Cloud analytics is a cloud service model for data analysis that leverages public or private cloud infrastructure, allowing organizations to perform business intelligence tasks. Key elements of cloud analytics include data sources, processing applications, and analytic models, with major vendors like IBM and Salesforce launching innovative solutions to enhance user accessibility. The future of cloud analytics looks promising as it empowers business users with predictive insights without the need for technical intermediaries, though market acceptance will ultimately determine commercial success.

1. Cloud Analytics
Cloud analytics is a type of cloud service model where data analysis and related services are
performed on a public or private cloud. Cloud analytics can refer to any data analytics or
business intelligence process that is carried out in collaboration with a cloud service provider.
Cloud analytics is also known as Software as a Service (SaaS)-based business intelligence (BI).
Cloud analytics is primarily a cloud-enabled solution that allows an organization or individual to
perform business analysis or intelligence procedures. These solutions and services are delivered
through cloud models, such as hosted data warehouses, SaaS business intelligence (BI) and
social media analytic products powered by the cloud. Cloud analytics services work like a typical
data analytics service, providing similar features and capabilities. The only difference is that
cloud analytics integrates some or all of the service models of cloud computing in delivering that
solution.
Although cloud analytics is mainly a SaaS-based solution, it can also be a hybrid cloud solution.
For example, hosted or cloud data warehouses not only provide the infrastructure to store
massive amounts of data, but they also allow data analytics/business intelligence software to
retrieve useful information when and where it is required. Moreover, some solutions also may be
delivered through Platform as a Service (PaaS), where the end users/organization can create
proprietary data analytics software to run on the cloud storage infrastructure.
Gartner defines the six key elements of analytics as:
1. Data sources
2. Data models
3. Processing applications
4. Computing power
5. Analytic models
6. Sharing or storage of results

2. In its view, any analytics initiative “in which one or more of these elements is implemented in
the cloud” qualifies as cloud analytics. Gartner analyst Bill Gassman noted that vendors offering
cloud-based technologies designed to support a single element refer to themselves as cloud
analytics companies.
Cloud Analytics is the future of analytics?
In the last few months we have seen new products launched by IT majors that have the potential
to greatly influence the fortunes of the Analytics and Insights business. IBM’s Watson Analytics
and Salesforce Wave Cloud Analytics are two examples of new solutions/ platforms that have hit
the market. We can rest assured that many more such offerings will be launched in the coming
months.
Big Blue launched its Watson Analytics: It is a natural language-based cognitive service that can
provide businesses instant access to powerful predictive insights and cool reports. It will enable
business users to upload data to their cloud. Once data quality is established, the user can input
his/her requests via an interactive screen and in return obtain predictive insights and reports via
visualization.
Salesforce launched Wave Cloud Analytics: The new service is different from other approaches
to analytics: its search based, with data stored in a schema-less fashion. This allows for rapid,
iterative exploration by users who are in search of answers to questions. The visualizations are

3. optimized for users working on mobile applications, with screens resized for varying device
types.
These products promise to be game changers because the business user does not require the
intermediation of modelers to build predictive models or coders to write the code for the models.
Across industry verticals, they will empower business users to make well informed decisions
with ease and speed. They hold the promise of greatly widening user base. While the platforms
are slick, it remains to be seen how the market responds. Ultimately, the revenue performance
will determine if they are successful.
These products have not emerged overnight. It is obviously the result of powerful research /
understanding of customer requirements backed by significant investments. Business user
communities across industries and are asking it.
References
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/26516/cloud-analytics
http://www.forbes.com/sites/benkepes/2014/04/30/suddenly-everyone-wants-to-be-in-cloud-analytics/
http://searchbusinessanalytics.techtarget.com/definition/cloud-analytics
http://cloudtimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/cloud-computing_analytics.jpg
http://www.business2community.com/cloud-computing/cloud-based-analytics-service-future-analytics-
01023466
http://www.informationweek.com/cloud/software-as-a-service/salesforcecom-unveils-wave-analytics-cloud/
d/d-id/1316581?image_number=1
http://img.deusm.com/informationweek/2014/09/1315769/Watson-Analytics.jpg