Updated: 28th Jan 2011
Having had the pleasure of using an iPad over the Xmas/New Year break, I thought it would be of interest to review what ‘apps’ are available to enable Business Intelligence on the iPad.
| Vendor | Software | Demo Video | Notes |
| SAP Business Objects | SAP Business Objects Explorer for iPhone (app store) | SAP BusinessObjects Explorer for iPad Demo | |
| Microstrategy | Microstrategy Mobile (vendor)Microstrategy Mobile for iPad (app store) | Microstrategy Mobile | This looks a very complete offering. The software is free and they even provide a day’s worth of free training to get you started. I will be investigating this further. |
| IBM | IBM Cognos Mobile (vendor) | IBM Cognos Version 10. Runs inside safari, but developed for the iPad. | |
| Qlikview | Qlikview for Mobile (vendor)Qlikview (app store) | Qlikview for the iPad | |
| MeLLmo | Roambi on the iPad (vendor)Roambi – Visualizer (app store) | Roambi on the iPad | Provides a very polished looking user experience, just the way that apple intended the iPad to be used. |
| Pentaho | Pentaho on the iPad (vendor) | Pentaho on the iPad | BI for the iPad from a leading open source vendor. |
| Yellowfin | Mobile BI (vendor)Yellowfin (app store) | Yellowfin | |
| PushBI | PushBI (vendor)PushBI Mobile Business Intelligence (app store) | PushBI – Mobile Business Intelligence for Apple iPad | Nice software, but take a coffee before watching the video! |
| TARGIT | iTop (vendor)TARGIT iTop (app store) | ||
| Actuate | BIRT Mobile Viewer for iPhone (vendor)BIRT Mobile Viewer (app store) | BIRT Mobile for the iPhone | More of a viewer than a full BI app for the iPad. |
| Analytics App | Analytics App (app store) | For google analytics only | |
| Tibco | Spotfire on the iPad (vendor) | This isn’t a iPad app it just shows how you can use a web browser to access spotfire, yet it’s sold as Spotfire on the iPad! | |
| SAS | SAS Mobile (vendor) | Due for release in Mid 2011 | |
| Prelytis | Prelytis LiveDashBoard (vendor) | Prelytis LiveDashBoard | Viewer not a true iPad app, run in Safari |
| Oracle | Oracle Business Indicators (vendor)Oracle Business Indicators (app store) | ||
| DSPanel | Performance Canvas (vendor) |
Some of the newer vendors like Roambi, may have the upper hand in creating a visually and engaging experience, as their software architecture is purpose-built from the ground up for the iPad rather than an addition to an existing BI product line. For the moment I’d pick Microstrategy and RoamBI to evaluate further, with RoamBI being used for a proof of concept/’selling the sizzle’.
From what I’ve seen so far the iPad looks very well suited for ‘dashboards’, but then that’s probably not a big surprise, and there are definitely certain industry sectors where it will work well; one being the Wealth Management industry which I’ve worked in, where presentation and reporting can make or break a client signing up and remaining with the wealth manager. You could imagine how well a meeting is going to go between a client and a private banker, where the private banker is able to run through the clients portfolio using the BI app on the iPad. That’s going to look pretty damn good, and even better if the client can access the same information via their iPad after the meeting. In fact any meeting where you want to show information to another person, and in particular a client or prospect, the iPad is going to win hands down, lets hear it for the end of those dull power point client facing meetings!
Articles of interest:
Hilton CIO: Mobile device use in hotels is skyrocketing
Project X Ltd. Aims to Lead Business Intelligence Mobile App Development
Mobile BI: How to Run Your Business On the iPad
iPad: What It Means for Visually Interactive Business Intelligence
I’m planning to try to keep this post up to date, so do let me know if I have missed off vendors. You may also want to comment on whether the software works or not, any success stories or other links of interest.
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