Record January sales point to value of business intelligence in tough times

Leading business intelligence and analysis software company QlikView signed 15 new South African clients in January, its best month since entering the local market in 2004. The new clients include one of South Africa's biggest retailers.

“January is typically a slow month, so we're enormously pleased by the number of new clients who have come on board,” says QlikView South Africa MD Davide Hanan.

Hanan attributes QlikView's recent success to a combination of the global economic crisis and the software's ability to deliver the right solutions fast. “With recession looming, it's more important than ever for companies to make their decisions based on accurate, up-to-date, well-understood information,” he says. “We're seeing a lot of clients investing in their capacity to analyse all their data and make it meaningful for quick decision-making. When you have to decide where to cut expenses or how to increase your sales, there is no room for error.”

In this context, Hanan believes QlikView's speed of implementation and quality of delivery are key factors driving new clients. “Nobody can afford to wait months or years for a BI implementation anymore,” he says. “With QlikView, we deliver a working solution before the customer gets their first invoice - and it's a solution that is quick and easy for managers and operational staff to use.”

Hanan adds that QlikView South Africa's growing roster of blue-chip clients is a clear indication that QlikView's value is now clearly recognised in the country. “A lot of large corporates with existing heavy investments in BI are reassessing those investments now that they're a few years old,” he says. “Most of them at least want to explore the benefit QlikView might offer and several are seriously considering replacing their existing systems. There is increasing recognition that QlikView can offer a full alternative to conventional BI systems, with great cost-effectiveness and ease of use.”

QlikView is the world's fastest-growing BI software, as recognised by IDC, for four years in a row. This week the Aberdeen Group, releasing its 2009 Aberdeen Axis for BI/Performance Management report, announced that QlikView is the only “Champion” in the stable it analysed, which included global leaders such as Business Objects, Cognos, Hyperion and Microsoft. A champion is defined as a vendor that has demonstrated superior proficiency in delivering both real value as well as the ability to serve and support its installed user base.

“Performance management is the cornerstone of successful business analysis,” says Aberdeen Group Vice-President and Principal Analyst David Hatch. “The fact that so many QlikView customers could demonstrate results so quickly made their performance in this area exceptional."