TrustRadius

Layer2 Cloud Connector vs. Lightning Tools Data Viewer

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Layer2 Cloud Connector
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
The Layer2 Cloud Connector can integrate data and sync documents between 100+ corporate data sources without programming. It is used to connect services and apps on-premises or cloud-based, such as Microsoft Office 365, SharePoint, Dynamics, Azure, SQL/ERP/CRM, and more for migration, backup, or permanent two-way synchronization.
$491
per installation
Lightning Tools Data Viewer
Score 9.1 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
The Data Viewer provides data visualization in the form of reports or charts that can be created and customized to suit a business's needs. Silos of data exist in most organizations and yet contain valuable insights into how well the organization is performing and where action is needed. Those silos often include Microsoft Excel workbooks, Microsoft SQL Azure databases, On-Premises data sources accessible through OData or Business Connectivity Services and even SharePoint Lists. These data…
$1,250
per year per installation
Pricing
Layer2 Cloud ConnectorLightning Tools Data Viewer
Editions & Modules
Personal Edition
$491.00
per installation
Professional Edition
$1226.00
per installation
Data Viewer OnPrem
$1,000
per year Per installation, 1 x WFE
Data Viewer Online
$1,250
per year per installation
Data Viewer OnPrem Enterprise Edition
POA
per year Per installation, 4+ WFE
Data Viewer Online Enterprise Edition
POA
per year per installation
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Layer2 Cloud ConnectorLightning Tools Data Viewer
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup Fee$185 Setup SupportNo setup fee
Additional Details—Prices stated are minimum per installation for "stock" products. Enterprise editions can be amended to suit business needs if deemed necessary, additional costs incurred and TBD. All packages include free technical support. Free upgrades available to latest versions of tool as they are released. (online version)
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Layer2 Cloud ConnectorLightning Tools Data Viewer
Top Pros

No answers on this topic

Top Cons

No answers on this topic

Features
Layer2 Cloud ConnectorLightning Tools Data Viewer
Data Source Connection
Comparison of Data Source Connection features of Product A and Product B
Layer2 Cloud Connector
6.0
1 Ratings
32% below category average
Lightning Tools Data Viewer
-
Ratings
Connect to traditional data sources6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Data Transformations
Comparison of Data Transformations features of Product A and Product B
Layer2 Cloud Connector
5.5
1 Ratings
40% below category average
Lightning Tools Data Viewer
-
Ratings
Simple transformations4.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Complex transformations7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Data Governance
Comparison of Data Governance features of Product A and Product B
Layer2 Cloud Connector
6.5
1 Ratings
25% below category average
Lightning Tools Data Viewer
-
Ratings
Integration with data quality tools6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with MDM tools7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
BI Standard Reporting
Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Layer2 Cloud Connector
-
Ratings
Lightning Tools Data Viewer
9.1
1 Ratings
8% above category average
Customizable dashboards00 Ratings9.11 Ratings
Report Formatting Templates00 Ratings9.11 Ratings
Ad-hoc Reporting
Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Layer2 Cloud Connector
-
Ratings
Lightning Tools Data Viewer
8.2
1 Ratings
3% above category average
Drill-down analysis00 Ratings6.41 Ratings
Formatting capabilities00 Ratings9.11 Ratings
Report sharing and collaboration00 Ratings9.11 Ratings
Data Discovery and Visualization
Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Product A and Product B
Layer2 Cloud Connector
-
Ratings
Lightning Tools Data Viewer
3.6
1 Ratings
77% below category average
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)00 Ratings3.61 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Layer2 Cloud ConnectorLightning Tools Data Viewer
Small Businesses
Skyvia
Skyvia
Score 9.8 out of 10
Cyfe
Cyfe
Score 8.8 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
IBM InfoSphere Information Server
IBM InfoSphere Information Server
Score 8.0 out of 10
Mathematica
Mathematica
Score 8.2 out of 10
Enterprises
IBM InfoSphere Information Server
IBM InfoSphere Information Server
Score 8.0 out of 10
Sigma
Sigma
Score 9.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Layer2 Cloud ConnectorLightning Tools Data Viewer
Likelihood to Recommend
7.0
(1 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Layer2 Cloud ConnectorLightning Tools Data Viewer
Likelihood to Recommend
Layer 2 GmbH
We had a scenario where our clients have thousands of external party vendors/committees who regularly sync SharePoint data. Managing thousands of external parties can never be possible without using a Layer2 cloud connector. We managed the local network sharing and SharePoint integration by using the Layer2 connector. Layer2 is convenient with a large amount of data as the per-user license is high.
Umair Mehboob | TrustRadius Reviewer
Umair Mehboob
Senior Devops Engineer
Read full review
Lightning Tools
Lightning Tools Data Viewer is well suited for re-surfacing data and customizing its look and feel.
Tom Phillips | TrustRadius Reviewer
Tom Phillips
Studio Engineer/SharePointAdmin
Read full review
Pros
Layer 2 GmbH
  • Layer2 provides best connectivity with SharePoint
  • It syncs local network shared files to the SharePoint
  • Provides details file history
Umair Mehboob | TrustRadius Reviewer
Umair Mehboob
Senior Devops Engineer
Read full review
Lightning Tools
  • Shows Lists created on different sites to be seen and controlled on another site in a Tenant
  • Allows selection of layouts and coloring way beyond what other programs do.
  • Easy to learn and very functional.
Tom Phillips | TrustRadius Reviewer
Tom Phillips
Studio Engineer/SharePointAdmin
Read full review
Cons
Layer 2 GmbH
  • Per User cost is expensive
  • A lot of pre-requisites
  • UI needs to be more user-friendly
Umair Mehboob | TrustRadius Reviewer
Umair Mehboob
Senior Devops Engineer
Read full review
Lightning Tools
  • Data Viewer has a graph feature that is old school flat design. We loved the In House real 3D graph Lightning Tools program.
Tom Phillips | TrustRadius Reviewer
Tom Phillips
Studio Engineer/SharePointAdmin
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Layer 2 GmbH
We had also used Microsoft One Drive as a syncing tool but it requires Office365 for managing and syncing data across thousands of vendors which was not practically possible to manage users on Office 365. Layer2 resolved this issue by having 3 user licenses and they are enough to periodically sync all external parties' data with our SharePoint online.
Umair Mehboob | TrustRadius Reviewer
Umair Mehboob
Senior Devops Engineer
Read full review
Lightning Tools
Lightning Tools Data Viewer is much easier and more powerful than Infowise similar viewer in their lineup. In this case, we use Data Viewer over the one offered by Infowise.
Tom Phillips | TrustRadius Reviewer
Tom Phillips
Studio Engineer/SharePointAdmin
Read full review
Return on Investment
Layer 2 GmbH
  • Layer2 resolves the time management issue
  • Resolved data syncing issues across different external vendors
  • LOE optimisation with using Layer2 connector.
Umair Mehboob | TrustRadius Reviewer
Umair Mehboob
Senior Devops Engineer
Read full review
Lightning Tools
  • It allows us to do things that would take a great deal more time to duplicate in SharePoint
  • It cuts down on ugly looking built in SP list layouts
  • Users find it easy to access, thus this product is more productive
Tom Phillips | TrustRadius Reviewer
Tom Phillips
Studio Engineer/SharePointAdmin
Read full review
ScreenShots

Lightning Tools Data Viewer Screenshots

Screenshot of DISPLAYING EXTERNAL DATA WITHIN SHAREPOINT OR MICROSOFT TEAMS The Data Viewer Client Side Web Part can be configured by Business Users within a few minutes to display Line of Business Data from Data Sources such as Excel, SQL Azure, Business Connectivity Services, OData and SharePoint Lists. Connections to an organizations data such as Customer Relationship Management Systems, Accounting Systems, or Custom Databases can be connected, giving business users a live up-to-date view of business information within the context of their SharePoint Team Sites or Microsoft Teams Tabs.Screenshot of HIGHLIGHTING KEY BUSINESS DATA (NO CODE) Conditional formatting can be used to highlight key business data. Overdue Tasks, Low Stock, Currency Exchange Rates, Sales Revenue are examples of data to highlight visually allowing for a quick reaction time. Key Financial Indicators and Key Performance Indicators can be configured with a simple dialog and no need to write any code. Choose colours, icons or data bars to highlight key data.Screenshot of SELECTING AND STYLING ICONS Icons can be chosen as part of the conditional formatting to make data stand out. The Office 365 Fabric icons can be selected and styled and applied to cell values. Pepper pots, Smileys, Envelopes and more icons are available. There are hundreds of options to choose from to highlight data that needs to be acted upon.Screenshot of DATA VIEWER CAN BE A GRID OF DATA OR A CHART IN SHAREPOINT OR MICROSOFT TEAMS The Data Viewer can be used within Microsoft SharePoint Modern Sites or Microsoft Teams Tabs as a Grid of Data with styling or as a Chart which can be configured. The Charting Feature allows for Pie, Donut, Column, Line, Area, and Scatter Charts which can all be configured and displayed in 2D or 3D.Screenshot of TREEMAPS summary information can be displayed within a TreeMap next to the detail. Users will be able to see trends, and how the business is performing using the TreeMap view of data.Screenshot of CHARTS AND GAUGES The Data Viewer is used to represent data in multiple ways using Gauges, TreeMaps, Multiple Series Charts, and Pie Charts.