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Business Intelligence (BI) software is a technology-driven process for analyzing data and presenting actionable information to help executives, managers, and other corporate end-users make informed business decisions. BI tools help organizations gain insights into their data, identify trends, and make strategic decisions based on data-driven evidence.
Business Intelligence software is essential for businesses as it allows them to gather, store, and analyze data from various sources to make better decisions. It provides a comprehensive view of the organizations data, enabling users to identify opportunities, monitor key performance indicators, and optimize business processes.
Some of the main features of Business Intelligence software include data visualization, reporting and dashboarding, ad-hoc analysis, data mining, predictive analytics, and key performance indicators (KPIs) monitoring. These tools help businesses transform raw data into meaningful insights for strategic decision-making.
BI software can assist businesses in various processes such as financial analysis, sales and marketing optimization, inventory management, customer relationship management, supply chain analysis, and human resources planning. These tools provide valuable insights that drive operational efficiency and improve overall performance.
When buying BI software, businesses should first assess their specific needs and requirements. They should then research different BI solutions, evaluate their features and pricing, request demos from shortlisted vendors, and consider factors such as scalability, ease of integration, and customer support before making a final decision.
When selecting BI software, businesses should consider factors such as ease of use, scalability, data connectivity, security features, mobile access, and compatibility with existing systems. It is also essential to assess the vendors reputation, customer reviews, and post-sales support services.
Some of the most popular Business Intelligence software vendors include Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, QlikView, MicroStrategy, and IBM Cognos. According to Gartners Magic Quadrant report, Microsoft Power BI currently holds the highest market share in the BI and analytics platform industry.
Some emerging trends in the BI software industry include the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning for advanced analytics, the rise of augmented analytics for automated insights, the focus on data governance and compliance, and the shift towards cloud-based BI solutions for enhanced scalability and flexibility.
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For business intelligence software, the price sits around $3,000 per year for a user. However, it is worth noting that this price range is associated with the medium offering or package from each software vendor; in essence, it is suitable for small & medium-sized businesses. More robust offerings have volatile pricings that are adjusted to suit large businesses.
Users are expected to pay between $10 to $75 for a single user account, depending on the offering level. Examples are Prisync pricing is priced at $60 per month, ClearView InFocus, which costs $25 monthly, and SEMRush pricing sit around $100 monthly. However, SAP Business Objects costs $14,000 per year but includes 10 user accounts.
Additionally, business intelligence software can be targeted at SMBs or large-sized businesses. However, there are others that are meant for any business size. The software that is apt for each business size and their prices are as follows: