InfluxData has announced IOx, a new time series engine for InfluxDB, which aims to improve performance and provide more querying options. The new engine removes cardinality limits, allowing users to handle large amounts of data without impacting performance. It also utilizes columnar database technology, enabling fast query execution and parallelized processing. Additionally, IOx supports real-time analytics, SQL compatibility with the PostgreSQL dialect, and partitioning for efficient data storage and retrieval. This update is designed to support a broader range of use cases, including observability and tracing, and will be available in the InfluxDB Cloud Beta program first.