InetSoft Webinar: Comparison with Reporting Systems Like Cognos or Business Objects

This is the continuation of the transcript of a Webinar hosted by InetSoft on the topic of "What are the Benefits of a Visual Reporting Solution?" The speaker is Abhishek Gupta, product manager at InetSoft.

Visualize the Results of What If Modeling

On the analytic side we make it easy to visualize the results of what if modeling. If you take the example of the school fund raising, maybe you’re trying to find large donors, and there are factors and other tables that aren’t in the data warehouse, you can easily bring them into our BI system and mash them up with the data warehouse data.

We have got lots of built-in functions for metrics calculations, so again you don’t need to add those into the data warehouse. In our world you can quickly calculate the metric in the activities table and copy it back to the core table on the model to see if that matters. So that whole ability is just much more flexible, and I would use the word flexible and end-user oriented for doing this kind of discovery and analysis as key differentiators.

Another question, we actually have several versions of this question, but it’s all about how hard is it to set up one of visual analyses that would allow you to get the answer that you need to know?

Okay so there are a couple of answers to that. If you’re an individual user running Excel or Access where you have got a table or two, you could actually use our free SaaS-based visual analysis tool Visualize Free. It takes five minutes to load up your data and another 5 minutes to create a basic exploratory chart. If we have more time I could show you how you would do that. It’s very easy to load a table and set the charts up and do analysis.

There is a question. Here’s one. How does this compare with reporting systems like Cognos or Business Objects?

If you’re departmental user and you got you know 100 tables in an Oracle data warehouse, and there are some core tables, there’s a budget descriptive, there are budget fact tables, and those tables need to be linked and joined, and there are metrics that have to be calculated, that might take you a week or two to be set up and have usable visual analyses and dashboards created.

Faster Than a Typical BI Platform

There is also the option for us to do a service project with that. It’s a lot faster than a typical BI platform because our whole approach to accessing the data is more flexible and dynamic.

Okay, great. We actually have Rachel, she has raised her hands so let’s unmute her.

Rachel: Okay. I also sent a question in online so you can ignore that. You make some nice comments on how to help us compare Cognos and Business Objects, could you do the same for TIBCO Spotfire? How would you say you compare or contrast to a Spotfire type of approach?

Spotfire is in a category of visualization products or vendors. They’ve got a great visualization capability, comparable to ours. We’ve come at the markets from different angles. I’m trying not going to speak for them per se, but their history has been coming at it more from pharmaceutical research areas. We’ve come at it from more of a general business problem approach.

We have a lot in common, and we do compete against each often. We are also very strong in dashboarding & production reporting. They can be used for dashboards, but don’t have the reporting maturity. The back-end data mashup capabilities is certainly a big difference.

Reasons to Switch from Spotfire to StyleBI

Switching from TIBCO Spotfire to InetSoft’s StyleBI can offer organizations a more user-friendly, cost-effective, and scalable business intelligence solution. While Spotfire excels in advanced analytics and real-time data processing, its complexity and higher costs may not suit all businesses. Below are key reasons to consider StyleBI as an alternative, focusing on simplicity, accessibility, and modern design.

• User-Friendly Interface

  StyleBI offers an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface that simplifies dashboard creation and data exploration for non-technical users. Spotfire’s interface, while powerful, is often criticized for being dated and having a steeper learning curve, requiring more training. This makes StyleBI ideal for teams seeking quick adoption and minimal IT dependency.

• Cost-Effectiveness

  StyleBI’s small-footprint, cloud-native architecture reduces infrastructure costs, with flexible pricing suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. Spotfire’s enterprise-focused pricing, such as $65/month for Authors and $25/month for Consumers, can be significantly more expensive, especially for larger teams. Switching to StyleBI can lower total ownership costs while maintaining robust BI capabilities.

• Cloud-Native Flexibility

  StyleBI is designed for cloud environments, supporting public, private, and hybrid deployments with seamless scalability. Spotfire, while cloud-capable, often requires complex server configurations and maintenance, especially for on-premise setups. StyleBI’s microservices architecture ensures easier deployment and adaptability to modern cloud workflows.

• Self-Service Analytics

  StyleBI empowers users with self-service tools to create reports and visualizations without coding, aligning with the consumerization of BI. Spotfire’s advanced features, like Python/R integration, cater to data scientists but can overwhelm non-technical users. StyleBI’s focus on accessibility broadens data usage across teams.

• Simplified Data Integration

  StyleBI’s data mashup capabilities allow users to blend diverse data sources easily, with a focus on user-driven integration. Spotfire supports extensive data connectors but requires more technical expertise for complex data wrangling. StyleBI’s streamlined approach reduces setup time and enhances collaboration.

• Modern Visualization Options

  StyleBI provides a wide range of customizable, interactive chart styles, including bar, pie, and sparkline charts, optimized for web and mobile. Spotfire’s visualization mods are powerful but require development skills to customize, and some users find its visuals less modern. StyleBI delivers a more contemporary, user-friendly visualization experience.

• Lower Maintenance Overhead

  StyleBI’s cloud-based, microservices-driven platform minimizes the need for extensive IT management and server maintenance. Spotfire’s server swaps or upgrades, such as moving to Windows Server 2022, can be complex and require downtime. StyleBI’s lightweight design reduces administrative burden, freeing resources for analysis.

• Collaboration Features

  StyleBI supports collaboration through shareable dashboards, role-based security, and embedded analytics, integrating seamlessly into team workflows. While Spotfire offers library version history and sharing, its collaboration features are less intuitive for non-experts. StyleBI’s focus on accessibility enhances team coordination.

• Rapid Deployment

  StyleBI’s cloud-native setup enables faster deployment compared to Spotfire, which may involve intricate server configurations and load balancer updates. This allows organizations to quickly implement BI solutions and start deriving insights. Rapid deployment is particularly beneficial for businesses needing agile analytics.

• Targeted for Broader Audiences

  StyleBI is designed for organizations of all sizes, with a focus on empowering non-technical users across departments. Spotfire’s advanced analytics and industry-specific extensions cater to data-intensive enterprises, which may be overkill for simpler needs. StyleBI’s versatility makes it suitable for diverse use cases.

Switching to StyleBI from Spotfire offers a more accessible, cost-effective, and modern BI experience, particularly for organizations prioritizing ease of use and scalability. While Spotfire excels in complex analytics and data science, StyleBI’s simplicity and cloud-native design make it a compelling choice for businesses seeking streamlined, collaborative analytics. Evaluate your organization’s needs, user skill levels, and budget to determine if StyleBI’s advantages align with your goals.

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