Tableau Software : Kicking off our 11th Tableau Conference with 17,000 data rockstars

The #TC18 opening keynote was all about the incredible impact that analytics can create when put into the hands of people making decisions. We heard from Debbie Reynolds, Vice President of Data and Analytic Innovation at Pfizer, about how collaborating with data means better patient identification and diagnosis, faster clinical trials and products to market, and improved health outcomes for society.

Another great example of analytics impact came to life through our partnership with PATH in the #VisualizeNoMalaria initiative, which has already helped drive a 90% reduction in malaria-related deaths in southern Zambia.

Our CEO, Adam Selipsky, doubled down on our commitment to help solve the biggest world challenges with data by pledging to grant $100 million in software, training, and financial support through Tableau Foundation between now and 2025. This includes an equity donation of $25 million early next year to fund the Foundation's work. Read more about the news in our press release.

Adam took us for a ride on the road to analytics ubiquity. He drew parallels from technology innovations like refrigeration-that went from ice cellars to electrical fridges in every home. This disruptive technology changed not only how we eat but where we live, and modernized entire industries. We experienced a similar transformation with the Internet-which most of the world completely misunderstood only 25 years ago. And now analytics is on the same path. With the broad use we are starting to see, worldwide impact becomes real.

'We, here in this room, we're making it happen. This is the beginning of the era of analytics ubiquity, where we can create great impact.'
- Adam Selipsky

Signs of impact are beginning to show all around us. Academia is growing its focus on data competencies while data-driven enterprises are disrupting entire industries. Data and analytics are driving national agendas in every corner of the globe. It's possible now to see a future where everyone can access and analyze data to make decisions.

Rene Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Data Office at Charles Schwab, shared her story of getting the right data to the right people at the right time, creating efficiency and transparency across the enterprise. Today, more than 30,000 employees at Schwab use Tableau to drive insights that improve their service to clients.

But ubiquity that drives huge impact doesn't happen on its own. We need to fuel it with rapid innovation. And we here at Tableau are continuing to make Tableau the broadest, deepest, and easiest modern analytics platform to use, with the security, governance, and services you need to deploy and scale.

Next up, Chief Product Officer Francois Ajenstat and a handful of Tableau devs took to the stage to give a preview of upcoming innovations to make analytics accessible to everyone. Let's take a look.