ManageEngine launches Analytics Plus 6.0 with AI Spotlight feature

ManageEngine has released an upgraded version of its IT analytics platform, Analytics Plus 6.0, which introduces an AI-powered contextual recommendations engine known as Spotlight. This new feature aims to identify inefficiencies in IT operations and provide strategic recommendations for addressing these challenges, thereby significantly reducing the time required for IT managers and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to analyse metrics and implement corrective measures.

The 2023 State of Analytics Engineering report highlighted that nearly 50% of surveyed directors identified the time taken to gain business insights as a major challenge. Spotlight seeks to alleviate this issue by offering contextual decision-making tools that pinpoint operational inefficiencies and suggest immediate remedies. For example, the platform can analyse correlations such as the age of IT assets, their frequency of failure, and the mean time to repair to recommend the optimal time frame for asset replacement, avoiding undue premature disposal or retention.

Samantha Hall, Service Delivery Manager at Leathams, a UK-based food supplying company, commented on the challenge addressed by this new feature, stating, "While traditional analytics tools excel at providing a platform for analysing any type of data, they often lack the necessary context of the data they are analysing. Deriving meaningful and context-specific insights is becoming increasingly challenging due to a significant disconnect: the people performing the analysis are skilled at mining data but often lack the IT context, making it difficult to translate findings into actionable business decisions."

In addition to Spotlight, Analytics Plus 6.0 incorporates a built-in AI engine that continuously monitors for bottlenecks and operational inefficiencies. This intelligent assistant provides IT managers with actionable tips to swiftly address these issues. "Organisations no longer want to spend hours mining data for actionable insights. They require ready-made strategies that they can implement immediately to see rapid results," said Rakesh Jayaprakash, product manager and chief analytics evangelist at ManageEngine. Jayaprakash noted the existing gap in traditional tools which are focused on automation rather than strategic decision-making, a gap that Spotlight aims to bridge.

The new version also introduces a Root Cause Analysis feature, designed to identify top factors contributing to specific trends, allowing IT managers to backtest their decisions and verify their efficacy. For example, if new tools are implemented for automatic resolution of L1 network issues, this feature can highlight the reduction in such issues and their impact on network uptime.

Furthermore, Analytics Plus 6.0 offers a no-code ML platform, enabling users to create customised and complex machine learning models without needing to write code. Traditionally confined to experts, ML model development is now accessible to IT managers who can build models based on their unique data sets and specific requirements. This development allows for more precise models directly aligned with the data users frequently interact with.

Another significant enhancement in Analytics Plus 6.0 is the Unified IT Metrics Library, which consolidates all KPIs from an IT environment into a single, searchable repository. This approach facilitates comprehensive metric analysis and enables cross-correlation between different IT data points, providing a holistic view of the IT operations.

"Traditional IT data analysis is often confined within individual tools. For instance, resolution time of incidents is limited to ITSM while mean time to repair a device is restricted to IT operations management. This inhibits cross-correlation and prevents organisations from obtaining a complete picture of their IT infrastructure. By analysing all these metrics together in a centralised platform, organisations can unlock significant value," Jayaprakash added.

Overall, according to the company the new version of Analytics Plus aims to enhance IT operational efficiency with its range of advanced features including Spotlight, Root Cause Analysis, no-code ML model development, and a comprehensive metrics library. These updates are designed to facilitate quicker, more informed decision-making processes within IT departments.