Insider Brief
- Sigma has unveiled a suite of new features, including Ask Sigma, an AI-powered natural language query tool that provides transparent, editable analysis while enhancing user understanding of data, and AI Query, enabling direct application of AI/ML models like LLMs within Sigma’s formula bar.
- The platform now supports write-back functionality for Amazon Redshift, allowing users to streamline workflows by updating data directly in the warehouse, and introduced enhanced pivot table features, customizable subtotals, and automated reporting via Export Bursting for efficient stakeholder communication.
- These updates reflect Sigma’s commitment to combining AI-driven insights with enterprise-grade tools, empowering teams to collaborate on actionable data while maintaining governance, transparency, and operational efficiency.
PRESS RELEASE — Sigma, the only cloud analytics platform with data warehouse writeback, has announced a powerful suite of new features designed to empower both data teams and business users. This launch combines cutting-edge AI advancements, enterprise-grade reporting tools, and infrastructure enhancements while upholding governance and reliability.
First, Sigma is introducing Ask Sigma, a natural language query interface that responds to a user’s question while also guiding them through every step of the analytical thought process and showcasing which “chain of thought” analysis methods are performed to achieve an answer.
It is thoughtfully designed to help users solve their questions and learn new analytical skills with the guidance of AI. Unlike most other AI features in data analytics platforms, Ask Sigma gives users full transparency into its decision logic, and allows users to edit any step of its analysis. Ask Sigma will incorporate user input into its modified analysis, rather than starting over like most other AI helpers do. It also provides additional analysis relevant to the user and nudges them to explore the results further in a Sigma workbook. This holistic approach to answering a question helps broaden the user’s understanding of their data.
One of Ask Sigma’s early customers is Clay, the New York-based AI company that is one of the fastest-growing startups of 2024.
“We’re enabling self-serve analytics at Clay, and Ask Sigma is playing a key role in our process,” said Josh Hanson, founding data scientist at Clay. “Ask Sigma not only points users in the right direction, it also breaks down exactly what it did so users can have greater confidence in the results. The way Ask Sigma is designed makes it feel more like a partner to the user, helping them identify data trends and learn new analysis skills. It’s already saved our data team time and helped more business stakeholders self-serve their analytics at Clay.”
At today’s product launch, Sigma also highlighted AI Query, which enables teams to easily apply AI/ML models to data. With AI Query, data teams can take advantage of the newest Gen AI functionality like summarization, classification, and open-ended prompting directly in Sigma’s formula bar. As long as the customer’s cloud warehouse exposes LLMs through a SQL function, they can call on them directly in Sigma.
“AI is transforming how organizations interact with their data,” said Rob Woollen, Sigma co-founder and CTO. “With Ask Sigma and AI Query, we’re making AI accessible and transparent, enabling teams to leverage advanced analytics while maintaining complete visibility into how insights are generated.”
In addition to the new AI features, Sigma also announced an expansion of its industry-leading write-back capabilities to include Amazon Redshift through Input Tables. Teams can now write data back to Amazon Redshift directly from Sigma, streamlining workflows without needing external ETL tools. This feature enhances collaboration and reduces manual steps in data processes.
“As the only analytics platform that enables users to both analyze and update data directly in their cloud data warehouse, this expansion helps even more organizations turn their data warehouses into dynamic hubs for collaboration and decision-making,” said Mike Palmer, CEO at Sigma.
Enhanced Operational Reporting Capabilities
Sigma also introduced comprehensive updates to its pivot table functionality and reporting capabilities:
- Customizable Subtotals: Customize subtotals within pivot tables to help analyze financial reports and performance metrics more effectively, offering more granular control over data summaries.
- Advanced Hierarchies: Manage and model complex organizational relationships, enabling more effective slicing and dicing of financial, sales, and operational data.
- Export Bursting: Automate customized report generation and distribution at scale. Export Bursting ensures that reports are consistent and delivered efficiently to relevant stakeholders, saving time and resources.
“Our latest release represents a major step forward in empowering data-driven decision-making,” Palmer said. “By integrating AI-powered features with enterprise-grade reliability, we’re enabling organizations to put actionable data in the hands of every team member and enabling those teams to contribute their knowledge to the system driving smarter decisions and impactful results, all while ensuring robust governance and trust.”
Additional Resources
Learn more about these features and other platform enhancements in our launch blog post at www.sigmacomputing.com/blog/winter-2024-product-launch.
ABOUT SIGMA
Sigma redefines business intelligence by enabling instant, in-depth data analysis on billions of records through an intuitive spreadsheet interface. Its write-back capability and comprehensive support system accelerate organizational growth and innovation.
CONTACT
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