Google BI

Writing by Jorgen on Friday, 28 of March , 2008 at 12:48 pm

In a move that turns the heat up on Microsoft Excel, Google is partnering with business intelligence firm Panorama Software to develop a software-as-a-service (SaaS) analytics, reporting and data visualization tool for its free online Google Docs applications suite. The BI firm that handed Microsoft the original OLAP technology that’s now included in SQL Server database management system, is working with Google to push BI and data visualisation capabilities into Google’s Docs applications suite which mimics Microsoft Office with free online word processing, spreadsheet and presentation applications. At the same time rumors are surfacing that Microsoft in experimenting with an online office suite with codename Albany. This in an attempt to fend off competition like Google docs. The Panorama software, which has been released as a beta version this week, is offered as a free desktop gadget that works with Google Spreadsheets. It draws on analysis, reporting, dashboard, visualisation (charting) and data modelling tools that are part of Panorama’s NovaView BI suite. These elements combine to create Panorama Pivot Tables that can be embedded and manipulated in applications like Google Spreadsheets. This Google initiative perfectly fits into one of the BI megatrends for 2008: Integration. We have seen that Business Intelligence continues to integrate with operational processes. The preferred tool of choice in operations is still the spreadsheet (Excel). Microsofts ‘BI for the masses approach’ also boosts excel as their BI frontend. If Google wants to compete with Microsoft (in the BI area) then targeting the spreadsheet sounds like a well thought strategy. But if you compare the installed base of MS Office and Google Docs there is still a long way to go before somebody in Redmond looses sleep over this. Also we have seen a consolidation of BI vendors in 2007. This means that small(er) BI vendors will be looking for partners to survive (or create niche solutions). Again also sound strategy thinking by the guys and girls at Panorama. That they have been in bed with Microsoft before makes it even more exciting.  Finally the Vendor consolidation has created an renewed interest in open source software. Clients are afraid to be ‘owned’ by one mega vendor. Google may be perceived as a alternative. In conclusion, we could argue that the BI vendor consolidation has made the BI market more volatile by creating new chances for innovative parties even from a non traditional BI background.

Category: BI Tools, BI vendor consolidation, Business Intelligence software, Business Intelligence strategy, Microsoft

2 Comments

Comment by Cubegeek

Made Friday, 28 of March , 2008 at 10:15 pm

The installed base of MS Office is a presumption that Microsoft has leaned on for years, but the nuts and bolts of building back ends that integrate with MS Office is a trade that has depended upon the patience and creativity of SQL Server gurus, the best of which understand something about MDX, the absolute best of which are competent to understand the internals of Analysis Services and do a reasonable capacity planning job.

If Google will host OLAP SaaS, you can bet that all of the scalability and capacity planning work will have been baked in. This should scare the pants off of anyone who has seen how Microsoft Performance Point performs, which is to say not as well as the current industry standard bearers.

If there is one reason why Oracle/Hyperion Essbase has been the world beater that it proved to be is because of its open API and the ability for it to support a wide variety of front ends. Half of the value, in my estimation, of the recent Oracle deal, was found in the integration that provided for System 9. The Googleplex is the biggest, fastest, most parallelized database backend on the planet. An API to that is the conduit to OLAP nirvana.

Google Docs as an installed base isn’t so much the point here as that the back end could be ’shrinkwrapped’. Google may have even further reduced the price of OLAP service, you can be sure they’ve increased the scalability.

Comment by MAIA blog admin

Made Monday, 31 of March , 2008 at 11:31 am

hi,

Google doesn’t even have to be wildly successful with Google Docs–all it has to do is be a big distraction. Many of Google’s initiatives appear only to be designed to distract Microsoft. And encroaching on millions of PowerPointers is one way to get Microsoft’s attention. PowerPoint is also the best avenue to gaining adoption for Google Docs. Word processing and spreadsheets are nice, but if you play word association with corporate desk jockeys Office is PowerPoint.
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Author

Jorgen Heizenberg is Principal Technology Officer for the BI domain at Capgemini NL. Business intelligence supports better decisions, by making a strategy, objective or process – accountable, adjustable or adaptive.The views expressed in this blog accurately reflect my personal views about any or all of the subjects and is not part of the official Capgemini company view. PLEASE REACT TO HIS OPINIONS AND BE AN ONLINE GURE YOURSELF