Cloud Analytics Tools for Business Intelligence to Future-Proof Your Business

Cloud analytics are the future for businesses that want to use data to make informed decision-making. We create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day. If you had a library filled with 2.5 quintillion books, each weighing about 1 kg, it would weigh more than 2.5 billion tons—the weight equivalent to nearly 7,000 Empire State Buildings!

All this data is not easy to process, but cloud analytics tools make the task seem like a breeze. If you invest in a cloud analytics platform, you can crunch massive data sets and scale your business faster without needing to invest in expensive infrastructure.

For example, a retail chain wants to drive rapid business growth. With cloud analytics, the chain can integrate and analyze sales data, customer behavior, and market trends in real-time. This will help the business optimize inventory management, personalize marketing campaigns, and identify new growth opportunities, ultimately driving revenue and enhancing customer satisfaction.

In this article, we focus on understanding what cloud analytics tools are and look at some top tools you can invest in.

What are cloud analytics tools?

Cloud analytics tools are software applications that exist in the cloud and help businesses analyze data without needing on-premises infrastructure. They provide scalable computing power, storage, and advanced analytics capabilities to process and visualize large datasets, driving data-informed decisions.

Here are the different types of cloud analytics tools:

Tool Type	Description	Examples
Data Warehouses	Store and manage large volumes of structured data for analysis	Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery, Snowflake
Data Lakes	Store raw data in its native format, including structured and unstructured data	Amazon S3, Azure Data Lake Storage, Google Cloud Storage
Business Intelligence (BI) Platforms	Provide tools for data visualization, reporting, and dashboard creation.	Tableau, Power BI, Looker, Qlik Sense
ETL Tools	Extract, transform, and load data from various sources into a data warehouse.	Informatica PowerCenter, Matillion, Fivetran
Data Science Platforms	Offer environments for building and deploying machine learning models	Amazon SageMaker, Google AI Platform, Azure Machine Learning

Cloud Analytics Tools for Business Intelligence

Business intelligence tools are a type of cloud analytics tools that collect, process, and analyze data from various sources, and then present it in a way that is easy to understand, such as reports, dashboards, and visualizations. This allows businesses to identify trends, patterns, and insights that can help them make better decisions.

When combined with cloud analytics, business intelligence, and analytics become even more powerful. Cloud analytics provides the infrastructure and scalability needed to handle large volumes of data and perform complex analyses. This means that businesses can use the analytics platform to gain insights from their data more quickly and efficiently than ever before.

3 Business Intelligence and Cloud Analytics Tools for Scaling Businesses

When choosing a BI tool, it’s important to consider factors like your organization’s size, data complexity, user skills, budget, and integration needs. Here are 5 business intelligence tools powered by cloud analytics that can transform your business:

1. Lumenore: No-Code Platform, AI-Powered Insights and Data Storytelling

Lumenore is an AI-powered, no-code business intelligence tool that emphasizes ease of use and aims to democratize data insights across organizations. It features a no-code interface, making it accessible to users without technical expertise. Lumenore offers AI-powered insights, automated reporting, and data storytelling to help businesses quickly understand their data and make informed decisions. Some of its key features are:

Conversational Analytics: Ask questions in simple language and get instant replies with natural language queries. For example, shoot a question, such as ‘What are the customer data across different regions?’ and get the data super fast.

Personalized Dashboard and Creative Data Visualizations: Use customizable dashboards to present data from widgets like graphs, charts, tables, and more.

Advanced Analytics: Unlock patterns and trends with ML-powered algorithms. Reduce costs and error margins with predictive accuracy.

Data Connectivity: Make data collection simple with Lumenore connectors for multiple sources.

Powerful Integrations: Lumenore doesn’t offer just an app but an entire ecosystem where you can connect CRMs, ERPs, and other productivity apps.

2. Tableau: Visual Analytics and Interactive Dashboards

Known for its strong focus on visual analytics, Tableau excels at creating interactive dashboards and visualizations that make complex data easy to understand. It’s a good choice for users who need to explore data visually and communicate insights effectively. Tableau offers both cloud-based (Tableau Online) and on-premises deployments. It’s particularly strong in handling geospatial data and creating compelling data stories.

Some of its key features are:

Dashboards and Visualizations: What if you want to track patient symptoms to find the right solutions? Tableau can help simplify and visualize this data for speedy decisions.

Data Connectivity: Tableau has access to various data sources, such as reports, databases, and spreadsheets, to gather relevant data.

Geographical Analysis: With interactive maps, Tableau helps present data visually. For example, if you want to map your customers across geographical locations, Tableau can help with that.

3. Looker: Data Exploration and Discovery with Semantic Layer

Looker emphasizes data exploration and discovery. It uses a semantic layer (LookML) that provides a consistent and governed view of data, enabling users to explore data without needing to understand the underlying database structure. This makes it easier for business users to get the answers they need. Looker is tightly integrated with the Google Cloud Platform and is a good choice for organizations looking for a scalable cloud-based BI solution.

Some of Looker’s key features are:

LookML Programming: Use LookML to simplify data modeling with specific inputs in SQL databases.

Interactive Dashboards: Want to track your KPIs with personalized dashboards? Looker has plenty of custom options.

Cloud Hosting: Choose to scale your operations by hosting on platforms such as Google Cloud and AWS.

Conclusion

Cloud analytics tools are the fuel behind the meteoric rise of business intelligence in businesses. Cloud and data analytics platforms like Lumenore, with their focus on self-service analytics and AI-powered insights, democratize data access. By combining the power of cloud analytics with intuitive business intelligence tools, you can explore deeper insights, drive data-driven decisions, and achieve a competitive edge. Get started with Lumenore for free and request a demo today.