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Scaling Data Work: From One to Many with Alteryx Designer Cloud

Posted Mar 31, 2022

In Alteryx, Cloud, Data Science

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Read time 3 mins

Scaling Data Work: From One to Many with Alteryx Designer Cloud

Big news for anyone who works with data, especially those doing advanced data blending, statistical modeling and spatial analysis.

Last week, the Newcomp team was invited for a sneak preview of Designer Cloud – yes, Alteryx has ported their wildly successful and powerful desktop tool to be a browser-based application as a service. The timing could not be better, as Alteryx also recently announced the $400M acquisition of Trifacta

The team here at Newcomp has a lot of thoughts, so let’s break down what this means to you as a data ninja.

First, some background:

Alteryx has made major moves in their endeavor to the cloud. Alteryx has traditionally been seen as a client-server application, with Designer being installed on users’ desktops, with a connect to Alteryx Server (which is already typically hosted in a cloud environment).

All of our clients, from start-ups to big banks and government agencies, have this same desktop + server configuration for their Alteryx deployments.

The release of Designer Cloud provides users the option of an ‘as-a-Service’ model for deploying Designer to every data worker for data preparation, machine learning and spatial analysis.

Why does it matter?

Well, for all the obvious reasons – and a few more strategic ones. Consider all the inherent limitations with traditional desktop applications, and how a cloud-based option would improve your experience:

  • No need to install on your PC or laptop. IT is not a fan of this, and it requires upgrades, security checks, help desk tickets, licence, and key management. The list goes on, and it adds admin overhead to our projects.
  • Run on any device and operating system. Apple fanboys and girls probably felt left out, and these are often very powerful machines. Missed opportunity, especially given how powerful Alteryx is for marketing and web analytics, and these experts love their MacBooks.
  • Computing power can be unlimited. One benefit of using Alteryx in the morning? You can fry an egg on your laptop while your workflow runs. Ok, maybe not ideal. Fortunately, the cloud is built for elastic computing, with near infinite resources to help you do calculations, complex modelling and predictions. No breakfast, but it’s probably for the better.

For analysts, statisticians, and other data workers like us, having Designer as a service on the cloud removes these potential delays between us and the answers we need from our data. Near instant access through a browser, from any machine, with elastic computing power that only the cloud can provide. There’s even a new “dark mode” to make it easy on the eyes.

How do you get there?

This one is easy – workflows seamlessly move between Designer Desktop and Cloud, so there is no need to rebuild anything.

Why is this a game changer?

Let’s summarize. Now anyone can access the power of Alteryx from anywhere. No big expensive data scientist laptop required, even your MacBook works. Workflows are saved, scheduled and versioned automatically for you. The risk and administration burden has been removed, allowing you to focus on what matters most – building powerful workflows to transform data, find patterns and make predictions.

So get ready for a new Designer experience. Our engineers can’t wait to get their hands on it, and we’ll post more details as we explore all the new possibilities!

About Newcomp Analytics

Newcomp Analytics is a world-class analytics team specialized in consulting and development at the highest level. Wherever you are in your analytics journey, we will help you raise your game in today’s complex business environment. Our team of data scientists, engineers and developers deploy analytics for hundreds of clients across all industries and functions around the globe. We have a simple formula to help you win with data: define the goal, find the gaps, then match you with the right people, processes, and tools to get there – coaching you the entire way. For more information, visit www.newcomp.com or email [email protected].

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