CRM software giant Salesforce is betting big on data with a $15.7bn acquisition of Tableau, a data visualisation company. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of the year.

Salesforce will use Tableau to help it diversify beyond CRM and provide companies with deeper insights into their customers. Tableau, which will continue to operate independently, is used by more than 86,000 businesses including Charles Schwab, Verizon, Schneider Electric, Southwest and Netflix.

“We are bringing together the world’s number one CRM with the number one analytics platform,” said Marc Benioff, chairman and co-CEO of Salesforce. “Tableau helps people see and understand data, and Salesforce helps people engage and understand customers. It’s truly the best of both worlds for our customers – bringing together two critical platforms that every customer needs to understand their world.”

Though Tableau will remain independent, Salesforce will look to combine its new acquisition with its Einstein AI and Customer 360 products. The former delivers analytics for sales and marketing, while the latter aims to give companies a full view of customers at every touchpoint.

Tableau will continue to be headquartered in Seattle, Washington and will continue to be led by CEO Adam Selipsky and its existing leadership team.

“Joining forces with Salesforce will enhance our ability to help people everywhere see and understand data,” said Selipsky. “As part of the world’s number one CRM company, Tableau’s intuitive and powerful analytics will enable millions more people to discover actionable insights across their entire organizations. I’m delighted that our companies share very similar cultures and a relentless focus on customer success. I look forward to working together in support of our customers and communities.”