This page provides details about Looker (organization,product) which was ranked #6 out of 122 in the list of brands (47 mentions (27% share)) in answers from AI models (Perplexity Sonar (with search) (latest), Anthropic Claude Sonnet (latest), OpenAI ChatGPT Latest, Google Gemini Flash (latest), X.AI Grok (latest)) when they were asked the following 3 questions: "What are the best Analytics & BI options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.", "If I'm looking to get into Analytics & BI, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.", "What does the Analytics & BI industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry." on Dec 30, 2025 by AI Chat Watch.
What are the best Analytics & BI options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] iness Analytics Tools to Try in 2025](https://onlinedegrees.scu.edu/media/blog/popular-business-intelligence-and-data-analytics-tools)[Top Business Intelligence Platforms 2025: Comparison Guide for ...](https://www.analyticscreator.com/blog/choosing-the-right-business-intelligence-platform-in-2025)[Looker Gartner Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms MQ](https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/data-analytics/looker-gartner-analytics-and-business-intelligence-platforms-mq):
**Market Leaders:**
**Microsoft Power BI** is the market-leading platform[Top Business Intelligence Platforms 2025: Com [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] tics Tools to Try in 2025](https://onlinedegrees.scu.edu/media/blog/popular-business-intelligence-and-data-analytics-tools)[Top Business Intelligence Platforms 2025: Comparison Guide for ...](https://www.analyticscreator.com/blog/choosing-the-right-business-intelligence-platform-in-2025).
**Google Looker** is recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant[Looker Gartner Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms MQ](https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/data-analytics/looker-gartner-analytics-and-business-intelligence-platforms-mq), offering a semantic layer approach with drag-and-dr [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] pular-business-intelligence-and-data-analytics-tools)[Top Business Intelligence Platforms 2025: Comparison Guide for ...](https://www.analyticscreator.com/blog/choosing-the-right-business-intelligence-platform-in-2025).
**Google Looker** is recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant[Looker Gartner Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms MQ](https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/data-analytics/looker-gartner-analytics-and-business-intelligence-platforms-mq), offering a semantic layer approach with drag-and-drop interface and free basic options[Best Business Intelligence Platfor [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] ghtspot.com/data-trends/business-intelligence/business-intelligence-tools).
## Industry Recognition and Analyst Firms
**Gartner Magic Quadrant** serves as the primary industry benchmark, with the 2025 edition recognizing leaders including Microsoft Power BI, Qlik Sense, Zoho Analytics, and Google Looker[The Best Business Analytics Tools to Try in 2025](https://onlinedegrees.scu.edu/media/blog/popular-business-intelligence-and-data-analytics-tools)[Top Business Intelligence Platforms 2025: Comparison Guide for ...](https://www.analyticscreator.com/blog/choosing-the-right-business-intelligence-platf [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] iness Analytics Tools to Try in 2025](https://onlinedegrees.scu.edu/media/blog/popular-business-intelligence-and-data-analytics-tools)[Top Business Intelligence Platforms 2025: Comparison Guide for ...](https://www.analyticscreator.com/blog/choosing-the-right-business-intelligence-platform-in-2025)[Looker Gartner Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms MQ](https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/data-analytics/looker-gartner-analytics-and-business-intelligence-platforms-mq).
**BARC (Business Application Research Center)** independently reviews and rates data intelligence platforms[Top Data Int [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Analytics & BI, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] s://thoughtmetric.io/blog/top-business-intelligence-bi-tools-in-2025), and **IBM Cognos Analytics** (AI-driven enterprise governance)[The Best Business Analytics Tools to Try in 2025](https://onlinedegrees.scu.edu/media/blog/popular-business-intelligence-and-data-analytics-tools). Other notables: **Looker** (data teams focus), **ThoughtSpot** (search-driven), **Pyramid Analytics** (top BARC 2025 rankings), Yellowfin BI (low-code collaboration), SAP BusinessObjects (financial compliance), and Strategy (HyperIntelligence dashboards)[Top 15 Business Intelligence tools in 2025: an overview - Mopinion](h [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] he-top-25-data-management-and-analytics-companies-of-2025/)[Top 15 Business Intelligence tools in 2025: an overview - Mopinion](https://mopinion.com/business-intelligence-bi-tools-overview/)
- **IBM Cognos**: [www.ibm.com/products/cognos-analytics](https://www.ibm.com/products/cognos-analytics)
- **Looker**: [looker.com](https://looker.com)
- **ThoughtSpot**: [www.thoughtspot.com](https://www.thoughtspot.com)
- **Pyramid Analytics**: [www.pyramidanalytics.com](https://www.pyramidanalytics.com)
- **Yellowfin BI**: [www.yellowfinbi.com](https://www.yellowfinbi.com)[Top 15 Business Intelligence tools i [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] ata-management-and-analytics-companies-of-2025/)[Top 15 Business Intelligence tools in 2025: an overview - Mopinion](https://mopinion.com/business-intelligence-bi-tools-overview/)
- **IBM Cognos**: [www.ibm.com/products/cognos-analytics](https://www.ibm.com/products/cognos-analytics)
- **Looker**: [looker.com](https://looker.com)
- **ThoughtSpot**: [www.thoughtspot.com](https://www.thoughtspot.com)
- **Pyramid Analytics**: [www.pyramidanalytics.com](https://www.pyramidanalytics.com)
- **Yellowfin BI**: [www.yellowfinbi.com](https://www.yellowfinbi.com)[Top 15 Business Intelligence tools in 2025: an [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Analytics & BI industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] BI Tools 2025: Best Business Intelligence Platforms Guide](https://sranalytics.io/blog/top-bi-tools/) Other key players include **Qlik Sense**, **ThoughtSpot**, **Zoho Analytics**, **SAP** (with BusinessObjects and SAP Analytics Cloud), **SAS** (Visual Analytics), **IBM Cognos Analytics**, **Google Looker**, **Pyramid Analytics**, and **Oracle**.[Top BI Tools 2025: Best Business Intelligence Platforms Guide](https://sranalytics.io/blog/top-bi-tools/)[Top Business Intelligence Companies in 2025 - CX Today](https://www.cxtoday.com/customer-analytics-intelligence/top-business-intelligence-companies-in- [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] today.com/customer-analytics-intelligence/top-business-intelligence-companies-in-2025/)[IBM named a Leader in the 2025 IDC MarketScape for Business ...](https://www.ibm.com/new/announcements/ibm-named-a-leader-in-the-2025-idc-marketscape-for-business-intelligence-and-analytics-platforms)
- **Google Looker**: Cloud-native with Gemini AI for conversational analytics and multicloud support.[Google Leader 2025 IDC MarketScape for Business Intelligence](https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/data-analytics/google-leader-2025-idc-marketscape-for-business-intelligence)
- **SAP Analytics Cloud**: Unifies pl [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] s - Qlik](https://www.qlik.com/us/gartner-magic-quadrant-business-intelligence)
### Influential Figures and Thought Leaders
Search results highlight executives like **Yasmeen Ahmad** (Managing Director, Data Cloud, Google Cloud) and **Sean Zinsmeister** (Director, Data Cloud Product Management) on Looker's AI advancements.[Google Leader 2025 IDC MarketScape for Business Intelligence](https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/data-analytics/google-leader-2025-idc-marketscape-for-business-intelligence) No broader list of thought leaders appears; industry discourse often centers on Gartner/IDC analysts a [...]
December 30, 2025
What are the best Analytics & BI options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] - Integrated with Microsoft ecosystem
- Cost-effective for Microsoft 365 users
- Strong AI and natural language capabilities
3. **[Qlik Sense](https://www.qlik.com/us/products/qlik-sense)** - Associative analytics engine
- Self-service analytics
- Augmented intelligence features
4. **[Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker)** (Google Cloud) - Modern data platform
- LookML modeling layer
- Embedded analytics capabilities
5. **[Thoughtspot](https://www.thoughtspot.com/)** - AI-powered search and analytics
- Natural language search
- Live analytics on cloud data
6. **[Domo] [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] l user conference
- Product announcements
- Community networking
56. **[Microsoft Build](https://build.microsoft.com/)** - Developer conference
- Power BI updates and sessions
57. **[Google Cloud Next](https://cloud.withgoogle.com/next)** - Cloud platform conference
- BigQuery and Looker sessions
58. **[Snowflake Summit](https://www.snowflake.com/summit/)** - Data cloud conference
- User presentations
- Partner ecosystem
59. **[Databricks Data + AI Summit](https://www.databricks.com/dataaisummit/)** - Lakehouse platform event
- Technical sessions
- Industry use ca [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Analytics & BI, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] ](https://www.microstrategy.com/)** - Enterprise analytics and mobility platform
- **[Sisense](https://www.sisense.com/)** - Embedded analytics and BI platform
- **[TIBCO Spotfire](https://www.tibco.com/products/tibco-spotfire)** - Advanced analytics platform
### Modern Cloud-Native Solutions
- **[Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker)** (Google Cloud) - Data exploration and modeling platform
- **[Domo](https://www.domo.com/)** - Cloud-native business intelligence platform
- **[ThoughtSpot](https://www.thoughtspot.com/)** - AI-powered search & analytics
- **[Sigma Computing](https://www.sigmacomp [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] ** - Annual data cloud event
- **[Microsoft Build](https://build.microsoft.com/)** - Includes Power BI announcements
- **[Tableau Conference](https://www.tableau.com/community/conference)** - Annual user conference
- **[Google Cloud Next](https://cloud.withgoogle.com/next)** - Includes BigQuery and Looker content
- **[TDWI Conferences](https://tdwi.org/events.aspx)** - Multiple annual events
- **[Data Council](https://www.datacouncil.ai/)** - Applied AI and data engineering conference
- **[Coalesce (dbt)](https://coalesce.getdbt.com/)** - Analytics engineering conference
- **[Superweek](https://supe [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Analytics & BI industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
What are the best Analytics & BI options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] t.com/) (often best if you’re Microsoft 365/Azure-first; strong price/value)
- [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/) (strong visual exploration; widely adopted in business teams)
- [Qlik Sense](https://www.qlik.com/us/products/qlik-sense) (associative engine; strong governed self-service patterns)
- [Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker) (semantic modeling with LookML; best fit for governed metrics in GCP-centric orgs)
- [SAP Analytics Cloud](https://www.sap.com/products/technology-platform/cloud-analytics.html) (common in SAP landscapes)
- [IBM Cognos Analytics](https://www.ibm.com/products/cognos [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] analytics-heavy orgs)
- [TIBCO Spotfire](https://www.tibco.com/products/tibco-spotfire) (visual analytics; industrial use cases)
### Cloud provider–native BI (tight integration, quick time-to-value)
- [Amazon QuickSight](https://aws.amazon.com/quicksight/) (AWS-native; pay-per-session options)
- [Looker Studio](https://lookerstudio.google.com/) (formerly Data Studio; lightweight dashboards and sharing)
- [Azure (Microsoft Fabric)](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-fabric) (end-to-end analytics platform that tightly pairs with [Power BI](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/))
### “Modern BI” / o [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] abricks.com/dataaisummit) ([Databricks](https://www.databricks.com/) ecosystem)
- [AWS re:Invent](https://reinvent.awsevents.com/) (analytics track includes [Amazon QuickSight](https://aws.amazon.com/quicksight/))
- [Google Cloud Next](https://cloud.withgoogle.com/next) (analytics/BI content incl. [Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker))
Analyst/practitioner conferences:
- [Gartner Data & Analytics Summit](https://www.gartner.com/en/conferences/na/data-analytics-us) ([Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/))
- [ODSC (Open Data Science Conference)](https://odsc.com/)
- [Big Data LDN](https://bigdataldn [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] ent)
---
## 7) Active communities & forums (best places for real-world troubleshooting + patterns)
Vendor/product communities:
- [Microsoft Power BI Community](https://community.powerbi.com/)
- [Tableau Community](https://community.tableau.com/)
- [Qlik Community](https://community.qlik.com/)
- [Looker Community](https://www.googlecloudcommunity.com/gc/Looker/ct-p/looker)
Open-source communities:
- [Apache Superset Community](https://superset.apache.org/community/)
- [Metabase Discourse Forum](https://discourse.metabase.com/)
- [Grafana Community](https://community.grafana.com/)
- [Elastic Discu [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] analytics writing)
---
## 9) Practical “best option” guidance (how teams usually choose)
Common winning patterns:
- **Microsoft-centric orgs**: [Microsoft Fabric](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-fabric) + [Power BI](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/)
- **GCP-centric + governed metrics**: [Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker) (often alongside [BigQuery](https://cloud.google.com/bigquery))
- **Visualization-first business adoption**: [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/)
- **Warehouse-first self-service (Snowflake/BigQuery/Redshift)**: [Sigma Computing](https://www.sigmacomputing.com/) or [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Analytics & BI, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] --
## 2) Most trusted brands (BI & dashboarding)
These are the most common “default choices” you’ll run into in real orgs:
- **Microsoft Power BI** — [Power BI](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/)
- **Tableau** — [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/)
- **Qlik** — [Qlik](https://www.qlik.com/)
- **Looker (Google Cloud)** — [Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker)
- **Amazon QuickSight** — [Amazon QuickSight](https://aws.amazon.com/quicksight/)
- **Apache Superset (open source)** — [Apache Superset](https://superset.apache.org/)
- **Metabase (open source + cloud)** — [Metabase](https://www.me [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] ds (BI & dashboarding)
These are the most common “default choices” you’ll run into in real orgs:
- **Microsoft Power BI** — [Power BI](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/)
- **Tableau** — [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/)
- **Qlik** — [Qlik](https://www.qlik.com/)
- **Looker (Google Cloud)** — [Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker)
- **Amazon QuickSight** — [Amazon QuickSight](https://aws.amazon.com/quicksight/)
- **Apache Superset (open source)** — [Apache Superset](https://superset.apache.org/)
- **Metabase (open source + cloud)** — [Metabase](https://www.metabase.com/)
Useful adja [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Analytics & BI industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] ipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_layer)).
- **AI copilots embedded into BI**: natural language query, insight explanations, and assisted authoring are now table stakes (e.g., [Microsoft Copilot](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot), [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/), [Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker)).
- **Governance + privacy pressure**: more emphasis on catalogs, lineage, access controls, and policy-based sharing (see [Data governance (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_governance)).
For “who leads,” many buyers look to analyst evaluations such a [...]
[...] prises**: [Power BI](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/) + [Microsoft Fabric](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-fabric)
- **Best for enterprise visualization breadth & ecosystem**: [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/)
- **Best for governed modeling + semantic consistency in Google ecosystems**: [Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker)
- **Best spreadsheet-like cloud analysis on warehouses**: [Sigma Computing](https://www.sigmacomputing.com/)
- **Best for search/AI-driven analysis experiences**: [ThoughtSpot](https://www.thoughtspot.com/)
- **Best open-source BI for teams that can self-host**: [A [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] /www.capterra.com/)
---
## 4) Key companies & providers to know (a practical map)
If you’re mapping the industry, these buckets cover most spend:
1) **BI & analytics apps**: [Microsoft Power BI](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/), [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/), [Qlik](https://www.qlik.com/), [Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker), [MicroStrategy](https://www.microstrategy.com/)
2) **Data platform**: [Snowflake](https://www.snowflake.com/), [Databricks](https://www.databricks.com/), [BigQuery](https://cloud.google.com/bigquery), [Redshift](https://aws.amazon.com/redshift/), [Azure Synapse] [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] ](https://www.getdbt.com/company/))
---
## 6) Emerging startups & notable trends to watch
### Trends
- **AI-assisted BI workflows** (NLQ, automated viz building, narrative explanations): [Microsoft Copilot](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot), [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/), [Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker)
- **Composable analytics stacks** (swap components around the warehouse/lakehouse): [dbt](https://www.getdbt.com/), [Airbyte](https://airbyte.com/), [Apache Airflow](https://airflow.apache.org/)
- **Semantic/metrics consistency as a product**: [dbt](https://www.get [...]
December 30, 2025
What are the best Analytics & BI options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] werbi.microsoft.com/)
* **Tableau (Salesforce)**: Known for its powerful data visualization capabilities and large user community. [Tableau Official Site](https://www.tableau.com/)
* **Qlik**: Focused on active intelligence and data integration. [Qlik Official Site](https://www.qlik.com/)
* **Looker (Google Cloud)**: A modern data platform that provides a unified semantic layer for data. [Looker Official Site](https://cloud.google.com/looker)
* **ThoughtSpot**: A leader in AI-powered search and "Live Analytics." [ThoughtSpot Official Site](https://www.thoughtspot.com/)
* **Sigma Computing* [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] bilities and large user community. [Tableau Official Site](https://www.tableau.com/)
* **Qlik**: Focused on active intelligence and data integration. [Qlik Official Site](https://www.qlik.com/)
* **Looker (Google Cloud)**: A modern data platform that provides a unified semantic layer for data. [Looker Official Site](https://cloud.google.com/looker)
* **ThoughtSpot**: A leader in AI-powered search and "Live Analytics." [ThoughtSpot Official Site](https://www.thoughtspot.com/)
* **Sigma Computing**: A cloud-native analytics platform designed for large-scale data in Snowflake or Databricks. [Si [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Analytics & BI, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] ently the market leader due to its integration with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. [Power BI Official](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/)
* **Tableau (Salesforce)**: Widely considered the gold standard for high-end data visualization and storytelling. [Tableau Official](https://www.tableau.com/)
* **Looker (Google Cloud)**: Known for its unique modeling language (LookML) that centralizes data definitions. [Looker Official](https://cloud.google.com/looker)
### 2. The Modern Data Stack (Infrastructure & Storage)
To do analytics, you need a place to store and move data.
* **Snowflake**: An industry-l [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] powerbi.microsoft.com/)
* **Tableau (Salesforce)**: Widely considered the gold standard for high-end data visualization and storytelling. [Tableau Official](https://www.tableau.com/)
* **Looker (Google Cloud)**: Known for its unique modeling language (LookML) that centralizes data definitions. [Looker Official](https://cloud.google.com/looker)
### 2. The Modern Data Stack (Infrastructure & Storage)
To do analytics, you need a place to store and move data.
* **Snowflake**: An industry-leading cloud data warehouse that decoupled storage from compute. [Snowflake Official](https://www.snowflake.c [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Analytics & BI industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] owerbi.microsoft.com/)
* **Tableau (Salesforce)**: Known for high-end visualization and a massive user community. [Tableau Official](https://www.tableau.com/)
* **Qlik**: Focused on end-to-end data integration and "active intelligence." [Qlik Official](https://www.qlik.com/)
* **Google Cloud (Looker)**: Focuses on governed data modeling and integration with Google Cloud Platform. [Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker)
* **ThoughtSpot**: A leader in "search-driven" analytics and AI-generated insights. [ThoughtSpot](https://www.thoughtspot.com/)
**Industry Analysis Reference:**
* [Gartne [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] a massive user community. [Tableau Official](https://www.tableau.com/)
* **Qlik**: Focused on end-to-end data integration and "active intelligence." [Qlik Official](https://www.qlik.com/)
* **Google Cloud (Looker)**: Focuses on governed data modeling and integration with Google Cloud Platform. [Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker)
* **ThoughtSpot**: A leader in "search-driven" analytics and AI-generated insights. [ThoughtSpot](https://www.thoughtspot.com/)
**Industry Analysis Reference:**
* [Gartner Magic Quadrant for Analytics and BI](https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/5436636)
--- [...]
December 30, 2025
What are the best Analytics & BI options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] esforce): Industry standard for interactive visualizations and dashboards. [Official site](https://www.tableau.com/)
- **Microsoft Power BI**: Affordable, integrates seamlessly with Microsoft ecosystem, strong in enterprise reporting. [Official site](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/)
- **Google Looker**: Cloud-native, excels in semantic modeling and governance. [Official site](https://cloud.google.com/looker)
- **Qlik Sense**: Associative engine for exploratory analysis. [Official site](https://www.qlik.com/us/products/qlik-sense)
- **ThoughtSpot**: AI-driven search-based analytics (spot intelli [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] ent. [2024 site](https://www.tableau.com/conference)
- **Gartner Data & Analytics Summit**: Strategic insights. [US 2024](https://www.gartner.com/en/conferences/na/data-analytics-us)
- **Microsoft Ignite**: Power BI deep dives. [Site](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ignite)
- **Google Cloud Next**: Looker sessions. [Site](https://cloud.google.com/events/next)
- **Strata Data & AI Conference (O'Reilly)**: Cutting-edge talks. [NY 2024](https://conferences.oreilly.com/ai/ai-ny)
- **TDWI Transform**: Education-focused. [Site](https://tdwi.org/conferences/transform/)
Calendar: 10Times BI events [link](h [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] gence**: 50k+ members. [Subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/BusinessIntelligence/)
- **Reddit r/dataanalysis**: Practical advice. [Subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/dataanalysis/)
- **Reddit r/dataisbeautiful**: Visualization inspiration. [Subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/)
- **Looker Discourse**: Developer community. [Link](https://community.looker.com/)
Slack/Discord: dbt Community [Slack](https://www.getdbt.com/community/join-slack), Hex Community [link](https://hex.tech/community).
### Influential Publications and Media
Sources for news, reports, and trends:
- **Gartner I [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Analytics & BI, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] nd data visualization. Recommended for beginners due to its drag-and-drop interface. [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/)
- **Microsoft Power BI**: Excellent for integration with Microsoft ecosystems (Excel, Azure). Free tier available, highly scalable. [Power BI](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/)
- **Looker** (Google Cloud): Strong in embedded analytics and SQL-based modeling. Ideal for enterprises. [Looker](https://looker.com/)
- **Qlik Sense**: Associative engine for exploratory analysis. Great for self-service BI. [Qlik](https://www.qlik.com/us/products/qlik-sense)
- **Google Looker Studio** (forme [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] /www.tableau.com/)
- **Microsoft Power BI**: Excellent for integration with Microsoft ecosystems (Excel, Azure). Free tier available, highly scalable. [Power BI](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/)
- **Looker** (Google Cloud): Strong in embedded analytics and SQL-based modeling. Ideal for enterprises. [Looker](https://looker.com/)
- **Qlik Sense**: Associative engine for exploratory analysis. Great for self-service BI. [Qlik](https://www.qlik.com/us/products/qlik-sense)
- **Google Looker Studio** (formerly Data Studio): Free, integrates seamlessly with Google Analytics and BigQuery. [Looker Studio](http [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] osoft.com/)
- **Looker** (Google Cloud): Strong in embedded analytics and SQL-based modeling. Ideal for enterprises. [Looker](https://looker.com/)
- **Qlik Sense**: Associative engine for exploratory analysis. Great for self-service BI. [Qlik](https://www.qlik.com/us/products/qlik-sense)
- **Google Looker Studio** (formerly Data Studio): Free, integrates seamlessly with Google Analytics and BigQuery. [Looker Studio](https://lookerstudio.google.com/)
- **Amazon QuickSight**: Serverless BI service with ML insights, best for AWS users. [Amazon QuickSight](https://aws.amazon.com/quicksight/)
**Comparis [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] nterprises. [Looker](https://looker.com/)
- **Qlik Sense**: Associative engine for exploratory analysis. Great for self-service BI. [Qlik](https://www.qlik.com/us/products/qlik-sense)
- **Google Looker Studio** (formerly Data Studio): Free, integrates seamlessly with Google Analytics and BigQuery. [Looker Studio](https://lookerstudio.google.com/)
- **Amazon QuickSight**: Serverless BI service with ML insights, best for AWS users. [Amazon QuickSight](https://aws.amazon.com/quicksight/)
**Comparisons and Reviews**:
- Gartner Magic Quadrant for Analytics and BI Platforms (2024): Positions leaders like [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Analytics & BI industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] ics:
- **Microsoft Power BI**: Dominant in market share (~30% per some estimates), excels in integration with Microsoft ecosystem. [Power BI](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/)
- **Tableau (Salesforce)**: Leader in visualization and self-service BI. [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/)
- **Google Looker**: Strong in semantic modeling and cloud-native BI. [Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker)
- **Qlik**: Known for associative analytics engine. [Qlik](https://www.qlik.com/us/)
- **ThoughtSpot**: AI-driven search-based analytics. [ThoughtSpot](https://www.thoughtspot.com/)
- Others in leader quad [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] % per some estimates), excels in integration with Microsoft ecosystem. [Power BI](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/)
- **Tableau (Salesforce)**: Leader in visualization and self-service BI. [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/)
- **Google Looker**: Strong in semantic modeling and cloud-native BI. [Looker](https://cloud.google.com/looker)
- **Qlik**: Known for associative analytics engine. [Qlik](https://www.qlik.com/us/)
- **ThoughtSpot**: AI-driven search-based analytics. [ThoughtSpot](https://www.thoughtspot.com/)
- Others in leader quadrants: SAP Analytics Cloud [SAP](https://www.sap.com/product [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] ----------|-------------|
| Self-Service BI & Viz | Power BI, Tableau | Ease of use, dashboards | [G2 BI Tools Grid](https://www.g2.com/categories/business-intelligence-bi) |
| Augmented Analytics | ThoughtSpot, Sisense | AI search, NLQ | [Sisense](https://www.sisense.com/) |
| Cloud BI Platforms | Looker, Domo | Scalability, embedding | [Domo](https://www.domo.com/) |
| Enterprise Reporting | Qlik Sense, MicroStrategy | Associative data, mobility | [MicroStrategy](https://www.microstrategy.com/) |
| Alternatives/Comparisons | See [G2](https://www.g2.com/categories/business-intelligence-bi), [Capter [...]