Alteryx thinks it's managed to humanize cloud-borne Big Data, a good thing too since its analytics is directed at normal business folk as well as data analysts.

In the fashion of the times it's combined its sophisticated analytics - its stuff is used by such as Wal-Mart, MacDonald's, Sprint and the top 10 wireless providers - with a consumer-based social enterprise experience.

It's supposed to let organizations get to the value of Big Data exponentially faster.

Alteryx figures that makes it a pioneer.

By adding a new Salesforce.com connector, Alteryx claims it's the only analytics solution that can deliver deeper customer insight by integrating cloud application data with Big Data, spreadsheets, databases, packaged content and social media sources.

The widgetry is in the 8.0 rev of its Strategic Analytics software, which now includes a so-called Analytics Gallery, the first app store for Big Data analytics.

Leveraging a public and private cloud model, the Analytics Gallery provides analytics consumers with an intuitive, store-like experience where they can exchange ideas, as well as create, consume and share analytic apps securely in a community of other business or data analysts - which Alteryx calls data artisans.

Alteryx president George Mathew scoffs at traditional analytics platform vendors who "think that cloud analytics means hosting their difficult-to-use and costly solutions in a public cloud, putting huge constraints on the potential for Big Data and analytics to unleash creativity."

Alteryx users can instantly access, share and curate collections of applications and, to save a lot of time and bother, the Alteryx Analytics Gallery comes with more than 30 free downloadable proven analytic applications.

The company says these are best practice applications that will help answer the big questions that drive organizational performance across a number of industries, including retail, communications and marketing services. Best practice apps are also available for sales, marketing, real estate and finance.

The company also claims the Analytics Gallery widgetry provides the fastest way to design and publish analytic applications by enabling fast, single-click publishing to public or private clouds, community sharing of best practices and a new scheduler. Developers won't be confined by the limitations and costs associated with IT infrastructure processes and procurement.

Strategic Analytics 8.0 is supposed to offer an easier way for data analysts to integrate and do their analyses with the entry-level Strategic Analytics Personal Edition, which can ingest, combine and analyze data from any source to answer complex business questions at a lower price point.

Alteryx has been profitable for the better part of 10 years but last year it took in a $6 million A round from SAP to grow, adding talent and investing in R&D.