Quest Software launches unified AI-ready data management platform

Quest Software has announced a new strategy and unified data management platform designed to address common barriers preventing enterprise artificial intelligence initiatives from reaching production.

The company's updated approach is shaped by three priorities that many Chief Information Officers consider essential for AI adoption: trusted and AI-ready data, resilient identities, and modernised platforms capable of supporting AI at scale.

AI project challenges

Recent research underscores the difficulties organisations face in achieving success with AI projects. According to a study from MIT, 95 percent of generative AI pilot projects do not make it to production. Similarly, Gartner reports that nearly a third of such initiatives are abandoned after proof-of-concept stages. Both studies highlight a consistent need for stronger data management foundations.

Quest Software's new erwin Data Management Platform is designed to address these issues. By consolidating AI-enabled capabilities for a seamless data management experience, the platform aims to enhance data accuracy and allow for the creation of trusted data products up to 54 percent faster than previous solutions. It automates key processes, such as dynamic trust scoring, to facilitate the use and reuse of data within enterprise marketplaces.

Unified data strategy

Organisations often encounter problems with fragmented or siloed data, typically managed by a collection of legacy and niche tools. These tools are frequently ill-suited to meet the demands of AI, which requires high-quality, governed data that can be accessed at speed and scale. Quest Software's revamped erwin platform uses generative AI to unify data quality, modelling, metadata management, and data governance within a single interface, aiming to break down silos and produce high-trust data products more efficiently.

Customers adopting the erwin Data Management Platform are expected to see benefits including improved data accuracy, expedited development of trust-scored data products, reduced time to market, and overall gains in productivity.

"AI is driving the need for a dramatically new approach to data management. Working closely with our customers, including more than 90 percent of the Fortune 500, has given us deep insights into their challenges and requirements," said Tim Page, CEO of Quest Software. "The erwin Data Management Platform is the first-of-its-kind to deliver improved data accuracy and faster time to data product delivery to the marketplace – a game-changer for our customers."

Securing identities and modernisation

Quest Software is incorporating AI-enabled security capabilities as part of its solution portfolio. Its Security Guardian Intelligence is designed to enhance identity threat detection and response within Microsoft environments, with the goal of helping customers identify and contain emerging identity-related threats more quickly. The company reports that its platform can automate ransomware recovery up to 90 percent faster than previous methods, potentially yielding significant savings in operational downtime.

Platform modernisation is another pillar of Quest Software's approach. The company has a track record of working with Microsoft to facilitate identity and workload migrations. According to the company, its migration capabilities have recently achieved Microsoft 365 Certification.

Leadership and investment

Quest Software has recently received a $350 million capital infusion aimed at bolstering its AI research and development activities. In conjunction with this investment, the company has appointed an expanded executive team including Ashish Joshi as President and Chief Financial Officer, John Bertero as Chief Revenue Officer, and Maureen Perrelli as Chief Channel Officer, alongside CEO Tim Page, who took up his role in January.

The company is also expanding its partner ecosystem to help deliver on customer AI initiatives by working closely with independent software vendors and technology partners worldwide.

Strategic priorities outlined

Quest Software's core strategy for AI success is structured around three main objectives. The first is to deliver a scalable platform for trusted data, ensuring that AI models are built on complete and governed information. The erwin Data Management Platform is positioned as a unified environment for such data, offering automation and integration across critical data management tasks.

The second is an emphasis on cybersecurity, particularly in protecting critical identity assets across platforms such as Active Directory and Entra ID, in response to an expanding attack surface. The company states its solutions can automate aspects of threat detection and incident response, including recovery from ransomware attacks, at a significantly accelerated pace.

The final objective is the modernisation of organisational platforms, helping to ensure migrations are efficient and reliable to minimise risk and prepare infrastructure for artificial intelligence workloads at scale.

Quest Software's strategy and platform launch reflect ongoing adjustments by enterprises seeking to align their technology investment with realistic timelines and requirements for scaling AI projects to production.