Tableau has made a significant update to its data visualization software by enabling local file-saving for the free version of Tableau Public, allowing users to keep their projects private if they choose. This change was announced at the Tableau Conference in San Diego, where over 8,000 attendees were expected in person along with a virtual audience. This new feature is part of Tableau CEO Ryan Aytay’s effort to appeal to loyal Tableau users, known as the “DataFam,” and address concerns about the company’s direction since being acquired by Salesforce five years ago.
The ability to save files locally has been a longstanding request from Tableau Public users, as it allows them to work with private or personal data without having to publish it online. Previously, users had to adopt workarounds to save their work online in a non-visible way. Tableau Desktop Public Edition is expanding to include this feature, while users of Tableau’s paid desktop software have always had the ability to save files locally and privately. This update aims to provide users with a sandbox environment to work with their data and financial information.
At the Tableau Conference, the company is expected to outline its long-term vision for AI on its platform, which includes using automation to access, cleanse, and analyze data, as well as automatically suggest visualizations. This vision also involves the potential for users to reuse, share, and even monetize the data visualizations and assets they create through a marketplace model. Earlier in the month, Tableau released a beta of Salesforce’s AI technology, Einstein Copilot for Tableau, allowing users to ask questions about their data in natural language and receive answers in the form of data visualizations and text.
In addition to the AI updates, Tableau will announce an expanded partnership with Databricks, a cloud-based data and AI company, to facilitate easier sharing of data between their platforms. This partnership aligns with Tableau’s efforts to enhance its data capabilities and provide users with more seamless data sharing and analysis processes. The conference comes in the wake of reports that Salesforce was in talks to acquire Informatica, a data-management software company, but the negotiations fell apart due to an inability to reach mutually agreeable terms.
Overall, the updates and announcements at the Tableau Conference demonstrate the company’s commitment to meeting the needs and desires of its user base while also looking towards the future of data visualization and AI integration. By providing users with local file-saving capabilities, enhancing AI functionality, and expanding partnerships with key players in the industry, Tableau is positioning itself as a leader in the data visualization space. The event serves as a platform for Tableau to showcase its latest innovations and establish itself as a key player in the evolving landscape of data analytics and business intelligence software.
