Qlik Cloud — the future-proof data platform

Find all the answers to these and more questions about Qlik Cloud in our article: • Cloud computing
• BI in the cloud
• What is Qlik Cloud?
• Benefits of Qlik Cloud
• Hybrid cloud – the best of both worlds?
• How much does Qlik Cloud cost?
• Our conclusion

Cloud computing – here to stay

Cloud computing has become an essential IT trend. Instead of maintaining server hardware onsite, businesses now source infrastructure from data centers (infrastructure as a service – IaaS).

The success of major cloud providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) continues to grow steadily, with annual growth rates exceeding 20%. Analysts such as Gartner projected total cloud service revenues for 2022 to surpass $350 billion.

Business intelligence in the cloud

Operational systems like ERP, PDM, CRM, and data and analytics solutions increasingly operate in public cloud environments. Software as a service (SaaS) offerings, such as  Power BI Pro or Premium from Microsoft , are predominantly cloud-based.

Antages of running BI in the cloud

✓ Easily connect diverse data sources independently of your own hardware
✓ No need to manage infrastructure operations
✓ Simple and quick user access
✓ Flexibility to quickly adapt to changing requirements

Cloud solutions eliminate infrastructure maintenance and server administration, resulting in potential savings. However, usage-based pricing may result in higher total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to traditional on-premise solutions.

What is Qlik Cloud?

Qlik Cloud is a comprehensive software-as-a-service platform offered by Swedish-origin software provider Qlik. Unlike BI tools such as QlikView or Qlik Sense, Qlik Cloud is an extensive platform covering all data and analytics requirements.

It includes data analytics (visualization), analysis and reporting, and data integration functionalities. It provides services for data warehouse automation, data transformation, and other data management tasks, whether data resides in the cloud or on-premise.

Key features of Qlik Cloud

Qlik Cloud integrates many features and add-ons unavailable in the client-managed variant (Qlik Sense Enterprise), including:

• Data lineage and data catalog
• Alerting
• AutoML
• Insight Advisor Chat
• Qlik Application Automation
• Reporting service

Some services are included at no extra cost in the basic Qlik Cloud subscription. Qlik Cloud embodies Qlik’s vision of "active intelligence," structured across four stages, starting from raw data to insights.

Benefits of Qlik Cloud

The main advantage of Qlik SaaS is eliminating the need for your own infrastructure. Hardware, operating systems, and associated maintenance costs are significantly reduced, lowering the total cost of ownership (TCO).

Additionally, Qlik Cloud offers numerous data integration and analytics features absent or delayed in the client-managed variant.

The flexibility of cloud solutions allows for resource adjustments based on changing user demands or requirements.

Hybrid cloud – the best of both worlds?

Many BI users currently do not find it necessary to migrate their entire on-premise solutions fully to the cloud, opting to retain in-house installations for control and investment protection.

However, for quickly prototyping, addressing new requirements, or managing peak loads, a hybrid cloud approach makes sense. A hybrid model combines Qlik Sense Enterprise installations with parallel cloud instances.

Data or individual apps can be transferred from a local environment to the Qlik Cloud via Qlik Data Transfer (QDT).

Additionally, Qlik Forts is an intelligent solution enabling data to remain on-premise while providing users a seamless cloud experience by transferring only the application interface.

How much does Qlik Cloud cost?

A crucial consideration for Qlik Cloud adoption is cost. Currently, annual subscription fees per user match those of the client-managed variant, though differences may arise in functionalities and add-ons (current price list).Services like Qlik Reporting Service (successor of the NPrinting report module) are included in basic cloud fees and calculated based on usage.

If opting for parallel multi-cloud operations combining Qlik Sense Enterprise (client-managed) and Qlik Cloud, an additional license per user is required.

Is Qlik Cloud worth it? Our conclusion

Due to its comprehensive end-to-end approach and extensive feature set, Qlik Cloud is a powerful, forward-looking solution for executing data strategies.

The flexibility and ease of consuming technology as a service make Qlik Cloud highly attractive—either standalone or as part of a hybrid setup alongside a client-managed solution.

In times of rapidly changing market conditions and growing data volumes, businesses must focus resources strategically. Investing in rapid responses to business inquiries rather than maintaining basic infrastructure and servers is preferable.

In our opinion, this positions Qlik Cloud as an optimal choice for future-oriented businesses.