Birst is a good cloud-based platform for analytics
Overall Satisfaction with Birst
Birst is used two different ways: embedded into the cloud-based software we provide our customers, and internally to monitor utilization of the software and to track marketing campaigns.
Pros
- The integration of all the elements of a BI platform into a single tool is a big advantage. All the components are tightly coupled (ETL, business layer, report creation, dashboards), and that makes it easier to manage.
- The fact that it is based on a cloud platform makes deployment amazingly simple. The appliance version can be run on AWS, which gives access to all the capabilities of the Amazon platform.
- The move towards HTML5 is very effective, the reports and dashboards look good and are based on responsive design.
Cons
- Coming from a traditional data warehousing background, the data modeling in Birst is difficult to understand. The use of hierarchies, measures, "targeting" of fields needs some time to get used to.
- The transition from the Flash-based tools to the HTML5 tools has not been smooth, and some features still only exist into the Flash tools.
- Maps are not working well at all. It is possible to use the Geo Maps and Bing Maps in the Flash-based tools, but only Bing Maps in HTML5 tools. This is very limiting, and the features available for formatting, adding bubbles and labels, positioning etc. are weak.
- GoodData,Pentaho,Qlik Sense,QlikView,birt
Selection was made before my involvement, but I agree with the selection. The ease of use of the web-based platform is a major plus, and compensates for some of the limitations.
Infor Birst Feature Ratings
Birst Implementation
- Implemented in-house
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