QlikTech has recently shifted their marketing message very slightly to position QlikView as a Data Discovery tool, moving away from the Business Intelligence tag. This comes at a surprising time – as QlikTech have recently arrived in the top quartile of Gartners’ Magic Quadrant for Business Intelligence. So, why the shift?
Whilst data discovery is certainly one of QlikView’s many strengths it certainly isn’t the main reason many people use it. Creating a new tag line could certainly help the product stand out in terms of Internet search – but the growing legion of advocates is making that less relevant. It could be to discourage lazy comparisons to other BI tools – I remember the same distancing from ‘Reporting’ tool comparisons to Crystal and the like a couple of years back.
My feel is that the key driver is to try and get QlikView into large enterprises under the radar as a tactitcal tool, to aid in the implementation of their full blown BI project. This plan is not without merit, as whilst requirements are being gathered for the strategic solution QlikView will be becoming indispensable to those using it. It’s foothold in another business is assured. To my mind though the danger is that QlikView is under-sold in the first instance – and perceptions can be hard to change.
Aligned with the data discovery message QlikTech are also talking about the tool being utilized directly by business users rather than being owned by IT departments. This is an exciting shift of power that really could bring about unrestrained exploration of previously untapped data assets. It is therefore a shift that should be embraced by all.
So, is this the beginning of the end for Business Intelligence?
Update: At Qonnections QlikTech seem to have subtly changed the message to Business Discovery.
A minor change of words but a big (and encouraging) change in intent.