Why Open Partnerships and Integrations Will Win in the New Age of Agentic AI

The age of agentic AI is nearly here. Representing a new evolution in AI technology, agentic AI enables systems to perform tasks with greater autonomy and freedom of action. This means that the need for human oversight is reduced, and human workers can instead focus on approving, validating, improving or fine-tuning AI actions, rather than executing them from scratch. 

Imagine an AI system that can autonomously manage supply chains to prevent stockouts, or streamline customer service inquiries by acting on real-time data, without needing constant guidance. These and many other use cases are being enabled by Agentic AI.

A recent Capgemini survey found that 10% of enterprises already use some form of agentic AI, and over half plan to roll it out within the next year. But for these integrations to succeed as businesses move toward more autonomous AI-driven processes, the technology behind agentic AI must be integrated and flexible, and not confined by closed systems.

Mike Capone, CEO of Qlik, a leading provider of data integration, data quality, analytics and AI, underscores that agentic AI represents a turning point in how businesses handle data and extract insights. Instead of requiring specialized data science knowledge, agentic AI can put actionable intelligence directly into the hands of decision makers.

“Historically, AI was the domain of what we call ‘white-coat data scientists,’” says Capone. “Now, with agentic AI, the goal is to harness the power of AI to build these agents, then bring their output into workflows in real time, inside day-to-day work patterns, so it becomes incredibly useful.”

An ‘any source, any target’ approach to data

For agentic AI to work effectively, data cannot be siloed. Picture an AI-driven demand forecasting system for a retail chain. To make accurate predictions and manage inventory, the AI needs data from diverse sources: seasonal trends, past sales records, social media sentiment and even weather forecasts. If these data points remain isolated, the AI agent can’t see the full picture, leading to inaccurate forecasts. But when integrated seamlessly, the AI can effectively anticipate demand shifts and automate restocking, ensuring that products are available when customers need them.

Qlik’s approach to this challenge is what Capone calls “any source, any target”: collecting and connecting data from any source, regardless of where it’s generated. “That can be on-premises, in the cloud, on social media platforms—wherever the data resides, we can bring it in,” he explains. 

The Qlik Talend Trust Score™ for AI assesses proprietary data for trustworthiness, timeliness and impartiality, ensuring that companies receive reliable outputs when their data is fed into AI systems—such as Qlik’s own AI-powered analytics—delivering better AI outcomes.

The power of partnerships

For agentic AI to reach its full potential, it must be built on strong partnerships and open integrations that support seamless data flow across systems. Many people spend much of their workday communicating both internally and externally to act on information and make decisions. In the same way, agents need the right environment to thrive—one with strong connectivity and interoperability, and an open approach to collaborating with diverse technologies.

Capone highlights Qlik’s strategic partnership with AWS as an example. In June 2024, Qlik signed a collaboration agreement with AWS to enhance AI application development, improve data utilization, streamline compliance and accelerate AI adoption. Through Qlik Cloud solutions on AWS, over 7,000 customers now benefit from this combined strength.

“These relationships allow us to get an extra edge on innovation,” Capone says. “We can be even more focused and targeted on building solutions for our joint customers together—listening to them to understand what their needs are and accelerating innovation on specific platforms.”

The underlying philosophy of agentic AI is clear: Open, flexible ecosystems are far more resilient and adaptable than closed, proprietary systems. Open partnerships ensure that businesses can access the best solutions as they emerge, adapt them quickly and maintain momentum as AI technology evolves.

Flexibility instead of lock-in

Ritu Jyoti, Group Vice President and General Manager for Worldwide Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Data and Analytics at IDC, agrees that openness is nonnegotiable for the next stage of AI. She compares the evolution of open ecosystems in AI to the development of multicloud architectures, which brought much-needed flexibility to cloud deployments by enabling diverse environments to operate harmoniously.

Like Capone, Jyoti envisions a future where multi-agent collaborations with different systems operate across a range of scenarios, powered by open ecosystems that allow seamless data and workflow integration. Qlik’s partnerships with AWS, Snowflake, Databricks and other leading platforms are making this vision possible, and allowing companies to deploy and integrate AI systems without significant friction.

Capone has seen firsthand the risks of AI projects that stall within closed systems. For example, financial services firms initially banned generative AI due to security concerns, then tried to build their own AI tools. According to Capone, neither approach maximized the potential of AI.

“To those customers, I say: Your differentiation in the market is not in building AI tools, but in building powerful financial services products,” he says.

Qlik’s solution to this challenge is to bring pre-built AI and integration capabilities to customers in sectors like financial services, allowing them to access cutting-edge AI without compromising on security or compliance.

The strategic value of adaptability

As AI continues to evolve, it’s clear that agility and adaptability are becoming essential traits for businesses that want to stay ahead. Investing in open, interoperable systems means that organizations can pivot quickly if a vendor fails to deliver or if a superior solution enters the market.

“You want to have the flexibility to pivot,” says Capone. “That could be because a provider lets you down, or it could be because there’s suddenly a better solution out there. Qlik’s framework allows you to integrate with new partners seamlessly, and not have to refactor everything every time you want to change.”

For companies preparing for the next stage of AI, embracing openness and partnerships isn’t just about gaining immediate access to the best tools. It’s also about future-proofing their strategy, and ensuring that they’re positioned to make the most of new AI capabilities as they emerge. 

By building on flexible, agnostic platforms, businesses can fully leverage agentic AI to drive their competitive edge in the AI-driven future.