Connector Image by Ralph from Pixabay Qlik has launched the Qlik Connector Factory. The Connector Factory is a dedicated R&D team that will help organisations solve their integration challenges to bring together data sets and improve analytics performance. The team will leverage “unique technology” to bring new connectors for the data integration tools. Qilk does not share whether that is proprietary or one of several third-party solutions it might have embedded onto its platform.

Qlik already has 250 connectors within its Data integration portfolio of solutions. The Connector Factory aims to create at least 100 more connectors during 2023 for the Qlik Cloud® Data Integration.

Even 350 connectors are a drop in a large ocean of databases and applications. Qlik estimates that over 400 databases and thousands of packaged and legacy solutions are on the market. Qlik is promising that the connectors developed by the Connector Factory will be reusable standard connectors. It means that organisations are less likely to require one-off connectors in the future and that once a connector is developed, it becomes reusable, and companies will have access to a far wider range.

James Fisher, Chief Product Officer at Qlik
James Fisher, Chief Product Officer at Qlik

James Fisher, Chief Product Officer at Qlik, commented, “Seamlessly connecting and delivering data from a variety of sources and applications is an essential role data integration plays in modern enterprise data strategies. With Connector Factory, we are doubling down on our proven ability to unlock key enterprise data sources like mainframes and SAP with expanded connectivity to the entire universe of sources and SaaS applications that are fueling enterprise data efforts in the cloud.”

What is coming?

The initial set of connectors will become available over the next two quarters and includes connectors for the following applications:

  • ADP
  • Cerner
  • Epic
  • NetSuite
  • OSIsoft
  • Salesforce
  • SAP Ariba
  • SAP SuccessFactors
  • Workday

What appears to be missing from this list are any databases. It will be interesting to see when Qlik announces these connectors. However, Qlik is aiming to continue rolling out new connectors during 2023.

Enterprise Times: What does this mean?

Integration is a key challenge for IT teams worldwide, whether for cloud migration or building their analytics engine. While Qlik has a powerful set of tools within its integration solutions, this latest initiative should mean that time to value for Qlik Analytics is shortened as new connectors come online.

For Qlik, this means that once it has identified the applications within a prospect, it can confirm a faster time to value for its platforms. If that is, the applications are on the growing list of connectors. This could become a competitive advantage in certain industries. Currently, the list of applications might infer a focus on healthcare with Epic and Cerner listed. It will be interesting to see which applications Qlik looks at, for the Factory to build connectors to.

The Connector Factory will provide universal connectivity to SaaS data applications and sources. When combined with the Qlik Application Automation, its platform will create additional value with no-code integration workflows. The theory sounds great, but the use cases, when they emerge, could demonstrate how powerful this could become.

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