BI and Data Management In The Cloud

BARC and Eckerson Group have joined forces to publish a study on current attitudes, issues and trends relating to the use of business intelligence (BI) and data management technologies in the cloud

Issues and trends
This study addresses the following key questions:

  • What are the drivers, benefits and challenges companies face when implementing cloud BI?
  • What are the most popular cloud BI and data management use cases and tasks?
  • Which BI and data management components are organizations typically running in the cloud?
  • Are customers opting for a public, private or hybrid cloud infrastructure?
  • What role do vendors play in cloud BI?

It also examines:

  • Variations in approaches analyzed by company size
  • Reasons why companies choose not to implement cloud BI
  • Variations in attitude between Europe and North America

Growth of Cloud BI
The drumbeat of cloud computing began more than a decade ago when Salesforce.com launched one of the first front-office applications to run entirely in the cloud. Its success has spawned a host of imitators in just about every nook and cranny of the business applications market. The rush of cloud-based applications is shifting the gravity of data from on-premises data centers to cloud platforms.

Was 2016 the tipping point?
It appears that 2016 may have been the tipping point for cloud computing. Oracle, SAP, Teradata and IBM have joined front-runners Amazon, Microsoft and Google to launch cloud platforms that host a variety of their own and third-party applications. These vendors are working with customers of all sizes to help them understand the value of cloud computing and develop cloud migration plans.

Cloud BI vendors
BI and data management vendors have not been immune to the allure of the cloud. There are several pure-play cloud BI and data management vendors, and most other BI vendors offer cloud-only products or extensions that support hybrid computing environments. Vendors now recognize that many customers want to exploit the advantages of cloud computing—faster deployments, minimal IT involvement, no capital expenditures and elastic computing. And they are investing accordingly.

Adoption of Cloud BI
For the past six years, the adoption rate for cloud BI has hovered around 30%. Our current research shows a significant uptick in cloud BI and data management deployments. As data gravity shifts to the cloud, BI and data management is following suit. This report tracks adoption of the cloud by companies that have BI and data management programs.

Global survey
This study follows on from BARC’s 2011 global survey on Cloud and SaaS for BI and data management. It is based on a survey of 370 BI and DM decision makers and professionals worldwide across all industry sectors. The survey was conducted in late 2016.

Click here to register and download the survey findings

Authors: Carsten Bange & Wayne Eckerson
PDF report: Free to download
Published: January 2017

BI and Data Management in the Cloud