Twilio Report Reveals Customer Data Platforms are a Critical Foundation for AI-Driven Customer Insights

Businesses are integrating customer data platforms with AI and analytics to personalize customer experiences and drive business success, according to a new report from Twilio Segment (NYSE: TWLO). The fifth annual Customer Data Platform Report, which reflects the findings of anonymized usage data from Twilio Segment’s 25,000+ customers, finds that businesses are prioritizing data quality to harness the power of AI and quickly act on nuanced customer insights.

Amidst the widespread adoption of AI, businesses are grappling with an exponential increase in data volume. Twilio Segment processed a record high 12.1 trillion API calls in 2023—increasing by hundreds of billions from 2022. This increase is indicative of a larger trend towards more sophisticated, data-centric operations, emphasizing the essential role of real-time data processing and seamless AI technology integration. The ability to quickly harness data insights through CDPs that are open and interoperable with data warehouses is a critical competitive edge, enabling businesses to efficiently collect, unify, and activate data across various platforms.

“In 2024, more and more brands will turn to AI to deliver better, more personalized experiences for their customers. Our report showcases the essential role customer data plays in maximizing AI’s effectiveness,” said Kathryn Murphy, SVP of Product and Design at Twilio. “With data warehouses, and data lakehouses like Databricks becoming central to customers’ data strategies, it's crucial for CDPs to support seamless integration with these data warehouses. At Twilio, we're seeing a significant trend towards leveraging the interconnectedness of AI, data warehouses, and digital communication channels. The ability to interoperate with data warehouses is essential, ensuring that CDPs act as a pivotal technology for brands eager to leverage AI and data to forge even stronger relationships with their customers.”

"As businesses look to break down data silos and rely on a unified data platform to power their analytics and AI initiatives, the importance of data sharing and data quality has never been more apparent," said Chris Hecht, SVP, Corporate Development and Product Partnerships, at Databricks. "Our collaboration with Twilio Segment signals our dedication to ensuring that organizations leverage the full potential of their data – no matter where it lives – and can effectively bridge the gap from data to insights using cleaned and verified event profile data."