Elly Yates-Roberts |
US based global measurement and data analytics company Nielsen has formed an alliance with Microsoft to accelerate the growth and innovation of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and retail companies. They will achieve this by creating a more open and connected data environment.
The alliance will see the advancement of Nielsen Connect, an enterprise data solution built on the Microsoft Azure cloud. It aims to serve as a one-stop-shop in creating scalable, high-performance data environments that enable greater real-time collaboration for faster results.
Nielsen Connect is already aiming to empower companies to get more value from their data and to instigate a reimagination of the industry’s approach to using data. Using advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) services built on Azure, Nielsen Connect is helping companies to more easily spot trends, diagnose performance gaps and most importantly use data as an enterprise asset.
“Nielsen's powerful data is as much of an enterprise asset as people and products. It's our priority to make sure clients are maximising their data assets, so Nielsen and Microsoft are breaking down the silos of the status quo,” said John Tavolieri, president of US FMCG Retail and chief officer of Technology and Operations at Nielsen. “We are helping the retail industry reimagine its approach to data by creating a truly open and global environment of collaboration, encouraging companies to evolve beyond mere data management. Adopting a holistic data strategy will be the only way to win in FMCG and retail.”
“The first critical step toward digital transformation, especially among retailers, is breaking down the barriers between customer and operational data to fuel insights for the business,” said Judson Althoff, executive vice president of Microsoft's Worldwide Commercial Business. “Because retail happens wherever customers are and whenever they choose, Nielsen Connect provides high reliability at a global scale 24/7. Microsoft is a natural partner for Nielsen, trusted by global enterprises to protect their data and power their critical business solutions.”