Cloud Business Intelligence

1. Cloud Business Intelligence, known as BI, is analytical software applications hosted on a virtual network that provide organization access to business intelligence related data such as dashboards, KPIs, metrics and other business analytics. It connected servers off-site rather than on a local or on-premise computing device and provides an in-class analytics platform that enabling users from the workgroup to the enterprise from anywhere on any device. [1]

2. Advantages:

• Save money and time

It reduces the processing time that you have to set up the resource and it does not need hire labor force to manage the setup. Since the expense is getting less for setting up the application, company can improve sales and marketing activities in order to expect a faster return.

• Flexibility

Cloud BI applications can be accessed on any web browser or on any mobile devices such as laptops, mobile, tablets, iPad, desktops etc. Problems are taken care of by the cloud service vendors and users do not need to be bothered. Company can focus on garnering business anytime.

• Simple deployment

It’s simple to deploy, since they require no additional hardware or software installations for existing processes and IT infrastructure. [2]

3. Disadvantages:

• Data security

People wondering data is stored and delivered across the Internet, since companies are unable to control the data and the location of data is unknown. Company runs the risk of data loss and damaging its reputation. [3]

• Slow recovery

In addition to data loss, it’s hard for those companies to make quick response to remedy the problem because the recovery is difficult. Therefore they cannot provide costumers the answer regarding privacy issue.

4. I think the 37% of respondents have no plan to adopt a cloud of BI is largely because data hosting may be untrusted and insecure that they are unable to take the risk. It also comes with other unexpected technical problems, people unable to make it run smoothly all the time. This may cost more than what they have saved. Moreover, one other reason is they are satisfied with the present way they used to having without cloud BI, and they don’t want to make any change.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing

[2] http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1903814

[3]http://www.business2community.com/tech-gadgets/what-are-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-cloud-computing-0305222#iQCoqj1Rh1JktBgL.97