Data company Alteryx aims to give companies more control over their data with the Fall 2024 release of its eponymous analytics platform. There are now more options for assigning user permissions in both cloud and on-premises environments. Also, more cloud providers have been connected.
That allows companies to securely break open data silos, i.e. unlock isolated data sets that were previously difficult to access by stakeholders from different segments of the organisation.
The updated Enterprise Utility gives admins more fine-grained control over user rights and security, allowing each organisation to strike its own optimal balance between accessibility and protection. That should help prevent fragmentation of mission-critical data, where departments can’t access each other’s data when they should.
More cloud providers connected
In addition to breaking open data silos, Alteryx also wants to knock down the walls between cloud environments and on-prem data sources with this release –without sacrificing security, we hasten to add. New connectors for Google Cloud Storage and SingleStore extend Alteryx’s reach to more cloud providers, allowing companies to access data from a wider range of sources without having to build isolated data sets.
For companies using one or more cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure and Google Cloud, the enhanced Alteryx Cloud Execution feature now also supports Analytic Apps. This is an existing tool that allows non-technical users to execute analytics workflows without the intervention of a data expert. This is now also possible in hybrid setups, which is a logical addition when connecting more cloud environments. After all, if you can connect more data sources, you want to be able to analyse them too.
No more dragging data around
Of course, there are AI features, mainly aimed at speeding up the actions analysts need to take to create reports. The most important is ‘Magic Reports’ (in public preview), a tool that largely automates the production of reports. Of course, people are still needed, which is why analysts can now share their collaborative reports in a more flexible and visually richer format. In addition, improved Server APIs allow IT teams to automate routine tasks, such as retrieving task information or scheduling workloads for a specific time.
Other key updates include Designer Cloud’s Standard Mode, which now offers more robust data prepping and blending options, and LiveQuery. This cloud-integrated tool connects directly to data warehouses such as Snowflake and Databricks. Together, these options enable real-time analytics and smoother data workflows by enabling data analysis at the source without having to move it back and forth. This saves latency and costs associated with dragging data to and from.
Bought by private investors
Alteryx sought a buyer last year as it struggled to compete with the likes of Oracle. Eventually, private equity firms Clearlake Capital Group and Insight Partners took over the company for 4.4 billion dollars.
Everything operates on a subscription model. In the acquisition, the parties envisioned Alteryx doing more in AI/ML workflows in the cloud. The company appears to be fulfilling that promise with this release.
Read also: Data specialist Alteryx sold for 4 billion euros to private equity