GigaOm Sonar for Semantic Layers and Metrics Storesv2.0

1. Executive Summary

A semantic layer creates a consolidated, logical view of an organization’s data and makes this data understandable in the everyday terms of the business. A metrics store, a subcomponent of a semantic layer, functions as a repository where the definitions of business metrics are stored. Together, a semantic layer and a metrics store “translate” between an organization’s curated but still technical data and the business applications that query and visualize it, assigning meaning to the underlying data in business terms. Without physically moving the data, the semantic layer presents a view of data stored in disparate systems as if from a single source.

Semantic layers and metrics stores help eliminate confusion, redundancy, and inconsistency. When different teams across the organization build dashboards and reports with their preferred applications and tools, they all work with the same definition of any given business term or concept because all definitions are stored and managed from one place: within the semantic layer.

Semantic layers can also make organizations more flexible and resilient to change because they essentially function as logical abstraction layers over physical data. Even if the structure of the underlying data evolves, the logic behind the calculation of the business term or concept itself—such as “revenue,” “gross profit margin,” or “EBITDA” —doesn’t necessarily change. Business users and others can still pull that same metric or definition into reports and dashboards without worrying about inconsistency or disruption.

This report provides a deep dive into the offerings presented by top vendors in the semantic layer/metrics store category. It’s important to understand, prior to looking at the vendors, that the semantic layer/metrics store vendor landscape consists of two main categories. For one category of vendors, the semantic layer is its sole or flagship offering. The other category of vendors offers a semantic layer as part of an overall approach to data analytics. Consequently, the comparison of vendors across the semantic layer category is not purely like-to-like in nature. This diversity serves to benefit customers, providing more options from which to select a solution that addresses an organization’s use case and business requirements.

This is the second year that GigaOm has reported on the semantic layer/metrics store space in the context of our Sonar reports. This report builds on our previous analysis and considers how the market has evolved over the last year.

This GigaOm Sonar report provides an overview of the market’s vendors and their available offerings, outlines the key characteristics that prospective buyers should consider when evaluating solutions, and equips IT decision-makers with the information they need to select the best solution for their business and use case requirements.