Since I did a little bashing of cube technology the other day, I suppose that I should explain why I also said that I prefer HP Vertica.

Vertica Scales

Using Tableau with Vertica is like peanut butter and jelly. They just go together. Why? When you are probing a sizable and granular data set, you have the horsepower to dive deep. Ad hoc analysis of very large data can yield insight that might be masked by the aggregations of data presented in a cube. If you have a very large data source, Vertica allows you to explore without the latency you would experience in a traditional relational store.

Vertica is a Software Solution

Sure, there are other column-store databases that are fast, but they rely on proprietary hardware to make them work. As a former buyer of technology, I hated products that locked me into proprietary hardware solutions. Why? Because the first time you buy the box will be the least expensive proposition. The second, third and fourth boxes will get more expensive. You’re trapped because you’ve placed your faith in a hardware solution that locks you into a single vendor. Vertica is a software solution that runs on commodity hardware.

Vertica is Priced Right

When using proprietary hardware solutions, you have to scale largely and with difficulty to quantify steps. Those steps are also going to be big. Because Vertica prices per terabyte stored, you can whip out your calculator and figure out what it will cost to store 10, 20 or 100 terabytes. This structure makes it much easier to plan your future needs versus cost, so you can anticipate budget needs based on projected demand more easily. Also, your progression will be more linear. You’ll avoid the giant step-up in costs that proprietary box solutions will require.

Questions?

There are several more reasons to choose Vertica than those I just listed. If you want to learn more or have questions about Vertica, contact us today! We can give you the low-down.

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