Alation Named Top Vendor in End-User Study of the Data Catalog Market for Fourth Consecutive Year

Dresner Advisory Services’ 2020 Wisdom of Crowds® Data Catalog Market Study finds a strong link between data catalogs and successful BI usage

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alation Inc., the leader in enterprise data catalogs, today announced it had been named the top-ranked data cataloging solution in Dresner Advisory Services' 2020 Wisdom of Crowds® Data Catalog Market Study for the fourth consecutive year. In rating the vendors, Dresner considered all data catalog, collaborative, and governance features as reported by suppliers and weighted by users. Alation received the highest marks across all evaluated categories.

The study explores the strong link between data catalogs and successful Business Intelligence (BI) usage. It found the relationship between the level of difficulty in finding analytic content such as data, models, and metadata, for sharing content in a group-based decision process, and success with BI notable. According to the survey respondents, the harder it is for BI users/use cases to find and access content, the higher the likelihood that BI initiatives will not be successful.

This year’s report underlines the importance of data catalogs as they enable self-service analytics initiatives and governance capabilities. In the study, 61% of respondents expressed that it is critical or very important to access and find data, illustrating that data catalogs are critical for search & discovery. More than 80% of respondents indicated that governing and sharing data is critical to their organizations, underpinning the struggle organizations experience balancing the governance of data and widespread access. The data catalog serves as a platform that focuses on business needs while also delivering trusted data to the enterprise.

“We once again congratulate Alation on earning the leading position in our market study on data catalogs for the fourth year in a row,” said Howard Dresner, president, founder, and chief research officer, Dresner Advisory Services. “Among the many topics covered in our research, data catalogs stand out as a growth area that organizations continually rank as important. The data catalog is a critical solution that makes content easier to find for analytic use cases, which in turn enables enterprises to reap more value from their data.”

“Alation bridges the gap between enabling data democratization and ensuring proper governance. Without enterprise-wide access to data and the ability to identify and collaborate with subject matter experts, organizations struggle to make data-driven decisions that propel their businesses forward,” said Satyen Sangani, CEO and co-founder, Alation. “Alation has helped nearly 200 organizations find, understand, and govern data, including Travelers Insurance, Munich Re, and Pfizer. Once again, it is an honor to be recognized by Dresner Advisory Services.”

Wisdom of Crowds® research is based on data collected on usage and deployment trends, products, and vendors. As with all of its Wisdom of Crowds® Market Studies, Dresner constructed a survey instrument to collect data and used social media and crowdsourcing techniques to recruit participants.

Download a complimentary copy of Dresner Advisory Services’ 2020 Wisdom of Crowds® Data Catalog Market Study from Alation. For more information about Alation’s data catalog, please visit alation.com/about.

About Dresner Advisory Services

Dresner Advisory Services was formed by Howard Dresner, an independent analyst, author, lecturer, and business adviser. Dresner Advisory Services, LLC focuses on creating and sharing thought leadership for Business Intelligence (BI) and related areas.

About Alation

Alation pioneered the data catalog market, leading the evolution of data management towards driving data culture. Alation customers leverage the data catalog as a platform for data search & discovery, data governance, data stewardship, analytics, and digital transformation. With its powerful Behavioral Analysis Engine, inbuilt collaboration capabilities, and open interfaces, Alation provides a platform to support a broad range of data intelligence solutions by combining machine learning with human insight to tackle the most demanding challenges in data management. Nearly 200 organizations are driving their data cultures and improving their organizations’ decision making with Alation, including AbbVie, DraftKings, Exelon, Finnair, Genentech, GoDaddy, Marks & Spencer, MercadoLibre, Munich Re, New Balance, New Relic, Pfizer, Scandinavian Airlines, Scout24 and US Foods. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Alation is funded by Costanoa Ventures, Data Collective Venture Capital, Icon Ventures, Sapphire Ventures, and Salesforce Ventures. For more information, visit alation.com.