Main Causes:
- Salesforce is laying off staff.
- Tableau’s transitioning from a standalone app to a Salesforce “integration”.
- Microsoft Teams is outpacing Slack.
- ChatGPT has been incorporated into Power BI.
- Microsoft is aggressively pursuing the BI market
Salesforce is laying off staff
Salesforce, after acquiring Tableau in 2019, is now significantly reducing the staff that was part of the deal. Bloomberg reported that the job cuts at Tableau were proportionally greater than the rest of the company, signaling that the $15.7 billion acquisition has not met expectations.
The consequences are clear, with fewer people working on Tableau, there’ll be less innovation and updates.
This graphic shows Salesforces shifting priorities, with the executive teams mentions of “Tableau” at corporate events almost zero.
Tableau’s transitioning from a standalone app to a Salesforce “integration”
Tableau is transitioning from a standalone App to a visualization tool baked into the Salesforce suite, as highlighted by CEO Marc Benioff.
Since the acquisition, Tableau’s sales growth has lagged behind the rest of the company, and greater integration seems inevitable, according to Bloomberg and TechMonitor.
While this may benefit Salesforce users, it could diminish Tableau’s status as an independent product and might not appeal to others.
Additionally, Salesforce’s main CRM product faces fierce competition from companies like HubSpot, so integrating Tableau into a product already losing market share is not good.
Microsoft Teams is outpacing Slack
Introduced in 2017, “Teams” was relatively unknown to many just a few years ago. Now, it’s everywhere, with “Teams” meetings becoming a regular occurrence. Its swift ascent likely surprised even the most optimistic Microsoft executives.
While some businesses continue to use Skype (Seriously), the indication is that Microsoft will gradually transition them all to Teams.
Teams is outpacing Slack, as shown below.
The increasing adoption of MS Teams correlates with a decline in market share for Slack. Since Slack is owned by Salesforce, this trend also means more users are being funneled from Tableau into Power BI.
ChatGPT has been incorporated into Power BI
Microsoft, a major investor in OpenAI the creator of ChatGPT, is integrating ChatGPT into Power BI as part of their exclusive partnership.
This integration will bring features such as Quick Insights, Smart Data Discovery, Natural Language querying, AI-Powered Visuals, and Automated Machine Learning to the entire MS ecosystem.
Microsoft is aggressively pursuing the BI market
Microsoft, with its financial strength and expansive platform, will dethrone Tableau.
With Windows on 74% of computers and a strong ecosystem including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams; Power BI is positioning itself as a key player in Data Analytics.
Final Thoughts
For Tableau users it’s not all bad news, your core skills and theoretical knowledge in data analytics and visualization are completely transferable.
While learning the Power BI interface might be necessary, it can be done quickly. Your foundational knowledge as an Analyst will stay with you throughout your career, and if Power BI ever falters, you can adapt your skills to the next innovation. Being open to change ensures you can’t lose.
