Vianai Systems is giving enterprise analytics a serious AI upgrade. The company today announced that hila, its agentic deep-analytics solution, is now integrated directly into Gemini Enterprise and available through the Google Cloud Marketplace—a move that could streamline how business users, analysts, and executives access and interpret enterprise data.

For companies buried under the weight of BI dashboards and middleware stacks, hila offers a refreshing alternative: a GenAI-driven personal data analyst capable of answering complex business questions in plain language. Think of it as ChatGPT meets your finance and supply chain systems—only faster and more contextually aware.

With hila running on Google Cloud, users can query live data from BigQuery, ERP systems, or mixed sources without requiring traditional analytics setup. Common use cases range from identifying cost-cutting levers to spotting anomalies in procurement patterns. For instance, executives can ask hila to “recommend concrete levers to cut operating costs by 10% without affecting revenue” or “flag Q2 2025 gross margin declines by product and channel.”

At its core, hila combines proprietary technology for business knowledge capture and accurate analytical code generation, allowing enterprises to bypass the usual bottlenecks in decision-making. The system also provides interactive charts, detailed reports, and granular context modeling, all designed to help decision-makers move from data to action faster.

Dr. Vishal Sikka, Founder and CEO of Vianai Systems, positioned the launch as a pivotal shift in enterprise analytics:

“GenAI has opened a door to this capability, leapfrogging traditional analytical stacks and business processes, which are slow, unresponsive, and expensive,” Sikka said. “With hila on Gemini Enterprise, every business professional gains instant, interactive access to deep insights across operational data—from finance to HR to supply chain.”

Google Cloud’s Kevin Ichhpurani echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that hila leverages the Gemini model’s intelligence to help organizations “deploy sophisticated analytics without technical expertise.”

The timing couldn’t be better. As enterprises increasingly turn to GenAI for decision support, hila’s native availability on Google Cloud positions Vianai Systems squarely among leaders like Salesforce’s Einstein Copilot and Microsoft’s Fabric Copilot—both vying to democratize data insights through conversational AI.

If the early traction within large organizations is any indication, Vianai’s bet on agentic analytics may redefine how companies interact with data—making insights as accessible as asking a question.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

">

As AI reshapes how users find information online, Adogy wants to make sure brands aren’t left behind. The digital marketing agency, known for its work in Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), has released a new industry report titled Top Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Agencies in the World—a guide aimed at helping businesses navigate the fast-evolving world of AI-driven search.

Unlike traditional SEO, which revolves around keywords and backlinks, GEO focuses on discoverability within AI-generated responses—think Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), ChatGPT, and Bing Copilot. The discipline ensures that when users ask AI systems for insights, products, or recommendations, a brand’s name surfaces naturally and accurately.

“AI search is redefining how people discover brands,” said Tim Worstell, Chief of Digital at Adogy. “This guide gives businesses a clear framework for choosing GEO partners who know how to position content effectively for AI-driven platforms, not just traditional search engines.”

The report ranks GEO agencies based on performance, innovation, authority leverage, and client impact:

• Performance evaluates how well agencies boost brand visibility within generative search environments.

• Innovation measures their ability to deploy new tools and techniques tailored to AI search models.

• Authority leverage assesses how agencies convert media mentions into long-term GEO benefits.

• Client impact examines tangible outcomes like increased brand mentions, organic traffic, and inclusion in AI-generated summaries.

Adogy’s findings underscore a shift in SEO fundamentals. Mentions in authoritative publications now carry more weight than ever, semantic clarity is outperforming keyword stuffing, and AI visibility is fast becoming the new search currency.

For businesses, this marks a turning point: success in generative search means understanding not just what people query—but how AI interprets, contextualizes, and presents those answers. Adogy, which blends SEO, digital PR, and GEO, is positioning itself as a key navigator for brands adapting to this new search landscape.

As large language models increasingly mediate how consumers discover products and services, one thing is clear—brands that ignore GEO risk becoming invisible in the next era of search.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

Zoom’s not just for meetings anymore. The company today announced that Zoom Phone, its AI-first cloud telephony platform, has officially crossed 10 million seats globally—a milestone that underscores both the rapid rise of AI-driven business communications and the decline of legacy PBX systems.

Launched in 2019, Zoom Phone has evolved into one of the fastest-growing cloud calling solutions in the market, competing head-to-head with enterprise mainstays like Microsoft Teams Phone, RingCentral, and Cisco Webex Calling. Its appeal lies in simplicity and intelligence: an AI-powered communication layer that unifies voice, meetings, messaging, and contact center interactions on a single, scalable platform.

“Reaching 10 million seats isn’t just a milestone for Zoom—it demonstrates that organizations across the globe are rethinking what their phone system can do,” said Chris Moss, General Manager of Zoom Phone. “Customers are realizing tangible value via simpler management, reduced costs, and smarter interactions powered by AI.”

That intelligence is more than a buzzword. Zoom Phone taps into the company’s AI Companion to transcribe calls, summarize meetings, and assist in real-time communications. This move aligns with a broader enterprise trend: embedding AI into collaboration tools to automate routine tasks and improve responsiveness.

Industry analysts see the growth as validation of Zoom’s strategy. Zeus Kerravala, principal analyst at ZK Research, called the milestone “remarkable, but unsurprising,” pointing to Zoom’s knack for innovation and user satisfaction. The company, he noted, applied the same customer-first, iterative model that made its video platform dominant to its telephony product—an approach paying clear dividends.

Real-world use cases back that up. Sydney Film Festival, for instance, reported an 81% reduction in phone costs during its peak period after switching to Zoom Phone—a figure that neatly captures the platform’s promise of cost efficiency and operational agility.

This momentum also signals Zoom’s broader evolution into a unified communications powerhouse. Beyond meetings and calling, the company is integrating AI capabilities across mobility, messaging, and customer engagement tools, creating a seamless ecosystem for modern hybrid workplaces.

For businesses still tethered to outdated phone systems, the message is clear: the future of communication isn’t just cloud-first—it’s AI-first, and Zoom wants to be at the center of it.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

">

Alloy is turning up the heat on its marketing transformation strategy. The Atlanta-based agency, known for blending creativity with data-driven strategy, announced the acquisition of fellow Atlanta firm Hot Sauce, a digital marketing agency recognized for its expertise in martech and growth marketing.

The move signals Alloy’s deepening investment in AI-era marketing, uniting Hot Sauce’s martech know-how with Alloy’s existing portfolio of strategy, branding, and performance solutions. Together, the combined team aims to deliver more powerful, technology-enabled campaigns for clients navigating increasingly complex buyer journeys.

Founded in 2010, Hot Sauce carved a niche helping technology, financial services, and public sector clients refine their messaging and engage target audiences through digital transformation. Its data-driven approach and expertise in marketing technology make it a natural fit for Alloy’s growth-focused vision.

“Alloy’s mission has always been to help brands stand out, connect, convert, and grow,” said Raj Choudhury, CEO of Alloy. “Hot Sauce’s martech talent and experience in running sophisticated campaigns strengthen our capabilities, especially as we help clients reach and influence buyers in an AI-powered landscape.”

The acquisition comes amid a period of explosive growth for Alloy. The company recently ranked 121st among metro Atlanta’s fastest-growing businesses and 132nd statewide on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list—rising over 300 national spots from the prior year. A three-year revenue jump of 143% underscores its expanding leadership in the marketing and technology space. Alloy also landed a spot on the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Pacesetter List of the city’s 75 fastest-growing private companies.

For George Carless, founder of Hot Sauce, joining Alloy represents a strategic alignment. “We’ve long admired Alloy’s vision and share a similar mission,” Carless said. “Our team is thrilled to join forces and help shape the next chapter of the agency’s growth.”

Under the deal, Hot Sauce’s full team will integrate into Alloy, with its leadership taking active roles in guiding expanded martech and digital growth initiatives. The partnership underscores a broader trend in the marketing industry: agencies consolidating capabilities to keep pace with AI, automation, and evolving buyer behavior.

With the acquisition, Alloy positions itself as a stronger contender in the competitive martech ecosystem—where intelligence, agility, and integration are fast becoming the new differentiators.

Meta description (150 characters):
Alloy acquires Hot Sauce to expand its martech and digital growth expertise, fueling AI-era marketing innovation and client impact.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

">

Quad/Graphics Inc. is giving audience segmentation a conversational upgrade. The marketing experience company today announced the rollout of natural language prompting within its proprietary Audience Builder platform—powered by Snowflake’s Cortex AI—allowing marketers to create precise audience segments simply by typing conversational commands.

For an industry long reliant on data specialists and SQL queries, the shift is significant. Instead of writing complex queries, users can now ask questions like, “Build an audience of competitive bike riders in South Carolina,” and Audience Builder translates the request into an actionable dataset in seconds.

The integration with Snowflake’s Cortex AI enables Quad to tap into billions of household-level data points covering 92% of U.S. households and nearly 97% of the adult population. By using Snowflake’s natural language processing capabilities, Quad’s system can interpret prompts, analyze stored audience attributes, and enrich them with third-party demographic data—dramatically reducing the time and technical skill needed to design targeted campaigns.

“By tapping Snowflake’s AI expertise for natural language prompts, we’re introducing a new level of innovation to our audience targeting process,” said George Forge, Senior Vice President of Client Technology & Product Development at Quad. “In the increasingly complex world of marketing, we’re making it even easier, faster, and more precise to gather insights, build audiences, and help our clients make meaningful connections with their customers.”

Snowflake sees this as part of a larger trend in marketing AI. “Our collaboration with Quad is a testament to how AI can transform how marketers interact with their data,” said Erin Foxworthy, Global Head of Marketing & Advertising at Snowflake. “By combining natural language processing with the ease of use of the Snowflake platform, we’re helping brands unlock sophisticated insights and act on them with speed and precision.”

Quad originally developed Audience Builder to give advertisers a more transparent and efficient way to reach relevant audiences—especially as walled gardens like Google and Meta restrict data access. By leveraging household-based data, rather than volatile identifiers like email or IP addresses, Quad claims to provide a more stable, long-term foundation for cross-channel marketing.

The new AI prompt feature is another sign of how AI-driven audience design is becoming a competitive differentiator in marketing technology. While traditional segmentation tools depend on analysts and rigid taxonomies, Quad’s conversational approach lowers the technical barrier and allows marketers to focus on creative strategy rather than data mechanics.

In a landscape where privacy rules, cookie deprecation, and walled gardens have complicated data-driven marketing, Quad’s blend of AI-powered simplicity and household-level precision could help marketers regain some control over their targeting destiny.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

">

The age of AI assistants is giving way to something far more capable: AI agents that act. According to G2’s newly released 2025 AI Agents Insights Report, these systems are no longer experimental toys for the tech-savvy—they’re driving measurable business growth across industries.

Based on responses from over 1,000 B2B decision-makers, G2’s report reveals that 57% of organizations already have AI agents in production, and more than half plan to expand their scope or budgets in the next 12 months. It’s a striking sign that AI agents—autonomous systems capable of executing tasks and coordinating workflows—have crossed the adoption chasm faster than the generative AI tools that preceded them.

“Agents are the great leap in the application of AI technology that we’ve all been waiting for,” said Tim Sanders, Chief Innovation Officer at G2. “This shift moves us from measuring individual productivity to predicting organizational velocity.”

From Hype to Business Outcomes

Unlike the first wave of generative AI, which primarily assisted and advised, AI agents act—triggering real business operations and handling decision-based tasks. The report found that the median time to value for agent deployments is six months or less, a turnaround that equals or surpasses traditional AI investments.

Among surveyed companies:

• 40% have budgets exceeding $1 million for agent initiatives.

• 25% of large enterprises are prepared to spend over $5 million.

• 83% of buyers report satisfaction with agent performance.

• Velocity gains of up to 50% were reported in marketing and sales functions.

That momentum is translating into measurable operational gains. G2 data shows a median 23% improvement in speed-to-market, and nearly 90% of respondents reported higher employee satisfaction in departments where agents were deployed—suggesting that automation, when implemented thoughtfully, can enhance morale rather than threaten it.

Trust, the Key to Scaling AI

Perhaps the most telling insight: organizations that keep a “human in the loop” are seeing dramatically better results. These hybrid models were twice as likely to achieve 75% or greater cost savings compared to fully autonomous setups. In other words, trust isn’t just ethical—it’s economical.

“Agent systems are far more likely to advance to deployment when they maintain human oversight,” Sanders explained. “That’s what’s building the confidence to scale.”

SaaS Must Evolve—or Be Left Behind

The rise of agents is also shaking up the software-as-a-service (SaaS) ecosystem. G2’s report predicts that standalone SaaS tools will soon give way to “agent-augmented platforms.”

Key findings include:

• One in three companies would switch vendors to gain agent functionality.

• 68% of leaders see agents augmenting, not replacing, SaaS applications.

• The Agent-to-Agent (A2A) era has already begun, with half of companies reporting that their AI systems now coordinate across vendors and platforms.

That dynamic is likely to redefine the software market itself—pushing vendors to rethink pricing, packaging, and positioning in an agent-first world.

The Takeaway: AI Agents Are Here to Work

If generative AI represented imagination, AI agents represent execution. The shift from content creation to operational automation is redefining enterprise productivity—and G2’s data suggests the change isn’t theoretical. It’s happening now, across boardrooms, IT stacks, and front-line workflows alike.

As Sanders put it, “The organizations winning in 2025 are those that treat AI not as a tool, but as a teammate.”

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

">

Yext, Inc. (NYSE: YEXT), the leading brand visibility platform, has released a landmark study analyzing 6.8 million AI citations across ChatGPT (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), and Perplexity. The findings reveal that 86% of AI-generated citations originate from brand-controlled sources such as websites and listings — challenging the notion that forums like Reddit dominate AI visibility.

The study emphasizes that AI visibility depends heavily on consumer context — including location and intent — not just brand prominence. “Discussions about measuring AI visibility are missing the most important factor: the consumer,” said Christian J. Ward, Chief Data Officer at Yext. “Our research clears this up. The message for marketers is that the most impactful sources are the ones they already control.”

Key Findings: Owned Sources Lead the AI Citation Race

• Websites dominate: 44% of AI citations come from first-party websites, followed by listings (42%) and reviews/social (8%).

• Forums underperform expectations: Reddit and similar sites accounted for just 2% of citations after factoring in query intent and location.

• Platform differences: Gemini favors websites (52.1%), OpenAI leans toward listings (48.7%), while Perplexity diversifies with MapQuest and TripAdvisor.

• Unbranded queries matter: Nearly 60% of citations for unbranded, objective questions come from first-party websites and local pages.

Industry Breakdown: Control Varies by Sector

• Retail: 47.6% of citations from brand-owned websites.

• Finance: 48.2% from authoritative brand domains.

• Healthcare: 52.6% from directories like WebMD and Vitals.

• Food Service: 13.3% from reviews/social, 41.6% from listings.

Across all industries, Yext found that 86% of citations come from brand-owned or managed assets, giving marketers a clear roadmap to influence their AI visibility.

AI Search Adoption Is Accelerating

According to Yext’s companion report, The Rise of AI Search Archetypes, over half of U.S. consumers now use AI assistants weekly. Yet 64% of marketing leaders remain uncertain how to measure AI search success, and 72% believe AI search will overtake traditional SEO within three years.

“Structured, accurate data is the foundation of digital visibility,” said Mike Walrath, CEO of Yext. “This research proves that when brands control their data, they control their visibility.”

The Road Ahead: How Marketers Can Optimize for AI Search

Yext recommends marketers:

• Measure visibility locally to track citations by source and region.

• Structure brand facts in machine-readable formats connecting locations, services, and providers.

• Distribute verified data to the sources AI models trust most — websites, listings, and reviews.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

Qlik®, a global leader in data integration, analytics, and AI, has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Business Intelligence and Analytics Platforms 2025 Vendor Assessment (doc #US52034725, July 2025).

The IDC report highlights the growing enterprise demand for “decision velocity” — the ability to make fast, data-driven decisions. Qlik’s analytics capabilities enable this through Qlik Cloud Analytics® and Qlik Sense®, which help users explore data, ask questions in natural language, and generate GenAI-powered explanations and actions within their workflows.

Empowering Real-Time Decision Intelligence

“Leaders are asking for one thing: shorten the distance between a question and an action,” said Brendan Grady, General Manager of Analytics at Qlik. “This recognition reflects how our customers apply governed AI and analytics to make confident decisions and automate next steps.”

Enterprises use Qlik’s high-performance analytics engine for in-memory calculations, non-linear data exploration, and AI-assisted insights — all governed to ensure data security. Through open APIs and SDKs, analytics can be embedded directly into applications, workflows, and customer-facing platforms for faster operational execution.

Customers Driving Value with Qlik

“Qlik puts trusted insight into the tools our teams use all day,” said Mikkel Hecht Hansen, Head of BI at Nordisk Film A/S. “We can ask questions in plain language, understand why a recommendation is made, and trigger the next step securely — all within one flow. That’s how we’re operationalizing AI responsibly.”

Analytics Without Boundaries

Qlik’s platform supports hybrid and multi-cloud environments, integrating data from major sources and pushing actionable insights into operational systems. With Qlik Predict™, Qlik Answers®, and event-driven automation, organizations are turning analytics into measurable business outcomes.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.