REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alation, Inc., the data intelligence company, today announced the expansion of its global operations in Japan. Alation partnered with NTT DATA, a global digital business and IT services leader, to resell Alation and help more Japanese organizations find, understand, and trust their data. This builds on growing adoption by customers in the region, such as NTT DOCOMO, the leading wireless voice and data communications provider. Now, more organizations can leverage Alation to deliver AI-ready data enterprise-wide and accelerate digital transformations.

According to IDC, by 2028, 80% of CIOs in Japanese organizations will adopt AI, automation, and analytics to expedite digital transformation, focusing on cloud-first strategiesⁱ. This shift is prompting increased investments in modernizing technology stacks, which allow users to leverage data to improve products, services, and business models. However, valuable data often remains in silos, restricting access and trust in data spread across the business. Alation centralizes metadata from disparate sources into a single platform that facilitates the discovery, description, governance, and management of data assets and products, including BI reports and AI models. This enables data and AI/ML engineers, data scientists, and business analysts to easily find, understand, and trust these resources. Alation accelerates the execution of data and AI initiatives, boosting the realization of business value and reinforcing a data culture at scale. 

The new reseller agreement with NTT DATA will fuel the adoption of the Alation Data Intelligence Platform, providing seamless and governed data access across organizations. This partnership will extend data intelligence to more Japanese enterprises, facilitating informed decision-making that drives innovation and improves business outcomes. NTT DOCOMO is one of more than 550 organizations, including 40% of Fortune 100 companies, that rely on Alation to unlock data potential and cultivate a strong data culture. Using Alation, NTT DOCOMO has significantly improved self-service analytics, achieving a 30% reduction in data analysts’ workloads. This has sped up decision-making and strengthened digital transformation efforts.  

'Alation is a critical partner in addressing Japanese organizations' surging demand for data intelligence,” said Kazumasa Taninaka, Head of Design and Technology Sector at NTT DATA. “This partnership is poised to break down the barriers of data silos, equipping Japanese organizations with the essential tools for enhanced, data-driven decision-making. We trust the Alation Data Intelligence Platform enables and improves collaboration of data access and visualization of values in data by enterprise users. Together, we are enabling more organizations to leverage data for reliable AI and decision-making, fostering smarter analysis, decisions, and strategic judgments. This collaboration not only accelerates digital transformation but also ensures organizations are AI-ready and remain competitive in a fast-evolving landscape.'

'The Alation Data Intelligence Platform is indispensable in helping our teams proficiently navigate complex data landscapes, significantly bolstering our strategic decision-making,” said Takashi Suzuki, General Manager of the Data Platform Department at NTT DOCOMO. 'By streamlining analytics and fostering a culture of collaboration, Alation enhances our operational efficiencies and also empowers our teams to deliver actionable insights. The platform's robust data search and discovery capabilities have notably improved our productivity in data utilization, creating an environment where data analysts are focused and efficient. Within two months of its company-wide implementation, over 2,400 users were seamlessly integrated, facilitating more efficient data discovery and markedly boosting our operational efficiencies.”

'Expanding our presence in Japan strengthens our global strategy to meet the rising demand for data intelligence as organizations strive to become data-driven and fast-track digital transformation,' said Eyal Mekler, General Manager of APAC at Alation. 'A series of recent milestones in APAC bolster this strategic expansion into the Japanese market. These include establishing reseller partnerships with NTT DATA following ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation, inaugurating a Japan Data Center, securing IMDA accreditation in Singapore, and opening a new office in Chennai. With Alation, organizations can access a best-of-breed platform that provides reliable, high-quality data for maintaining competitiveness and accelerating AI and data initiatives. Our commitment is to empower data teams to innovate rapidly across various sectors, ensuring they leverage the full potential of their data for strategic advantage and innovation.”

Alation at Snowflake Summit 2024

• Visit booth #1330 to discover how Alation meets the surging global demand for data intelligence.
• Join the 'Democratizing Data Across NTT DOCOMO with Streamlit' session to explore how NTT DOCOMO leverages Streamlit and Alation to make data assets widely accessible and usable. This presentation—presented by Takashi Suzuki, General Manager of Data Platform Department at NTT DOCOMO, and Naoharu Yamada, Senior Manager of Data Platform Department at NTT DOCOMO—will provide insights into the strategies and technologies that enhance data democratization within the organization.

About Alation
Alation is the leader in enterprise data intelligence solutions, enabling self-service analytics, cloud transformation, data governance, and AI-ready data. More than 550 enterprises build data culture and improve data-driven decision-making with Alation, including Cisco, Nasdaq, Pfizer, Salesforce, and Virgin Australia. Alation has been named to Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces list four times, is a 2022 UK’s Best Workplaces™ in tech and Best Workplaces™ for Women, and recognized as a 2022 and 2023 UK’s Best Workplaces™. For more information, visit www.alation.com.

Media Contact
Lauren Lloyd
PR Director
541-490-6115
lauren.lloyd@alation.com

ⁱ  IDC, AI Adoption to Soar in Asia/Pacific Japan: IDC Predicts 80% of CIOs Will Harness AI by 2028, November 9, 2023