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Zoho Unveils Projects Plus: AI-Powered, Unified Project Management Platform for Enterprises
Zoho Corporation, a global technology company, today announced the launch of Projects Plus, a flexible, collaborative new platform providing data and intelligence-driven project management for mid-sized and large organisations.
Through native integration of four key Zoho applications—Projects, WorkDrive, Analytics, and Sprints—Projects Plus enables asynchronous collaboration, seamless file management, real-time business intelligence, and Agile or Waterfall workflows.
Zoho Projects has seen rapid growth, doubling its revenue in 2024, with 55% of new users migrating from Microsoft Projects and JIRA.
Projects Plus builds on this success by focussing on better data democratisation, AI-powered insights, hybrid project management, and collaborative work management.
As 18% of enterprise customers deployed both Zoho Projects and Zoho Analytics, Projects Plus directly addresses these needs by consolidating the two, and more, into a singular, efficient solution.
“The surge in digitalisation across the nation and the hybrid work culture have necessitated project management tools to be well ingrained in the overall software architecture of an organisation. With Projects Plus, which can be easily customised and integrated with other apps, we have brought together key tools like analytics, file management and collaboration, and the option to use blended project management methodologies, creating a value-packed offering not yet available in the market.
“Furthermore, Projects Plus synthesises the latest AI-driven tools, data-first analytics, and privacy-focused protections into software that anticipates the evolving needs of international enterprise organisations, expanding Zoho’s global reach,” said Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head, Zoho Nigeria.
Business Intelligence Leading to Project Democratisation
The shift toward Data-Driven Project Management (DDPM) is transforming how organisations make decisions. Instead of relying on intuition, businesses can now leverage real-time data and analytics to drive efficiency. Projects Plus captures insights across multiple dimensions—including time tracking, budgeting, task completion, and deliverability metrics—helping teams make smarter, data-backed decisions.
Predictive analysis plays a crucial role in this approach, using historical data to forecast risks, estimate project timelines, and anticipate resource needs. By analysing past trends, businesses can proactively plan and mitigate risks before they impact project success. Progress tracking has also evolved beyond traditional static tools like Gantt charts. With real-time dashboards, project managers now have dynamic, up-to-date insights that provide a comprehensive view of project status, allowing them to identify and address bottlenecks as they arise.
Additionally, quality control analytics ensure that every stage of a project meets predefined standards. By continuously monitoring data related to project deliverables, businesses can uphold high-quality outcomes, reducing errors and inefficiencies throughout the project lifecycle. With these enhanced analytical capabilities, Projects Plus enables organisations to shift from reactive project management to a more strategic, data-driven approach that improves execution and results.
Projects Plus integrates Zia, Zoho’s AI engine, to automate complex data analysis and provide predictive insights, helping project managers focus on strategic leadership. By analysing project performance data, businesses can identify inefficiencies and optimise processes, streamlining workflows to improve productivity. AI-powered insights also enable smarter resource allocation by identifying where resources are being underutilised or overburdened. This ensures that the right people are assigned to the right tasks, maximising efficiency across teams.
Forecasting and planning are also significantly enhanced through AI-driven analysis. With more accurate predictions about project timelines, costs, and potential risks, organisations can make proactive adjustments to avoid delays and cost overruns. This results in better project outcomes, improved resource management, and higher overall efficiency.
Pricing and Availability
Projects Plus is available immediately and priced at NGN7200 per user each month, when billed annually—27% lower than combining Projects, Sprints, Workdrive and Analytics when purchased separately. For regional pricing, go to https://www.zoho.com/projectsplus/
Organisations today face a data paradox: they need to make fast, intelligent decisions but are overwhelmed by large volumes of often unreliable information. With over 75% of business leaders under pressure to prove data’s value, the demand for trusted, actionable insights has never been greater.
What is agentic analytics
Agentic analytics allows users to collaborate with AI agents to speed up the entire data-to-action process. Instead of relying on static visualizations, analysts can use AI to automate tasks like data preparation and ETL (extract, transform, load processes), freeing them to focus on deeper analysis. Business leaders can ask natural language questions and get instant, reliable answers along with recommended actions. This makes data-driven decision-making easier and more efficient, removing the need for technical expertise and manual effort typical of traditional BI tools.
- Automate repetitive data tasks like data cleaning, transformation, and visualization generation, as well as the execution of complex, multi-step analytical workflows within and across different business areas. This builds on Tableau’s strength in simplifying complex data for users.
- Proactively deliver faster, more comprehensive insights by autonomously detecting hidden correlations, outliers, and trends that might be missed by human observation. This enhances Tableau’s focus on user-driven insights by providing AI guidance.
- Enable more contextual and effective action through natural language summaries, visualisations, and data-driven recommendations, insights delivered where people work with an enterprise-class workflow engine that enables users to kick off automated actions. This extends Tableau’s ability to drive action from data, making it more seamless within the Salesforce ecosystem.
Built on the trusted Salesforce Platform and leveraging the power of Data Cloud, Tableau Next delivers enterprise-grade performance, robust security, and flexible, zero-copy data integration for seamless data connectivity. Tableau Semantics, an intelligent semantic layer, provides a unified understanding of information, ensuring data consistency and accelerating the discovery of critical insights. The built-in workflow engine in Tableau Next seamlessly translates insights directly into actionable steps, dramatically accelerating the time to value. The key differentiator is the native integration with Agentforce, Tableau Next equips humans and AI agents with pre-built analytical skills to rapidly transform data into tangible business value, marking a significant leap forward in data-driven decision-making. It includes:
- Data Pro: Your Intelligent Data Prep Assistant. Instead of users manually cleaning up and changing data using complex steps (like in traditional ETL), Data Pro will give smart suggestions on how to do it and even automatically handle some of the complicated changes, saving time and effort.
- Concierge: Instant Answers in Plain Language. Get immediate, reliable answers to data questions. Sales teams, for example, can simply ask “What are my best sales opportunities?” and receive clear insights with recommended actions.
- Inspector: Proactive Data Monitoring & Insights. Continuously tracks your data for key changes, analyzes trends, and predicts improvements. Service teams can be instantly alerted to drops in customer satisfaction, enabling immediate action.
Ensuring Data Trust and Accuracy:
- Tableau Semantics: Tableau Semantics serves as the semantic layer, providing Tableau Next and Agentforce with a unified understanding of business data. By establishing consistent definitions and context, it enables AI agents to generate accurate and relevant responses.
Boosting Efficiency:
- Marketplace: Allows users to easily share and reuse data analysis components (like data assets, connections, metrics, visualizations, dashboards), saving time and ensuring everyone is working with the same information.
“Tableau Next helps businesses achieve faster, more impactful results with their data,” said Ryan Aytay, CEO of Tableau. “We’re shifting from basic reports to a world where AI is a collaborative decision-making partner. By combining AI agents with trusted data and easy-to-use tools, we’re making data accessible to everyone and transforming the data-to-action process into an automated, proactive, and insight-driven cycle. This empowers users to improve decision-making, boost efficiency, and manage risk more effectively.”
Chinese-founded e-commerce platforms Temu and Shein have announced upcoming price increases for U.S. customers, citing higher operating expenses due to tariffs imposed during former President Donald Trump’s administration.
These tariffs include a 145% import tax on most goods made in China and the elimination of the “de minimis provision,” which previously allowed goods valued under $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free.
The changes, effective May 2, have disrupted the business models of both companies, known for their ultra-low prices and extensive digital marketing campaigns.
Temu and Shein, which specialize in affordable products ranging from clothing to electronics, have urged customers to shop before the price adjustments take effect.
The companies aim to minimize the impact on consumers while adapting to the new trade rules.
These developments come amid concerns from U.S. lawmakers and business groups about the competitive advantage of inexpensive Chinese goods and the potential entry of counterfeit products through the now-canceled exemption.
Google has opened applications for the 2025 Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program, a three-month initiative designed to support early-stage startups using artificial intelligence to address Africa’s most pressing challenges.
Across the continent, startups are demonstrating how local innovation can solve deeply rooted problems. In West Africa, Crop2Cash – an agritech platform and alumni of the program – is using AI to digitally onboard smallholder farmers, build their financial identities, and provide them with access to credit, traceable payments, and productivity tools.
Through these efforts, Crop2Cash is improving agricultural outcomes and unlocking economic opportunity for farmers who have long been excluded from formal systems—illustrating the kind of impact that’s possible when African startups receive the support they need to scale.
The Accelerator is open to Seed to Series A startups based in Africa that are building AI-first solutions. Startups must have a live product, at least one founder of African descent, and a clear vision for responsible AI innovation. Selected participants will receive:
Dedicated technical mentorship from Google and industry experts
Up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits
Access to a global network of investors, partners, and collaborators
Workshops focused on technology, product strategy, people leadership, and AI implementation
AI’s potential to accelerate Africa’s development is real, and Google is investing in ensuring that African startups lead that charge. According to McKinsey, AI could add $1.3 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2030, but only if bold innovation is supported at the grassroots.
“Startups are Africa’s problem solvers. With the right resources, they can scale their impact far beyond local communities,” said Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa at Google.
“This program reflects our belief that AI can be transformative when shaped by those who understand the context deeply.”
Since 2018, the program has supported 140 startups from 17 African countries. These alumni have raised more than $300 million in funding and created over 3,000 jobs. Many are now regional and global leaders in their categories.
Applications for the 2025 cohort are now open. Startups interested in participating can apply at: https://startup.google.com/programs/accelerator/africa
For further information and updates, visit the Google Africa Blog or follow @GoogleAfrica on social media.
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