are increasingly moving analytics operations to the cloud, benefiting from its scalability and cost-efficiency. Real-world applications, from improving customer experiences to optimizing internal workflows, demonstrate the tangible impacts of these advancements. As enterprises embrace these innovations, the demand for robust, community-driven platforms, such as those offered by Alteryx Inc., is more critical than ever.

“People are storing data all over the place, especially unstructured data when they’re doing RAG and doing some other things,” said Rob Strechay (pictured, right), managing director and principal analyst with theCUBE Research. “When they start to build the workflows on top that get at the data and how you actually bring the data together … and how these partners, be [they] the GSIs, SIs and the VAR community, really can help bring that data to life.”

Strechay spoke with fellow theCUBE analyst Rebecca Knight (left) at Alteryx Inspire, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how Alteryx’s tools are being used to drive efficiency and innovation across various industries, setting the stage for a data-driven future. (* Disclosure below.)

TheCUBE on set at Alteryx Inspire 2024.

Key insights from Alteryx Inspire

Alteryx’s cloud platform has an extensive product line, best demonstrated by how it connects with the traditional designer tools on laptops. Some of the standout aspects of the event included the detailed demonstrations of these new features, particularly around AI and machine learning.

“When you start to look back at it, they really have a very loyal following, a very big sense of community,” Strechay said. “There was a lot of discussions about how people were using this to get to AI and to get to ML. It wasn’t all about gen AI, but there was a lot of gen AI announcements in there as well.”

The integration of these technologies into the cloud platform was showcased through real-world applications, such as the use case presented by DoorDash Inc. DoorDash’s innovative application of Alteryx’s tools earned the company an award, highlighting the practical benefits and efficiency gains from these technologies.

“They did a fantastic job with the demos … with DoorDash and showing how you would get and use this data in a created use case,” Strechay said. “I think in the second part of the keynote, they … saw DoorDash actually win an award for their use of this.”

Practical applications and industry impact in data analytics

There was a clear emphasis on the practical applications of the available tools in various industries, according to Strechay. One growing trend is the moving of analytic processes to the cloud, which offers scalability and cost-efficiency. Alteryx demonstrated how its cloud-based solutions can streamline data management and analytics workflows, making it easier for businesses to derive actionable insights.

“I thought they really hit on the cloud team … in a practical manner, versus being overstated,” he said.

One of the key messages was the importance of leveraging metadata in analytics. The ability to use SQL for metadata management instead of traditional on-prem solutions, such as MongoDB, was presented as a significant advancement. This shift enhances the efficiency of data analytics processes, allowing for better data connectivity and integration across different platforms.

“You can actually use SQL as keeping your metadata, which we know from an analytics perspective that’s the crown jewels of your analytics, is really … about how it connects everything together,” Strechay said.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE Research’s coverage of Alteryx Inspire:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the Alteryx Inspire event. Neither Alteryx Inc., the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE