Alteryx Analytics release boosts data blending performance

Alteryx, Inc. has announced the availability of Alteryx Analytics 9.5. This release specifically focuses on empowering analysts as they progress from using spreadsheets to taking full advantage of the data resources their organization has built around them, allowing them to blend large datasets within databases rather than just subsets of data on their desktops. This replaces the slow and complex SQL coding that has traditionally been used, cutting processing time dramatically for users of Microsoft and Oracle databases. Additionally, 9.5 includes updated visualizations for a number of the Alteryx R-based predictive tools, and an easier way for analysts to share their work in the form of workflows or macros that solve specific analytics problems.

“Over 90% of analytics leaders1 say that delays in creating the right dataset translates directly into missed revenue and profit,” said George Mathew, President and COO of Alteryx. “With Alteryx Analytics 9.5 we extend our leadership position in data blending by delivering even better performance with new in-database capabilities to get analysts the data they need. This approach is dramatically faster than hand crafting code, even when taking advantage of an entire database.”


The Alteryx Analytics 9.5 platform delivers:
· New in-database data blending tools deliver faster results with large datasets in Microsoft and Oracle databases. As analysts are asked to support decisions that require more and more data, they are forced to progress from spreadsheets, to local databases, to corporate databases; and are beginning to use Big Data sources such as Hadoop. Alteryx 9.5 extends the high performance and speed of the product to very large datasets within the databases analysts use every day without requiring hand-crafted SQL coding. These new in-database tools allow analysts to take advantage of their entire database, and will be initially available for Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle databases.
· More intuitive predictive analytics visualizations that allow analysts to gain to insights faster. Alteryx is introducing the first set of its R-based predictive and data investigation tools with new ways to visualize the results. Today analysts utilizing R are forced to use basic, static visualizations to understand how their models have performed. These new visualizations are designed to make it easier to understand the results of predictive models, driving faster conclusions and recommendations. Initially, visualizations for AB Analysis, Contingency, Frequency and Association tools will be available – with support for other tools in the future.
· Easier sharing and consumption of Alteryx workflows and macros that solve specific analytic challenges. Every day thousands of analysts use Alteryx to solve problems related to specific datasets, analytics models, or data blending tasks. Alteryx 9.5 makes it easier to share pre-configured workflows or packaged macros to solve these problems within an organization by posting them to an Alteryx Server, or with the wider analyst community through the Alteryx Analytics Gallery. This will further reduce the time that analysts spend blending their data and building analytical models.

“While multi-structured datasets managed with Hadoop get the Big Data headlines, EMA research shows organizations deal with significant amounts of data in traditional data management architectures such as data warehouses and analytical databases/appliances,” said John Myers, Managing Research Director for Business Intelligence at Enterprise Management Associates, an IT analysis firm. “Utilization of in-database blending through platforms such as Alteryx to combine these diverse data sources empowers analysts to deal with the increased complexity and scope of data in the decisions they support.”