Tableau expands AWS partnership with new cloud migration initiative

Tableau is expanding its partnership with Amazon Web Services with the launch of a new initiative called Modern Cloud Analytics (MCA), the companies announced Tuesday. In a nutshell, MCA combines AWS's scale and infrastructure performance with Tableau's migration, integration and analytics tools. The aim is to help enterprises adopt a cloud-based analytics strategy by migrating data and analytics workloads to AWS. 

MCA extends and builds on existing integrations between Tableau and AWS, including native data connectors to services like Amazon Redshift and Amazon Athena as well as AWS Quick Start deployment guides. 

The companies are pitching MCA as a set of guiding principles and proven migration methodologies that will help customers as they deploy self-service analytics in the cloud.

"Organizations must continuously evaluate their data strategy to remain competitive and deliver impactful customer experiences," said Doug Yeum, head of worldwide channels and alliances for AWS. "We're delighted to evolve our longtime strategic relationship with Tableau to further provide customers with unique, integrated solutions and a proven enterprise cloud platform as they modernize their analytics capabilities."

The first phase of MCA is focused on helping customers migrate workloads to AWS. Launch partners InterWorks, Slalom and TEKsystems, which each offer established MCA-based programs to aid customers in the migration process. 

In separate announcements, Tableau -- which was acquired by Salesforce for $15.7 billion -- announced a series of key partner integrations and the launch of a redesigned partner network. 

The integrations include new connectors for deploying Tableau servers on Alibaba's cloud; an integration with Alteryx via Tableau's Hyper API for inputting large data files; and a new extension with DataRobot that lets joint customers publish AI predictions as an accessible Tableau data source. 

Tableau also announced new integrations with cloud analytics company Kyvos, location data company Mapbox, AI software maker Narrative Science, data processing player Qubole, and data warehouse provider Yellowbrick. 

The new Tableau Partner Network is broken out into three tracks – Reseller, Services and Technology –  which Tableau said are aligned with its core partner business models. Additionally, new requirements are being introduced to certify partner expertise across major customer areas. 

Tableau this week also detailed its Blueprint framework, which was first unveiled at the company's TC Europe conference in June. Tableau describes Blueprint as a methodology for enterprises to build a data driven organization. It essentially takes all of the knowledge and best practices for deploying and scaling a data analytics platform, and puts in into one framework, canonized with a common vocabulary.

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