3 February 2023
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At the end of January we launched our unique new tool, Vizlib Live! which delivers Qlik users In-Memory analytics with live query to Cloud data. The launch event included a live demo and Q&A, where attendees – from beta users to people who have never used Vizlib before – got the opportunity to grill our product experts, Al Herron and Michael Nordstrom, on how Vizlib Live! works, and why they should be using it for all of their Big Data and Cloud computing needs.
In this blog, we’re catching up with Al, Head of Product Marketing at Vizlib, to discuss some of the most popular questions from the event – including some extras we didn’t have time to answer.
Q: What gave you the idea to build Vizlib Live!?
At Vizlib, we love Qlik. But customer data is changing, and the way data is stored and managed is changing. Cloud data storage has moved from “going to be adopted” to “we’re here and we have migrated.”
More and more, customers are using data Clouds and telling us they need to analyse their data in new ways. Giving users the ability to live query data from data Clouds means that they get the power of ‘now’ insight. So really, the creation of Vizlib Live! was driven by our customers.
Q: How do you ensure a superfast query experience across very large datasets?
In short, the architecture. Live query happens right within the Data Cloud. This allows you to maintain the elasticity and lightning speed of the data Clouds where your data resides, without moving data or creating data exports.
Q: Do you need to set up a workbook in Astrato first?
Yes, but we’ve made it really easy. First, you can download the product extension in the Vizlib User Portal, where you’ll find helpful setup information and instructions for how to set up your Astrato workbook. If you want a step-by-step demonstration with more detailed instructions, you can find it in our set up video.
A key focus for us is having our users comfortably using Live! as a part of their day-to-day, so if you ever need any help, please reach out to one of our product experts for one-on-one support.
Q: Any highlights from the launch event?
Yes. Michael and I enjoyed taking the questions, but my highlight wasn’t a question – it was feedback from some of the beta users.
One shared that they were querying 6 billion rows in sub-2 seconds, and delivering insights to their executive leadership team that enabled them to make decisions much faster. They could also rapidly prototype and explore new datasets before deciding what was required for exploration in Qlik Cloud.
Q: Can you blend Qlik data and queries from the Cloud in the same app?
Yes – this is central to the experience that we have built into the product. You can also blend reports or objects from more than one data Cloud with Qlik insights seamlessly. We call this the ‘best of both worlds.’
Q: Qlik gives us governance, management and security – does Live!?
Governance, management, and security is particularly important to our users in healthcare – who often manage sensitive, personal data – and Vizlib Live! is secure enough for even them. Moving sensitive data is ultimately more difficult to monitor, govern, and manage, but with Vizlib Live! you never need to move data or create additional data silos. This ensures data security by providing controlled access to insight, keeping your organisation compliant.
Q: Snowflake charges per query, so will Vizlib Live! drive up my costs?
In short, no. You get to choose where you want to process your data. So the calculations that you do when you’re exploring data in Qlik can typically be done at a low cost-per-transaction or per query.
Modern Cloud-based platforms such as Snowflake have other advantages. Snowflake runs completely on Cloud infrastructure, which brings elasticity, scalability, and speed to your data sharing, storage and analytics. So with Vizlib Live! you can query Big Data in a Cloud database and decide how to blend the insights.
Q: What data Clouds do you connect to, and what’s next?
With Vizlib Live! our customers can query live data from Snowflake, Google BigQuery, and Dremio. Expect Databricks soon, and into the future our vision is to connect anything that supports SQL and is hosted in the Cloud. People that know us will know that at Vizlib we build for the customer.
Explore the latest addition to Vizlib’s suite of products
Standing apart from the rest, Vizlib Live! empowers you to get the most out of your live data in Qlik Sense by enabling you to:
- View near real-time data without having to reload or leave Qlik
- Access large data sets that are otherwise difficult to handle in Qlik alone
- Connect directly to sensitive data with no need for data movement or replication
- Enjoy rapid prototyping of Cloud data enhanced with Qlik analytics
- Visualize data quickly and easily with access to a full set of no-code visualizations – so no need for data science expertise
If you’re looking to read more about Vizlib Live! and what it can do for your data analytics, check out our Q&A with Vizlib’s very own Michael Nordstrom, Head of Qlik Products, here, or read our introduction to Vizlib Live! blog, here.
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