Microsoft's new analytics tools help you keep track of all your business data

(Image credit: Shutterstock / tanuha2001)

Microsoft has announced that the latest version of its Azure Synapse toolset is now generally available. The updated solution will help businesses to understand where useful data is located and how best to use it, all while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Azure Synapse was originally launched last year and has been well received in that time. Companies across a wide range of industries have already used the tools to bring added value to their customers and plan for strategic changes.

“We started with the hypothesis that it’s too difficult for many organizations to use their own data and deploy AI, and there aren’t enough software engineers on the planet to fill the shoes of all of the analytics that’s going to need to get done,” said John Macintyre, director of product, Azure Synapse and Analytics Platforms at Microsoft. “We knew we could make this tremendously simpler.”

Check out our list of the best cloud analytics software
And here's our list of the best cloud computing services
Also, see our roundup of the best business intelligence tools

Good governance

Microsoft’s new release encompasses Azure Synapse Analytics, a data analytics solution that brings together data integration, enterprise data warehousing, and Big Data analytics into a single service, as well as Azure Purview, a data governance solution that promises to deliver the next-generation of data cataloging.

Data analytics is becoming increasingly important for a wide range of firms, particularly as the amount of digital data being created skyrockets. Already, FedEx has been working with Microsoft to build FedEx Surround, a new platform built using Azure Synapse Analytics to extract more insight, digitize supply chains and enable more efficient deliveries.

However, with more data comes more responsibility. Businesses are under greater pressure than ever to maintain customer privacy and keep information secure. Azure Purview should be a huge help for companies looking to maintain good data governance.

Also, here's our list of the best cloud hosting services

Barclay has been writing about technology for a decade, starting out as a freelancer with ITProPortal covering everything from London’s start-up scene to comparisons of the best cloud storage services. After that, he spent some time as the managing editor of an online outlet focusing on cloud computing, furthering his interest in virtualization, Big Data, and the Internet of Things.