More Db2 Web Query Alternatives, And An Update

March 11, 2024 Alex Woodie

It has been five months since IBM abruptly killed off Db2 Web Query, the IBM i-based suite of business intelligence tools that Big Blue OEMed from Information Builders. Some customers have already settled on a replacement, but many others are still combing the market looking for a good fit.

The product that is arguably the most well-positioned to replace Db2 Web Query is WebFOCUS, the Information Builders product on which Db2 Web Query is based. IBM had an OEM agreement with the New York-based company for more 15 years before it abruptly ended in October.

IT Jungle has asked Information Builders about the Db2 Web Query situation several times since October, and has not received a response. However, some Db2 Web Query customers have been luckier. In early February, one Db2 Web Query customer asked Information Builders, now a subsidiary Cloud Software Group following its fall 2020 acquisition by TIBCO, about the future of Db2 Web Query customers with TIBCO. He received this response:

“We are currently working on various options to onboard IBM clients and resellers,” the TIBCO representative said. “It may take us a few more weeks to come up with a plan.”

If we ever hear back from Information Builders/Cloud Software Group/TIBCO, we will be sure to share whatever information they provide.

In the meantime, Db2 Web Query customers must move on. The good news is that the business intelligence and analytics market is healthy and vibrant, with many successful and stable vendors as well as new startups helping to keep the big wigs on their toes with innovative new features. The bad news is that very little of this software actually runs on IBM i itself.

In past stories, we have mentioned solutions from IBI, IBM (Cognos), New Generation Software, LANSA, Fortra, and Cozzi Research as potential BI or reporting tools to replace Db2 Web Query. Here are a few more names that you can add to the list.

mrc M-Power: Based out of Chicago, Illinois, mrc has been patrolling the midrange waters for many years. Originally the developer of a 4GL, mrc’s flagship product today is m-Power, a versatile Web development tool for IBM i and other platforms that run Java.

m-Power is positioned as a low-code/no-code development tool that’s adept at developing all sorts of tools, from Web and mobile apps to analytics deliverables, such as dashboards, ad hoc reports, canned reports, KPIs, embedded analytics, and reporting portals.

The company ships a range of pre-canned reports with m-Power, but customers are free to use the report designer to create their own. The company claims more than 1,500 customers, including names like Abbott, Schlage, and Tirerack.com.

CNX Valence: Also based in Chicago, CNX positions its flagship Valence suite as a low-code application development platform that can be used to develop a range of applications, from Web and mobile portals. It’s not a BI tool per se, but it can be used to build reports and dashboards.

Valence provides users with grid-based interface where they can view and manipulate data. It supports summary filters and the capability to combining data from multiple sources. An array of pre-built and configurable widgets allows users to display their data in a variety of charts and graphs, and they can drill down to see more detail.

But best of all, the JavaScript-based system runs on IBM i and integrates natively with the Db2 for i database. Companies like FleetPride, Building Materials Distributor, and Luvata are listed on the CNX website.

Fresche WebSmart: Fresche primarily is known for developing application modernization tools, but like the three previous tools, its development tools can also be used to create graphs, reports, and dashboards. And like the three previous tools, its reporting software was originally developed by a Chicago-based company, BCD Software, which was acquired by Quadrant Software, which was then acquired by Fresche years ago.

Fresche touts its software’s capability to transform IBM i data into real-time, interactive charts and reports that can be easily shared. WebSmart, which is the engine under the covers, is available in RPG and PHP versions, and can be used to create a portal for centralized access to reports and charts.

The Quebec, Canada-based company also sells a tool called Formtastic (originally developed by Quadrant) that can transform plain old spool files into modern looking documents with graphics that can then be distributed automatically. WebSmart and Formtastic both run natively on the IBM i, which is an important feature for some IBM i shops.

Other BI Tools That Don’t Run On IBM i

If running the BI tool directly on IBM i isn’t important to you, then many more options open up. In fact, there are many dozens, if not more than 100, commercial and open source reporting engines out there, so it would take quite a bit of time and space to go through them all. Therefore, we’re going to concentrate on the most popular BI tools that IBM i shops are most likely to already be familiar with.

Tableau: If developing “pixel-perfect” reports and dashboards is your thing, then Tableau (now owned by Salesforce) may be the tool for you. Long regarded as the gold-standard for BI tools, Tableau also has familiarity with IBM i-based data; Ferrari and Maserati of North America adopted it to analyze data it had stored on “iSeries and MS SQL Servers,” according to this case study.

Qlik: Qlik also has garnered a strong reputation for building a solid SQL query engine. Today, the company also sells a range of ETL and data engineering tools to help prepare the data for analysis, as well as the various products based on Qlik’s innovative associative database. One IBM i customer is the manufacturer iSi North America, which used Qlik to analyze data stored in its Lawson M3 ERP system.

MicroStrategy: Another popular BI and analytic tool vendor that knows how to spell “IBM i” is MicroStrategy. The company offers a full range of analytic and BI functionality, including the development of reports, dashboards, and AI apps, across a range of data sources. The product ships with a database driver for Db2 for i, which should help streamline setup.

Looker: Acquired by Google in 2019 for $2.6 billion, Looker was the vanguard of a new generation of BI tool providers who were looking to knock Tableau off its perch. One of the most popular features is its unique data modeling environment, which helps to provide semantic consistency. It sports a Db2 for i connector, but there are restrictions.

ThoughtSpot: Another younger BI vendor turning some heads is ThoughtSpot. The 12-year-old Silicon Valley firm invested heavily in developing a natural language query (NLQ)-driven user experience to simplify user interaction. It pivoted to the cloud in a risk 2019 move, and has since invested heavily in generative AI.

Domo: Another BI vendor worth checking out is Domo. The Salt Lake City, Utah-based company sells a full suite of BI and analytics tools that includes visualizations, dashboards, self-service analytics, embedded analytics, as well as data science and machine learning capabilities. Its used by companies like DHL, Traeger, and Univision.

Spotfire: Acquired by TIBCO in 2007, Spotfire is touted as a visual analytics platform that’s able to combine historic and real-time data for impactful analysis. The tool is used by data analysts as well as data scientists. Customers include Norfolk Southern, Enertel, and Aeroporti de Rome.

PowerBI: Any list of BI and analytics tools would be incomplete without Microsoft’s PowerBI. The extremely popular product is available free of charge, although enterprise features cost money. PowerBI provides data preparation, data mining, and interactive dashboard capabilities. Running on a desktop or in the cloud, PowerBI features a direct connection to Db2 for i.

QuickSight: One of AWS’s most popular products is QuickSight, a full-featured BI tool that supports interactive dashboards, paginated reports, embedded analytics, and natural language queries. Customers that are already replicating Db2 for i data into the AWS cloud may find QuickSight handy to use.

This is just a dozen BI and analytic tools, but there are many more. Please stay tuned to IT Jungle for more updates on the Db2 Web Query situation.

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