Johannesburg, 28 Nov 2007
Business intelligence (BI) software provider QlikView South Africa has expanded its footprint to KwaZulu-Natal with the launch of distributor Direct Insight Consulting.
Founders Upuli de Abrew and Sean Taylor, both former QlikView clients, were so impressed with the software they decided to quit their corporate careers and go the entrepreneurial route with QlikView.
"I`ve been involved in business intelligence for six years and QlikView is the first tool I`ve ever seen that doesn`t come with a `but`," says Taylor, previously the BI manager at Distell. If I was ever going to start my own company, QlikView was the product I wanted to do it with."
"It`s the first software tool I`ve ever seen users say 'wow` about," confirms De Abrew, who was until recently the BI manager at Homechoice. "We did a very extensive and rigorous review and evaluation of different tools at Homechoice, and QlikView very clearly stood out from the crowd. If anything is a sure thing, QlikView is the closest I`ve ever seen."
Gartner estimates that by 2012 70% of Global 1 000 organisations will be using in-memory data processing technology, on which QlikView is based, for their business intelligence needs. "We believe we`re still at least three years ahead of the market on this," says QlikView`s Davide Hanan.
QlikView already has major Durban-based customers, including Lion Match, Palmer Rubber, Sara Lee and GUD Filters, and Hanan says the company is pleased to have a Durban-based partner for local distribution and support. "There`s been huge demand for QlikView in KwaZulu-Natal and a local presence there is somewhat overdue. We`re delighted to have found the right people for the job."
"I don`t believe there is a single situation QlikView can`t add value to," says Taylor. "It can be cost-effective with just one user, or with thousands of users. It can run on top of any source and doesn`t mandate the need for a data warehouse. It can be implemented in a matter of weeks and it`s not specific to any sector or business function. QlikView can be implemented to analyse and investigate any data, from financials right through to sports scores. Furthermore, QlikView empowers the mobile user like never before - QlikView models can be downloaded to a laptop and remain fully functional.
"It`s a tool that actually, for once, puts information truly at the service of the business and very quickly highlights issues and opportunities that can be very hard to spot otherwise. It`s the first time I`ve seen active demand for a software tool that can be used live in management and executive meetings."
"It`s incredibly easy and intuitive to use," adds De Abrew. "I`ve seen users up and running in just minutes, with typical training time being measured in a couple of hours rather than days or weeks. Overall, QlikView delivers more value, more quickly, than any other software tool we`ve seen."
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