IBM BI & Analytics

Photo Mark de Kort
Author: Mark de Kort
Senior IBM consultant
Table of Contents

In this focus article, we are showcasing a concise overview of our recently updated, independent BI & Analytics research on the software vendor IBM and its product portfolio (such as Cognos Analytics, IBM Watson, and IBM SPSS). IBM BI & Analytics scores better in our independent study than Oracle but slightly worse than TIBCO. Of all the categories in our research, IBM scored the best in BI infrastructure and scored the lowest on multidimensional models. Within the context of BI & Analytics, we have put together the main advantages and disadvantages of IBM Business Analytics, and arranged them by topic (BI, Big Data, data analytics, AI, and data science). We also point out the key functionalities of the software products such as Cognos Analytics, IBM Watson, and IBM SPSS et cetera.

How does IBM BI & Analytics score on different parts?

In our study, we also judged the various software products of IBM BI & Analytics software. We examined no less than 720 aspects. The figure below shows the strengths and weaknesses of IBM Business Analytics, in general terms. Please note that Passionned Group is 100% independent of the suppliers in the research. We are not a reseller, we do not make deals or have any ties to the vendor. Among other things, we help and advise companies in the proper selection of BI tooling.

Score of IBM Business Analytics software.Figure 1: The pros and cons of the software vendor IBM BI & Analytics. A top supplier can get a maximum of 100%. Source: The BI & Analytics Guide 2024. Do you need additional information about our research design? Click here to download this guide.

The IBM analysis has been established by collecting a lot of public big data and from there it was exhaustively analyzed. More than 9,011 documents have been scanned from this software vendor in recent times. In this analysis, both algorithms as a senior expert make their mark on performing the validation.The BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 Image of The BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024In our 100% vendor-independent BI & Analytics Guide we have collected all the ins and outs of IBM for you. You get access to hundreds of (shorter) trainings, tech talks, lectures, demos, tutorials, and so on and always have the latest BI & AI news. This mini-course also assists you in reinforcing your knowledge about BI & Analytics.IBM in our BI & Analytics Guide

IBM and their complete BI & Analytics product portfolio

The company IBM knows (a minimum of) 28 products in the realm of BI & Analytics. In order of popularity, we list the most important ones here:

What is IBM Business Analytics?

In this paragraph, we describe the key elements of IBM Business Analytics, including some of its features and any related products. This product group consists of Cognos Analytics, IBM Watson, IBM SPSS, IBM Infosphere, Netezza, IBM Cloud Pak, IBM Planning Analytics, IBM BigInsights, DB2 OLAP Server, IBM Video Analytics, and IBM Banking Data Warehouse. This product can be characterized by the following characteristics:

  • analysis
  • analytics
  • business intelligence
  • dashboards
  • data science
  • forecasting
  • predictive analytics
  • real-time
  • reporting
  • streaming

Do you want to know the intricacies of all the functions (100+) of IBM Business Analytics? Download the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Are you considering hiring a knowledgeable IBM Business Analytics specialist?

Do you want to hire an interim IBM Business Analytics specialist who can do a mountain of work for you, and implement a beautiful IBM Business Analytics application? Our specialists are happy to assist you. Indeed, hiring IBM Business Analytics developers is sometimes unnecessary and costly. Leave a message here and we will explore the business opportunities for you.

Screen shot of IBM Business Analytics software.
Picture of IBM Business Analytics tools.
IBM Business Analytics in action
Figures 2, 3, and 4: These three images give a first impression how IBM Business Analytics works. Click on the image to make it bigger. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is Cognos Analytics?

Other names by which this software product is known: Cognos, IBM Cognos Business Intelligence, Cognos Business Intelligence, IBM Cognos, Cognos BI, IBM Cognos Analytics

We do not display all the features here but, in this paragraph, we display the details of Cognos Analytics, including some of its features and any related products. This product group consists of IBM Cognos TM1, IBM Cognos Real-time Monitoring, IBM Cognos Real-time, IBM Cognos Analysis, and Cognos Cube Designer. This product/group of products can be characterized by the following properties:

  • analysis
  • analytics
  • augmented analytics
  • business intelligence
  • dashboards
  • data discovery
  • generative AI
  • interactive dashboards
  • predictive forecasting
  • reporting

Are you now curious about all elements (100+) of Cognos Analytics? Download directly our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of Cognos Analytics software.
Picture of Cognos Analytics tools.
Cognos Analytics in action
Figures 5, 6, and 7: These three images give a first impression how Cognos Analytics functions. Click on an image to make it bigger. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM Cognos TM1?

Other names by which this software product is known: Cognos TM1

In this part, we describe IBM Cognos TM1, including some of its features and any related products. This product group consists of IBM Cognos TM1 Server. IBM Cognos TM1 can be characterized by the following functionalities:

  • analysis
  • analytics
  • dashboards
  • financial reporting
  • forecasting
  • performance management
  • real-time
  • reporting
  • web server
  • Windows

Do you want to know the intricacies of all the functions (100+) of IBM Cognos TM1? Then order the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Cognos TM1 software.
Picture of IBM Cognos TM1 tools.
IBM Cognos TM1 in action
Figures 8, 9, and 10: Overlying images illustrate how IBM Cognos TM1 works. Click on an image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.
What is IBM Cognos TM1 Server?

Other names by which this software product is known: Cognos TM1 Server

In this section, we report the (main) characteristics of IBM Cognos TM1 Server, including some of its features and any related products. IBM Cognos TM1 Server can be best characterized by the following functionalities:

  • analytics
  • authentication
  • cloud services
  • cube
  • Kerberos
  • performance management
  • share insights
  • Unix
  • web server
  • Windows

Are you curious about all characteristics (100+) of IBM Cognos TM1 Server? Download directly our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Cognos TM1 Server software.
Picture of IBM Cognos TM1 Server tools.
IBM Cognos TM1 Server in action
Figures 11, 12, and 13: Several figures demonstrate how IBM Cognos TM1 Server functions. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM Cognos Real-time Monitoring?

Other names by which this software product is known: Cognos Real-time Monitoring

We don’t reveal everything here but, in this paragraph, we describe the key elements of IBM Cognos Real-time Monitoring, including some of its features and any related products. The tool IBM Cognos Real-time Monitoring can be best characterized by the following functionalities:

  • analysis
  • business intelligence
  • dashboards
  • in-memory
  • interactive dashboards
  • real-time
  • reporting
  • SQL
  • streaming

Are you now curious about all features (100+) of IBM Cognos Real-time Monitoring? In that case, open the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Cognos Real-time Monitoring software.
Picture of IBM Cognos Real-time Monitoring tools.
IBM Cognos Real-time Monitoring in action
Figures 14, 15, and 16: Overlying images illustrate how IBM Cognos Real-time Monitoring functions. Click on an image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM Cognos Real-time?

We do not display all the features here but, in this paragraph, we describe the key elements of IBM Cognos Real-time, including some of its features and any related products. IBM Cognos Real-time can be characterized by the following features:

  • analysis
  • business intelligence
  • cube
  • dashboards
  • in-memory
  • real-time
  • reporting
  • SQL
  • streaming
  • Windows

Are you now curious about all characteristics (100+) of IBM Cognos Real-time? In that case, open the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Cognos Real-time software.
Picture of IBM Cognos Real-time tools.
IBM Cognos Real-time in action
Figures 17, 18, and 19: Various figures show how IBM Cognos Real-time runs. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM Cognos Analysis?

We do not display all the features here but, in this paragraph, we provide a description of IBM Cognos Analysis, including some of its features and any related products. This product group consists of IBM Cognos Analysis Studio. The tool IBM Cognos Analysis can be best characterized by the following features:

  • advanced analytics
  • analysis
  • analytics
  • business intelligence
  • dashboards
  • natural language
  • natural language search
  • notifications
  • performance management
  • reporting

Are you now curious about all elements (100+) of IBM Cognos Analysis? Open the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Cognos Analysis software.
Picture of IBM Cognos Analysis tools.
IBM Cognos Analysis in action
Figures 20, 21, and 22: Overlying images illustrate how IBM Cognos Analysis works. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.
What is IBM Cognos Analysis Studio?

Other names by which this software product is known: Cognos Analysis Studio

In this paragraph, we report the (main) characteristics of IBM Cognos Analysis Studio, including some of its features and any related products. The tool IBM Cognos Analysis Studio can be best defined by the following properties:

  • analysis
  • analytics
  • business intelligence
  • dashboards
  • natural language
  • OLAP
  • reporting
  • self-service BI

Are you curious about all elements (100+) of IBM Cognos Analysis Studio? In that case, open the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Cognos Analysis Studio software.
Picture of IBM Cognos Analysis Studio tools.
IBM Cognos Analysis Studio in action
Figures 23, 24, and 25: Overlying figures display how IBM Cognos Analysis Studio runs. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is Cognos Cube Designer?

We don’t reveal everything here but, in this paragraph, we report the (main) characteristics of Cognos Cube Designer, including some of its features and any related products. Cognos Cube Designer can be characterized by the following features:

  • analysis
  • analytics
  • business intelligence
  • cube
  • in-memory
  • Linux
  • OLAP
  • reporting
  • scalability
  • Windows

Are you now curious about all the functions (100+) of Cognos Cube Designer? Then download our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of Cognos Cube Designer software.
Picture of Cognos Cube Designer tools.
Cognos Cube Designer in action
Figures 26, 27, and 28: Several images show the operation Cognos Cube Designer functions. Click on the image to magnify. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM Watson?

Other names by which this software product is known: Watson

We don’t reveal everything here but, in this paragraph, we display the details of IBM Watson, including some of its features and any related products. This product group consists of Watson Natural Language Processing. This product can be characterized by the following features:

  • ABAP
  • analytics
  • artificial intelligence
  • generative AI
  • machine learning
  • natural language
  • natural language processing
  • open source
  • SDK
  • time series

Do you want to know everything about all elements (100+) of IBM Watson? Open the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Watson software.
Picture of IBM Watson tools.
IBM Watson in action
Figures 29, 30, and 31: Overlying images illustrate how IBM Watson operates. Click on the image to magnify. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is Watson Natural Language Processing?

In this part, we report the (main) characteristics of Watson Natural Language Processing, including some of its features and any related products. Watson Natural Language Processing can be best characterized by the following properties:

  • algorithms
  • analysis
  • analytics
  • artificial intelligence
  • deep learning
  • machine learning
  • natural language
  • natural language processing
  • Python
  • sentiment analysis

Do you want to know everything about all the functionalities (100+) of Watson Natural Language Processing? Download directly our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of Watson Natural Language Processing software.
Picture of Watson Natural Language Processing tools.
Watson Natural Language Processing in action
Figures 32, 33, and 34: Several figures demonstrate how Watson Natural Language Processing operates. Click on the image to magnify. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM SPSS?

Other names by which this software product is known: SPSS

Under this heading, we display the details of IBM SPSS, including some of its features and any related products. This product group consists of IBM SPSS Statistics, IBM SPSS Modeler, and IBM SPSS Predictive Analytics. The product IBM SPSS can be best characterized by the following functionalities:

  • algorithms
  • analysis
  • analytics
  • data management
  • machine learning
  • predictive analytics
  • reporting
  • scalability
  • statistical analysis
  • Windows

Are you now curious about all the functions (100+) of IBM SPSS? Download directly our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM SPSS software.
Picture of IBM SPSS tools.
IBM SPSS in action
Figures 35, 36, and 37: Several images show the operation IBM SPSS operates. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM SPSS Statistics?

Other names by which this software product is known: SPSS Statistics

In this part, we display the details of IBM SPSS Statistics, including some of its features and any related products. IBM SPSS Statistics can be best characterized by the following functionalities:

  • algorithms
  • analysis
  • analytics
  • big data
  • data management
  • machine learning
  • multivariate analysis
  • reporting
  • scalability
  • statistical analysis

Are you curious about all characteristics (100+) of IBM SPSS Statistics? Then order the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM SPSS Statistics software.
Picture of IBM SPSS Statistics tools.
IBM SPSS Statistics in action
Figures 38, 39, and 40: These three images give a first impression how IBM SPSS Statistics functions. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM SPSS Modeler?

Other names by which this software product is known: SPSS Modeler

In this part, we report the (main) characteristics of IBM SPSS Modeler, including some of its features and any related products. This product group consists of IBM SPSS Text Analytics and IBM SPSS Modeler Server. The tool IBM SPSS Modeler can be defined by the following functionalities:

  • advanced analytics
  • algorithms
  • analysis
  • analytics
  • data mining
  • machine learning
  • predictive analytics
  • predictive models
  • text analytics
  • unstructured data

Are you now curious about all characteristics (100+) of IBM SPSS Modeler? Download directly our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM SPSS Modeler software.
Picture of IBM SPSS Modeler tools.
IBM SPSS Modeler in action
Figures 41, 42, and 43: Various figures show how IBM SPSS Modeler operates. Click on the image to magnify. Credits: IBM & partners.
What is IBM SPSS Text Analytics?

Other names by which this software product is known: SPSS Modeler Text Analytics, IBM SPSS Modeler Text Analytics

We don’t reveal everything here but, in this paragraph, we describe the key elements of IBM SPSS Text Analytics, including some of its features and any related products. This product/group of products can be best defined by the following functionalities:

  • analysis
  • analytics
  • link analysis
  • natural language
  • natural language processing
  • R
  • scalability
  • statistical analysis
  • text analysis
  • text analytics

Are you curious about all features (100+) of IBM SPSS Text Analytics? Download the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM SPSS Text Analytics software.
Picture of IBM SPSS Text Analytics tools.
IBM SPSS Text Analytics in action
Figures 44, 45, and 46: Various figures show how IBM SPSS Text Analytics functions. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.
What is IBM SPSS Modeler Server?

Other names by which this software product is known: SPSS Modeler Server

We do not display all the features here but, in this paragraph, we report the (main) characteristics of IBM SPSS Modeler Server, including some of its features and any related products. IBM SPSS Modeler Server can be best characterized by the following properties:

  • analysis
  • analytics
  • data mining
  • data preparation
  • data science
  • ODBC
  • predictive analysis
  • R
  • text analytics
  • Windows

Are you curious about all characteristics (100+) of IBM SPSS Modeler Server? Download the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM SPSS Modeler Server software.
Picture of IBM SPSS Modeler Server tools.
IBM SPSS Modeler Server in action
Figures 47, 48, and 49: Overlying figures display how IBM SPSS Modeler Server functions. Click on the image to make it bigger. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM SPSS Predictive Analytics?

Other names by which this software product is known: SPSS Predictive Analytics

We don’t reveal everything here but, in this paragraph, we describe IBM SPSS Predictive Analytics, including some of its features and any related products. This product can be characterized by the following properties:

  • advanced analytics
  • algorithms
  • analysis
  • analytics
  • data mining
  • data preparation
  • forecasting
  • machine learning
  • predictive analytics
  • text analysis

Are you curious about all the functions (100+) of IBM SPSS Predictive Analytics? Download directly our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM SPSS Predictive Analytics software.
Picture of IBM SPSS Predictive Analytics tools.
IBM SPSS Predictive Analytics in action
Figures 50, 51, and 52: Several images show the operation IBM SPSS Predictive Analytics operates. Click on an image to magnify. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM Infosphere?

Other names by which this software product is known: Infosphere

In this section, we report the (main) characteristics of IBM Infosphere, including some of its features and any related products. This product group consists of IBM Infosphere Information Server and IBM Infosphere Information Analyzer. This product/group of products can be best characterized by the following functionalities:

  • big data
  • big data governance
  • business intelligence
  • CDC
  • data governance
  • data integration
  • data integration platform
  • data management
  • data modeling
  • MDM

Do you want to know the intricacies of all the functions (100+) of IBM Infosphere? Then download our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Infosphere software.
Picture of IBM Infosphere tools.
IBM Infosphere in action
Figures 53, 54, and 55: Various figures show how IBM Infosphere operates. Click on the image to magnify. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM Infosphere Information Server?

We don’t reveal everything here but, in this paragraph, we portrait IBM Infosphere Information Server, including some of its features and any related products. The tool IBM Infosphere Information Server can be best characterized by the following features:

  • analysis
  • data integration
  • data integration platform
  • data quality
  • data warehousing
  • Linux
  • MPP
  • parallel processing
  • reporting
  • Windows

Are you now curious about all characteristics (100+) of IBM Infosphere Information Server? Download directly our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Infosphere Information Server software.
Picture of IBM Infosphere Information Server tools.
IBM Infosphere Information Server in action
Figures 56, 57, and 58: Several figures demonstrate how IBM Infosphere Information Server functions. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM Infosphere Information Analyzer?

Under this heading, we provide a description of IBM Infosphere Information Analyzer, including some of its features and any related products. The product IBM Infosphere Information Analyzer can be characterized by the following functionalities:

  • analysis
  • data governance
  • data integration
  • data profiling
  • data quality
  • Windows

Are you curious about all the functionalities (100+) of IBM Infosphere Information Analyzer? Then order the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Infosphere Information Analyzer software.
Picture of IBM Infosphere Information Analyzer tools.
IBM Infosphere Information Analyzer in action
Figures 59, 60, and 61: Several images show the operation IBM Infosphere Information Analyzer operates. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is Netezza?

In this paragraph, we report the (main) characteristics of Netezza, including some of its features and any related products. This product group consists of Netezza Performance Server. The product Netezza can be defined by the following functionalities:

  • analytics
  • business intelligence
  • data warehousing
  • IBM Netezza
  • infrastructure
  • Linux
  • machine learning
  • native
  • parallel processing
  • SQL

Are you curious about all characteristics (100+) of Netezza? Then download our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of Netezza software.
Picture of Netezza tools.
Netezza in action
Figures 62, 63, and 64: Several images show the operation Netezza operates. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is Netezza Performance Server?

We don’t reveal everything here but, in this paragraph, we give you insight into the key behaviors of Netezza Performance Server, including some of its features and any related products. The tool Netezza Performance Server can be best characterized by the following features:

  • Amazon Web Services
  • analytics
  • business intelligence
  • cloud data warehouse
  • data management
  • IBM Netezza
  • OLE DB
  • Python
  • SQL
  • web services

Are you curious about all features (100+) of Netezza Performance Server? Then order the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of Netezza Performance Server software.
Picture of Netezza Performance Server tools.
Netezza Performance Server in action
Figures 65, 66, and 67: Several images show the operation Netezza Performance Server runs. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM Cloud Pak?

We do not display all the features here but, in this paragraph, we provide a description of IBM Cloud Pak, including some of its features and any related products. This product/group of products can be best defined by the following functionalities:

  • analytics
  • analytics platform
  • artificial intelligence
  • decision management
  • hybrid cloud
  • infrastructure
  • kubernetes
  • Red Hat
  • SDK
  • streaming

Do you want to know the intricacies of all the functionalities (100+) of IBM Cloud Pak? In that case, open the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Cloud Pak software.
Picture of IBM Cloud Pak tools.
IBM Cloud Pak in action
Figures 68, 69, and 70: Several images show the operation IBM Cloud Pak functions. Click on an image to make it bigger. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM Planning Analytics?

In this paragraph, we display the details of IBM Planning Analytics, including some of its features and any related products. The product IBM Planning Analytics can be best characterized by the following features:

  • analytics
  • forecasting
  • in-memory
  • in-memory database
  • native
  • performance management
  • real-time
  • real-time insights
  • reporting
  • SaaS

Do you want to know everything about all features (100+) of IBM Planning Analytics? Download directly our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Planning Analytics software.
Picture of IBM Planning Analytics tools.
IBM Planning Analytics in action
Figures 71, 72, and 73: Various figures show how IBM Planning Analytics functions. Click on an image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM BigInsights?

In this part, we describe IBM BigInsights, including some of its features and any related products. This product can be best defined by the following functionalities:

  • algorithms
  • analytics
  • big data
  • data mining
  • JAQL
  • native
  • open source
  • predictive modeling
  • R
  • SQL

Are you curious about all elements (100+) of IBM BigInsights? Then download our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM BigInsights software.
Picture of IBM BigInsights tools.
IBM BigInsights in action
Figures 74, 75, and 76: Several images show the operation IBM BigInsights works. Click on the image to magnify. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is DB2 OLAP Server?

In this section, we describe DB2 OLAP Server, including some of its features and any related products. This product/group of products can be defined by the following features:

  • analysis
  • cube
  • data mining
  • decision support
  • IBM Db2
  • OLAP
  • OLAP database
  • real-time analytics
  • reporting
  • scalability

Do you want to know everything about all characteristics (100+) of DB2 OLAP Server? Then download our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of DB2 OLAP Server software.
Picture of DB2 OLAP Server tools.
DB2 OLAP Server in action
Figures 77, 78, and 79: Several images show the operation DB2 OLAP Server functions. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM Video Analytics?

Other names by which this software product is known: IBM Intelligent Video Analytics

In this section, we portrait IBM Video Analytics, including some of its features and any related products. This product/group of products can be characterized by the following features:

  • analytics
  • infrastructure
  • live video analytics
  • open source
  • operating systems
  • repository
  • stream analytics
  • streaming
  • video analytics
  • Windows

Are you now curious about all the functionalities (100+) of IBM Video Analytics? Then download our BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Video Analytics software.
Picture of IBM Video Analytics tools.
IBM Video Analytics in action
Figures 80, 81, and 82: Several images show the operation IBM Video Analytics runs. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: IBM & partners.

What is IBM Banking Data Warehouse?

Under this heading, we provide a description of IBM Banking Data Warehouse, including some of its features and any related products. This product/group of products can be best defined by the following features:

  • analysis
  • business intelligence
  • data governance
  • data modeling
  • data warehousing
  • IBM Db2
  • Linux
  • reporting
  • SQL
  • Windows

Are you curious about all the functionalities (100+) of IBM Banking Data Warehouse? In that case, open the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of IBM Banking Data Warehouse software.
Picture of IBM Banking Data Warehouse tools.
IBM Banking Data Warehouse in action
Figures 83, 84, and 85: Several images show the operation IBM Banking Data Warehouse works. Click on the image to magnify. Credits: IBM & partners.

Innovations of IBM Business Analytics tools and the version history

Lately, we see a negative trend when it comes to BI & Analytics functionality and support for various platforms, and data sources. The latest novelties are in the areas of data governance > data lineage > lineage graph, data discovery > analysis > guided analysis, and AI > conversational AI > conversational AI chatbot.

We reviewed IBM’s current releases of the total product range. Below you can see the respective version numbers of the various BI & Analytics products of IBM:

  • Cognos Analytics: 12.0.2 12.0.1 12.0 11.2.4 11.2.3 11.2.2 11.2.1 11.2.0 11.2 11.1.7 fp6 11.1.7 fp5 11.1.7 11.1.6 11.1 11.0.13 11.0.12 11.0.11 11.0.9 11.0.8 11.0.7 11.0.0 1.2.0
  • Cognos Cube Designer: 11.0.13
  • DB2 OLAP Server: 8.1 8 7.1 7 1.1 1.0 1
  • IBM Banking Data Warehouse: 8.7.0 8.7 8.2.0
  • IBM BigInsights: 4.1 4
  • IBM Business Analytics: 2022
  • IBM Cloud Pak: 2021.2.1
  • IBM Cognos Analysis Studio: 10.2.2 10.2.1 10.2.0 10.1.0
  • IBM Cognos Analytics: 11
  • IBM Cognos Real-time Monitoring: 10.2.1 10.1.1 10.1.0 10.1 10
  • IBM Infosphere Information Analyzer: 2023
  • IBM Infosphere Information Server: 2024 11.7.1.1 11.7 11.5.0 11 9.1 8.1 8.0
  • IBM Planning Analytics: 2023 2.0.71 2.0.63 2.0.9.18 2.0.9.17 2.0.9.16 2.0.9.14 2.0.9 2.0
  • IBM SPSS: 26 15
  • IBM SPSS Modeler: 2024 2023 18.5 18.3 18.2.2 18.2 18.0 14.0
  • IBM SPSS Modeler Server: 18.5 18.3 18.2.2 18.1 18.0 14.2
  • IBM SPSS Statistics: 32 29.0.1 29.0 29 28.0.1 28.0 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21.0
  • IBM SPSS Text Analytics: 14.0
  • IBM Video Analytics: 1.0.5 1
  • IBM Watson: 2.0.0
  • Netezza: 7.2.1 7.2
  • Netezza Performance Server: 2024 2023 800 11.2.2.4 11.0.0.0 11

Behind each product are the version numbers, the most recent versions are mentioned first.

What are the licensing costs of Cognos Analytics, IBM Watson, and IBM SPSS?

In many cases, it can be difficult to determine the licensing costs of IBM BI & Analytics because it depends on the country, the number of users, the connectors to data sources, and at what point in the year you request a quote. And before the end of a fiscal quarter of IBM, you may be able to look forward to a decent discount. As part of a cloud-first strategy, it makes sense to run the software in the cloud. You then only pay for what you actually use in resources. The purchase cost of Cognos Analytics, IBM Watson, and IBM SPSS may not be the largest amounts, but maintenance and support can certainly put quite a strain on your annual budget.

What makes IBM BI & Analytics innovative

In our study, we see that IBM in the field of BI & Analytics software has a number of specific features and thus differentiates itself from the competition. This makes IBM Business Analytics more or less unique: live video analytics, forward fit, link analysis, workplace analytics, and multinomial logistic regression.

The advantages and disadvantages of IBM Business Analytics

Tag cloud of the IBM Business Analytics tools.Figure 86: Tag cloud with the strength-weakness analysis of IBM BI & Analytics

In the following sections, we describe all the advantages and disadvantages of IBM BI & Analytics, Cognos Analytics, IBM Watson, and IBM SPSS. These are not necessarily definitive because: IBM can currently work to creating missing functionality at this time (such as support for sparklines, iPhone, Microsoft Dynamics, self-service data discovery, visual analysis, natural language queries, horizontal bar chart, cohort analysis, density map, and KPI charts).

Share your opinion about IBM here

Write a review about IBM BI & Analytics here. Your experiences can then start to count in an even better assessment of the performance of IBM Business Analytics.

1. IBM BI Infrastructure

96%

The vendor IBM has an excellent performance in our objective BI & Analytics survey on the section ‘BI Infrastructure’. The score amounts to 96%, relative to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: authentication, infrastructure, and SDK. In total, we examined 162 criteria in this category. Would you like to learn more about the topic ‘BI Infrastructure’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Study 2024.

2. IBM Performance Optimization

91%

The vendor IBM has an excellent score in our objective BI & Analytics survey on the subject ‘Performance Optimization’ with a score of 91%, relative to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: in-memory, MPP, materialized views, and quantum computing. In total, we examined 29 criteria in this category. Would you like to go into more depth with the topic ‘Performance Optimization’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Study 2024.

3. IBM Decision Management

91%

The company has an excellent performance in our 100% vendor-independent BI & Analytics survey on the subject ‘Decision Management’ with a score of 91%, relative to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: performance management, decision-making platform, decision optimization, real-time decisioning, and automated decision-making. In total, we examined 30 features within this discipline. Would you like to learn more about the topic ‘Decision Management’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Guide.

4. IBM Data Governance

88%

The company has an excellent performance in our 100% vendor-independent BI & Analytics survey on the section ‘Data Governance’ with a score of 88%, relative to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: data management, data encryption, data lineage, and data acquisition layer. In doing so, we analyzed the following two products: IBM Infosphere and IBM Infosphere Information Analyzer. In total, we examined 91 criteria in this category. Would you like to delve further into the topic ‘Data Governance’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Guide. Or take a deep dive in the following content:

5. IBM Business Intelligence

87%

The vendor IBM has an excellent score in our objective BI & Analytics survey on the subject ‘Business Intelligence’ with a score of 87%, relative to other vendors. We considered the following factors: CRM, business intelligence platform, embedded business intelligence, and business process monitoring. In doing so, we looked at the following five products: Cognos Analytics, IBM Cognos Real-time, IBM Cognos Real-time Monitoring, Cognos Cube Designer, and IBM Business Analytics. In total, we examined 73 selection criteria within this main theme. Are you planning to specialize further in the topic ‘Business Intelligence’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Guide 2024.

6. IBM Artificial Intelligence

84%

IBM has an excellent performance in our study of the theme ‘Artificial Intelligence’, given that they score 84% on this, relative to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: machine learning, data mining, algorithms, computer vision, augmented reality, cognitive computing, and machine intelligence. In total, we examined 181 aspects in this category. Would you like to go into more depth with the topic ‘Artificial Intelligence’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Guide 2024. Or take a deep dive in the following content:

7. IBM Analytics

82%

The vendor IBM has an excellent score in our recently updated, independent BI & Analytics study on the subject ‘Analytics’ with a score of 82%, relative to other vendors. The following criteria were used: analytics platform, customer analytics, marketing analytics, performance analytics, media analytics, and manufacturing analytics. In doing so, we studied the following five products: Netezza, IBM Watson, IBM Cognos TM1, Cognos Analytics, and Netezza Performance Server. In total, we examined 130 features within this discipline. Would you like to go into more depth with the topic ‘Analytics’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Guide 2024.

8. IBM Data Connectivity

75%

The vendor IBM has a good performance in our study on the section ‘Data Connectivity’. The score amounts to 75%, relative to other vendors. We used the following selection criteria: XML, MongoDB, Amazon Redshift, Impala, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Dynamics, and Microsoft Office. In total, we examined 91 features within this discipline. Would you like to go into more depth with the topic ‘Data Connectivity’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Guide 2024.

9. IBM Data Discovery

72%

IBM has a good score in our objective BI & Analytics survey on the section ‘Data Discovery’. The company scores 72% on this topic, relative to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: analysis, data visualization, notifications, standard deviation, data storytelling, and share insights. In total, we examined 398 features within this discipline. Would you like to learn more about the topic ‘Data Discovery’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Guide.

10. IBM Real-time Analytics

68%

The vendor IBM has a good score in our current BI & Analytics survey on the subject ‘Real-time Analytics’ with a score of 68%, relative to other vendors. We considered the following factors: real-time, real-time data, near real-time, real-time insights, real-time data warehousing, real-time big data, and real-time streaming data. In total, we examined 19 criteria in this category. Are you planning to specialize further in the topic ‘Real-time Analytics’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Guide.

11. IBM Mobile Business Intelligence

66%

IBM has a good score in our study on the section ‘Mobile Business Intelligence’, given that they score 66% on this, relative to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: Android, iPad, and iPhone. In total, we examined 10 criteria within this section. Are you excited about the topic ‘Mobile Business Intelligence’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Guide.

12. IBM Data Integration

65%

The vendor IBM has a good score in our objective BI & Analytics survey of the theme ‘Data Integration’ with a score of 65%, relative to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: data warehousing, data virtualization, data wrangling, cross-database joins, and Extract-Transform-Load. In doing so, we investigated the following two products: IBM Infosphere and IBM Infosphere Information Server. In total, we examined 76 criteria within this section. Would you like to delve further into the topic ‘Data Integration’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Guide 2024. Or take a deep dive in the following content:

13. IBM Self-service BI

58%

IBM has a good rating in our independent BI & Analytics survey on the subject ‘Self-service BI’ with a score of 58%, compared to other vendors. We used the following selection criteria: self-service data preparation, self-service reporting, and self-service analysis. In total, we examined 14 selection criteria within this main theme. Would you like to learn more about the topic ‘Self-service BI’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Guide.

14. IBM Big Data

58%

IBM has a good performance in our 100% vendor-independent BI & Analytics survey on the subject ‘Big Data’. The company scores 58% on this topic, relative to other vendors. We considered the following factors: streaming, complex data, massive volumes, big data management, and big data computing. In doing so, we assessed the following two products: IBM BigInsights and IBM Infosphere. In total, we examined 59 criteria in this category. Are you excited about the topic ‘Big Data’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Guide 2024. Or take a deep dive in the following content:

15. IBM Multidimensional Models

56%

IBM has a good rating in our study on the section ‘Multidimensional Models’, given that they score 56% on this, compared to other vendors. The following criteria were used: OLAP, ROLAP, MOLAP, and tabular data models. In total, we examined 14 criteria within this section. Would you like to go into more depth with the topic ‘Multidimensional Models’? Then download here our BI & Analytics Study.

Want to know more? Then order the BI & Analytics Guide™ 2024 here

In which sectors is IBM BI & Analytics most active?

In our current BI & Analytics survey, we also found out at which industries a supplier has a track record. These are the industries where IBM is most popular: aviation, biomedical, hospitality, manufacturing, pharma, public sector, and retail.

IBM software is most used by…

The BI & Analytics software from IBM is most often mentioned in combination with the following function: Database Administrators.

Hire a competent IBM expert

Training & education IBM BI & Analytics

We facilitate various training courses in the field of BI & Analytics but can also provide specific IBM training, for example as in-company. In these sessions, we delve into various software applications including Cognos Analytics, IBM Watson, and IBM SPSS. Of course, we frame the training with the ideas of the intelligent, data-driven organization.

In conclusion: IBM Business Analytics scores eminent

IBM has a compact product portfolio with which it scores eminent in our BI & Analytics survey. IBM BI & Analytics innovates (approximately) at an average rate of more than 15 features per year, is active (for now) in many different sectors, and has developed best in BI infrastructure.

About Passionned Group

logo of Passionned Group, the IBM BI & Analytics specialistPassionned Group is an expert in data-driven working and the implementation of BI & Analytics solutions. Our driven and passionate consultants help businesses and governments to advance as intelligent, data-driven organizations.

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Fact sheet

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customers
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training courses
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people trained
9.3
customer satisfaction
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consultants & teachers
19
years of experience