BIG DATA & ANALYTICS: COMPARING VENDORS

Researched the product offerings of two of the major vendors that offer “BI Solutions” like, Oracle, Microsoft, SAS, SAP, MicroStrategy, Teradata, and IBM. Providing a high level on which products compete directly and how they stacks differ e.g. extra or missing products, and degree of integration of the products.

iDashboards:

iDashboards Enterprise Suite is an on premise dashboard solution. iDashboards delivers a product that is easy to install without programming or coding.

  • Enterprise Suite: iDashboards Enterprise Suite is an on-premise dashboard software that displays data in real time from databases, data warehouses, spreadsheets, XML and other data sources in a single location.
  • Cloud: iDashboards Cloud is a hosted dashboard solution, providing users with the same features available in the Enterprise Suite.
  • iDashboards Mobile: It is a mobile app with secure access and role-based permissions, single sign-on (SSO), HTML5 capability.
  • Display: iDashboards Display Solution software license displays dashboards on public monitors in a slideshow view. This license promotes increased visibility and transparency within the organization.
  • iDashboards Data Connectivity: iDashboards web-based dashboard software has the ability to display data in real-time from databases, data warehouses, spreadsheets, XML and other data sources in a single location. It supports connection to most relational databases using JDBC or ODBC including Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, Sybase, MySQL, MS Access and more. 

Support for other data source connections includes – Salesforce: The iDashboards Salesforce Pack (SFP), Google Analytics Pack, MS Analysis Services Data Connectivity (OLAP Cubes), Big Data (Hadoop), Facebook Insight Pack, Twitter Insight Pack.

IBM Cognos

IBM Cognos is a business intelligence platform an online-based software that offers an array of BI software of more than thirty different products. Cognos products are categorized as per the organization size as well. There are special softwares for midsize and smaller companies that make it affordable for the smaller industries to compete with the giants. IBM Cognos is also usable with multidimensional and relational data sources from various companies, such as Oracle, SAP, Microsoft, and more.

Featured Cognos software include-

  • IBM Business Intelligence: Powerful and scalable business intelligence and performance management. 
      • Business Intelligence: Freely explore information, analyze key facts and collaborate with key stakeholders to make the decisions that drivethe business forward.
        • Reports: Comprehensive query and reporting
          • Dashboards: Corporate performance at a glance
          • Scorecards: Metrics for monitoring performance
          • Analysis: Trends and patterns at the fingertips
          • Collaboration: Collective wisdom and BI
          • Mobile business intelligence: BI for people on the go
          • Real-time monitoring: Operational performance at a glance
          • Advanced visualization: The data brought to life
        • Performance Management: Transform the performance planning and management processes into dynamic, efficient and connected experiences.
        • Planning, budgeting and forecasting: Financial performance management software
        • Profitability modeling and analysis: Profitability of products, customers and channels
        • Financial close, and regulatory and management reporting: Financial close and streamlined report assembly
        • Enterprise disclosure management: Automated financial reports and disclosures
        • Sales performance management: New compensation plans to drive sales
  • Cognos Platform: The common foundation for the Cognos software solution
  • Cognos Express: Integrated business intelligence and planning for workgroups and midsize companies. Business intelligence and performance management software is sized and priced to meet the needs of midsize organizations
  • Automation and Integration: Process automation and data integration for hybrid computing environments. Cognos software accesses the IBM data sources and runs on major IBM platforms and major ERP systems. 
IBM CognosiDashboards
IBM’s BI stack consists of pure BI and performance management solutions. They are made for large and midsize enterprises.The products include analysis solutions along with reporting and dashboarding. This analytical software is useful for organizations with complex processes and large number of operations like the manufacturing and the industrial sector.iDashboards is a software for purely reporting and dashboarding. The data analyzed is obtained from other sources and an instantaneous dashboard is available. This kind of analytical software is useful for marketing analytics and social-media analytics in mainly the e-commerce industry.
Analysis FeaturesAd Hoc AnalysisOnline Analytical Processing (OLAP)Predictive AnalysisAnalysis FeaturesAd Hoc AnalysisOnline Analytical Processing (OLAP)Predictive AnalysisIssue IndicatorsProfit AnalysisTrend Indicators
Reporting FeaturesAd Hoc ReportingAutomatic Scheduled ReportingCustomizable DashboardCustomizable FeaturesFinancial Forecast/BudgetGraphic Benchmark ToolsReporting FeaturesAd Hoc ReportingAutomatic Scheduled ReportingCustomizable DashboardCustomizable FeaturesDashboardFinancial Forecast/BudgetGraphic Benchmark ToolsMultiple LanguagesPerformance Measurements

References:

  • https://www.betterbuys.com/bi/reviews/idashboards-business-intelligence/
  • https://docplayer.net/10255804-Idashboards-for-solution-providers.html
  • http://www.bisoftwareinsight.com/reviews/ibm_cognos_business_intelligence/
  • https://www.webuildits.com/about-us/its-products/ibm-cognos/