Zoho Corporation, a leading global technology company, has launched a new version of Zoho Analytics– its self-service analytics and BI platform. Among more than 100 other enhancements, it has developed powerful new AI and ML capabilities, enabling diagnostic insights, predictive analytics, and automated generation of reports and dashboards.
Additionally, Analytics now includes a custom ML model building studio, seamless integration with Open AI, over 25 new data connectors, and third-party BI platform extensions. The latest release has added power, intelligence, and flexibility to serve a broader range of businesses and users than competitors in the market.
A recent study by Oracle reveals that 97% of business leaders Businesses want data to drive their decision-making processes. Additionally, a Gartner study predicts that by 2026, two-thirds of B2B sales organizations will shift from intuition-based decision-making to data-driven decision-making.
“Zoho Analytics, launched as Zoho Reports in 2009, came to market long before technology caught up with our forward-thinking vision of business intelligence,” said Kehinde Ogundare, Country Manager for Nigeria.
“Since then, we’ve made significant investments in automation, no-code/low-code development, third-party integration, machine learning, and Zia, Zoho’s in-house AI engine. The latest version of our Analytics solution is one of the first solutions in the company to leverage each of these investments over the past few decades. The result is a democratized platform that is powerful, intelligent, and flexible enough to benefit everyone.”he added.
The latest version of its analytics tool made progress in four key areas: data management, AI, data science and machine learning, and extensibility. Below are the platform’s highlights in these four categories.
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Data Management Center
Zoho Analytics has expanded its data management capabilities by adding Stream Analytics, ETL data pipelines, and metrics layer enhancements to ensure broader access to more accurate data for businesses.
The company expanded its portfolio of over 500 data connectors by adding Stream Analytics, along with 25 other new data connectors. Business users can now create and manage complex ETL data pipelines within the platform.
The new unified metrics layer allows users to define, normalize, monitor, control access, and catalog all business metrics in a single pane of glass. The platform also extends to operate in Headless BI mode, allowing data applications to use the same metrics in real-time for consistent, trusted insights.
BI infused with generative AI
Zoho Analytics has introduced generative AI capabilities to the BI platform to accelerate insight adoption across a wide range of user profiles. Powered by Zoho’s AI-powered automated analytics engine, Zia Insights now delivers diagnostic analytics contextually, bringing actionable intelligence to the platform.
Ask Zia, its multilingual AI co-pilot of natural language queries, has been enhanced, allowing users to trigger actions and create custom data models. Users can now converse with Ask Zia within instant messaging channels, including Microsoft Teams, to generate deeper, faster, and more contextual insights and actions. It now has automatic analysis, enabling automated generation of AI-driven metrics, reports, and dashboards.
Its seamless integration with Open AI generates more relevant and accurate query answers. By using Open AI APIs with BYOK, users can more easily find public datasets and create formula and SQL queries.
Data Science and Machine Learning Workshop
Zoho Analytics now offers Data Science and Machine Learning (DSML) Studio, which allows users to create custom machine learning models to meet specific business needs. With AutoML, a no-code wizard, create custom machine learning models with ease.
With feature engineering, hyperparameter tuning, and comprehensive model analysis, it enables users to train, test, benchmark, deploy, and manage models.
It also includes Code Studio, the platform’s new integrated Python code environment where users can create custom ML models, as well as import externally created Python models or libraries, which can be run within the platform.
Platform Extensibility
Zoho Analytics is more extensible, with new features like its no-code builder for data connectors, actions framework, BI framework, and client SDKs. It is a composable platform on which any analytics solution can be built.
Its new BI framework enables businesses to consolidate information from multiple BI platforms, such as Power BI and Tableau, into a single, easily accessible and searchable analytics portal.
In Analytics, users can trigger actionable workflows including URL and webhook actions. The platform integrates seamlessly with Zoho Flow, enabling over 500 app triggers.
It includes a no-code data connector builder, allowing users to create custom connectors to import data from any custom application. Partners can also create data connectors that can be published and sold on Zoho Marketplace.
The new release includes over 100 updates, including new visualizations, improved dashboard creation, audit and admin controls, redesigned mobile apps, right-to-left (RTL) support, and more.
Rates and availability
The new version of Zoho Analytical is available immediately and offers a basic plan starting at NGN 10,560 per month on an annual billing basis. For businesses with larger needs (e.g. large number of users or lines, or the need for a dedicated server), custom plans are available.
