Enterprise Data Mashup– InetSoft’s Style Intelligence is built upon an enterprise data mash-up platform, while PerformancePoint is based on Microsoft’s SQL Analysis Service. Enterprise data mashup refers to the ability to pull source data from any location and in almost any format and mash it up on the fly for dynamic information requests. The result is a structured virtual data model that consists of reusable data blocks that can be queried in real-time for presentation in Style Intelligence dashboards and reports, or used by 3rd-party applications. PerformancePoint has no data mashup feature.
Self-Service – InetSoft's data mashup functionality is available to both business and IT users which helps to maximize self-service. Through a drag-and-drop design interface, business users can create interactive visual analyses, dashboards, and reports to answer unanticipated questions without IT's help. In contrast, any unanticipated data manipulation in PerformancePoint requires significant IT intervention to redefine data models. InetSoft enables further levels of self-service for less sophisticated users such as point-and-click personalization and modification of IT-built dashboards and analyses.
Data Cache Parallelization – InetSoft's data cache parallelization architecture sits below the enterprise data mashup platform and delivers massive query performance boosts by relieving source data systems of potential overload from user queries. The architecture was inspired by columnar database technology and the Map Reduce algorithm allowing data in InetSoft's virtual data model to be cached and queried in parallel across servers. PerformancePoint has no such feature.
Design – InetSoft design takes place in a zero-client web browser environment allowing for both business users and IT to define rich dashboards, reports, and data mashup on any terminal. PerformancePoint requires a desktop application to be installed on the machine of every user who wishes to design a dashboard or report. InetSoft’s free form design allows for users to have the freedom to build any component any way they choose with full customization. PerformancePoint implements strict rules on every component and additionally where each component is allowed to be placed.
Data Source Flexibility – InetSoft allows for complete control what data you wish to implement. Connections form any JDBC/ODBC database, relational database, XML, flat file, web service (SOAP), or any custom data source or API, allowing for any organization to have the freedom to use any data at their disposal. PerformancePoint can only pull data from Microsoft sources such as SharePoint, Excel and MSSQL with very limited data manipulation capabilities e.g. tabular data can only be used in scorecards and filters.
About InetSoft
Since 1996 InetSoft has been delivering easy, agile, and robust business intelligence software that makes it possible for organizations and solution providers of all sizes to deploy or embed full-featured business intelligence solutions. InetSoft solutions have been deployed at over 5,000 organizations worldwide, including 25% of Fortune 500 companies, spanning all types of industries. InetSoft was ranked among the top 5 BI vendors in Gleanster's customer survey report.