Zoho Releases AI-Powered Analytics to Boosts Business Intelligence

AI-powered upgrade revolutionizes Zoho Analytics: Zoho Corporation has released an enhanced version of its self-service business intelligence and analytics platform, Zoho Analytics, featuring over 100 improvements including advanced AI and machine learning capabilities.

Key enhancements and features: The new Zoho Analytics introduces significant upgrades across four primary areas: Data Management, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science & Machine Learning (DSML), and Extensibility.

• The Data Management Hub now includes Stream Analytics and 25 additional data connectors, expanding its connector portfolio to over 500.
• Users can create and manage complex ETL data pipelines using a visual builder or the new Python Code Studio.
• The Unified Metrics Layer allows users to define, standardize, monitor, and catalog business metrics in one central location.
• A new Headless BI mode enables real-time access to consistent business metrics across different applications.

AI-driven insights and automation: Zoho Analytics now incorporates generative AI capabilities to provide more efficient and contextual insights.

• Zia Insights, Zoho’s AI-powered engine, offers diagnostic analytics for improved decision intelligence.
• Ask Zia, the platform’s Natural Language Querying AI copilot, now supports Spanish and French and can interact within IM channels like Microsoft Teams.
• The Auto Analysis feature enables AI-powered, automated generation of metrics, reports, and dashboards.
• Integration with OpenAI through Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) supports more accurate and relevant query responses.

Advanced data science and machine learning capabilities: The new DSML Studio in Zoho Analytics empowers users to build custom ML models for various tasks.

• AutoML feature provides no-code tools for creating ML models with feature engineering, hyperparameter tuning, and model analysis.
• Code Studio offers an integrated Python environment for users to create custom ML models or import external libraries.

Enhanced platform extensibility: Zoho Analytics now supports a new BI fabric that consolidates insights from other BI platforms, including Power BI and Tableau.

• Businesses can manage and analyze data from multiple BI platforms within one portal.
• The platform supports actionable workflows, URL and Webhook actions, and integrates with Zoho Flow to trigger workflows across 500+ apps.
• A no-code data connector builder is available for custom data integrations.

Industry impact and user feedback: The upgraded Zoho Analytics has received positive feedback from users in various industries.

• Philip Edey, Head of Business Analytics at Arctic Spas, praised the platform’s role in strategic planning and staying ahead of competition.
• Edey highlighted the platform’s data prep tools, AI capabilities, predictive analytics, and multi-layered mapping feature as key assets for uncovering trends and making informed decisions.

Zoho’s vision and investment: Raju Vegesna, Chief Evangelist for Zoho, emphasized the company’s long-term investment in various technologies that have culminated in this latest version of Zoho Analytics.

• Zoho has made significant investments in automation, no-code/low-code development, third-party integration, machine learning, and their in-house AI engine, Zia.
• The result is a democratized platform that is powerful, intelligent, flexible, and user-friendly.

Availability and pricing: The new version of Zoho Analytics is immediately available, with pricing details accessible on the Zoho website.

Broader implications for the BI market: This comprehensive update to Zoho Analytics represents a significant step forward in democratizing self-service business intelligence. By combining advanced AI capabilities with user-friendly interfaces and extensive integration options, Zoho is positioning itself as a strong competitor in the BI market. The platform’s ability to cater to a wide range of business needs and user skill levels could potentially disrupt the market and challenge established players. As AI continues to evolve, we can expect further innovations in the BI space, with a focus on making complex data analysis more accessible and actionable for businesses of all sizes.