Is there any comparison of QV built-in functionality and NPrinting?

[#1]

I want to have a comparison of QV built-in functionality and NPrinting functionality. Where are the real gaps in QV that can't be done without an external tool?

Has anyone come across such comparison? Any link?

[#2]

No one? I'm especially interested in the built-in distribution service. In Management Console when I select a file I've seen on tab Distribute -> File Type, there's an option to create PDFs. But it's disabled and states that I need to acquire an appropriate license. Any hint would be appreciated.

[chris_johnson]

Hello,

This is intended as an unbiased look at the options available to you, but I should also disclose that I work for an NPrinting partner in the UK.

Common(shared) features:

• Distribute QlikView reports in PDF format
• Send reports by e-mail
• Save reports to directories
• Use section access permissions to filter reports
• LDAP integration
• Time based scheduling
• Runs as a service
• Can be executed via command line

NPrinting specific features:

• Distribute QlikView reports in JPG, PNG, TIFF (and other image formats)
• Distribute data from one (or multiple) QlikView charts in fully formatted Excel documents - you can use     all the standard Excel features to create your output including formulas, charts, pivots, macros, add logo's etc. etc.
• Filters based on fields and bookmarks
• Reports can be encrypted

QlikView specific features:

• Can distribute QVW files (although recipient needs a QV license to use it)
• It's a QlikTech product and is therefore directly supported by QlikTech

Other users may be able to add some other features to the QV list, but I can't think of any others right now. For me, the major advantages of NPrinting are the Excel capabilities and the cost. We all know that end-users still love data in Excel (especially finance users), so being able to use QlikView & NPrinting to create fully formatted Excel output is great. Then there is the cost - if you look at the difference between what this would cost you in QlikView software, you should find that NPrinting is only a fraction of the price.

As you have seen,even when you buy publisher, you still don’t get the PDF writer option – you still have to buy this extra!

If you have any more questions about NPrinting, please let me know. You can reply here, or get in touch with us via www.ometis.co.uk.If you are not in the UK we can also help to put you in contact with your local NPrinting partner, or you should be able to find this information via the NPrinting website at www.nprinting.com.

I hope this helps you with your product comparison analysis.

Thanks,

[#4]

Thanks Chris, this is of great help.

I also looked around a bit in the meantime and I see most things like you. I think NPrinting distribution in image formats is useless, but at least it is available, that's right. And I think distribution of qvw files is not an advantage but disadvantage. It doesn't make no sense at all to distribute qvw files if you need an extra license to take a look at it. That's just a waste of mail server capacities.

And you are right, some users tend to use Excel even though QlikView can do the same. Maybe they want to spare some QlikView user licenses.

I think the argument that takes most effect is the price. As far as I know you need about 15k EUR for QlikView Publisher and about another 15k EUR for QlikView PDF Distributor. NPrinting Enterprise is about 6k EUR. You get more and pay less. You simply have to ask yourself how much more you would pay for a built-in, QlikTech supported solution.

[chris_johnson]

No problem at all, glad I could help clear things up for you.

With regards to NPrinting outputting reports to image files, I know some customers make use of this to display the image on screens. The image can be picked up from a specific directory and displayed to a room of people, for example, in a call centre.

So you are right, you'd more than likely email using Excel or pdf attachments; but using an image file can solve a different issue and potentially save you another chunk of money in licence costs.

[#6]

Hi Chris,

I'm interested in getting an idea of the costs that go with NPrinting.  Like many people I find the costs of the QlikView Publisher especially when twinned with PDF Distributor licences prohibitive and difficult to justify in a business case.  However, if we could get the report distribution up and running without a massive cash outlay it would really help show the benefits of QlikView, which is a great tool.

Could you send me any information about cost models?

Many thanks,

Emma

[#7]

Hi,

I think there is some built in functionality that may have been missed in your comparison.  This is much less important if you have a fairly simple installation (one server) and are mainly interested in the distribution element but, for completeness, I think should be included.

It offers a slightly different method of scheduling reloads of documents by setting up tasks which are apparently more flexible than the standard schedule set up in QEMC.  These tasks can also be of different type - distribution, loop and reduce or external.  It is the loop and reduce that I think may appeal to some companies because this can be used in conjunction with distribution to a specific folder where additional security can be added ... so, for example you could have one region per folder and end users only able to access their region.  If the original document is very large splitting its size before end users access it can be very useful if you're at all limited on memory capacity.

I think Publisher can also be used to split the distribution service and have it run on another server and potentially making it more efficient.  If you have several servers, I think you can also use it for load sharing, both memory and licences ... but I didn't write the details down so may have got that slightly wrong.

For further details I'd ask a QlikTech person to be honest. 

I should say that as a long standing QlikView user I've looked at this very issue and we're currently going down the NPrinting route.  We don't have a complex server set up and use set analysis to limit the data people see so it's specific to them.  What was of importance was distribution of Excel sheets and PDF reports ... and the comparitive costs for that were £6,426 for the first year for NPrinting and £30,360 for the first year for Publisher and PDF distributor.  Even if things expand and get so complex that we need / want Publisher in the future, NPrinting is still cheaper that PDF distributor ... so we're still quids in!

Free demo download of NPrinting is available and I managed to get it up and working fine.  Looking forward to getting the live product now! 🙂

[chris_johnson]

Hi Emma,

Yes, you are right in what you are saying about QlikView Publisher. You can split the workload, files and security and separate out the distribution service to be run on another server.

The comparison I was making was more aimed at what output can be generated by either the PDF Writer option or NPrinting, so apologies if that wasn't clear. 

The fact that the PDF Writer license is only available when you already have Enterprise Server + Publisher makes the comparison more difficult as NPrinting can be used directly over local QVW files, a Small Business Edition QlikView Server, or an Enterprise Server without Publisher. For some larger companies (who already have Publisher) the comparison is direct with the PDF Writer, but for other companies running smaller QlikView environments they will also naturally benefit from some of the other features you get with Enterprise Server and Publisher if they were to choose to upgrade to a point where they could purchase the PDF Writer license.

I'm glad you have managed to find a solution that both gives you the functionality you need and saves you money.  We’re looking forward to helping you with your NPrinting implementation!

Regards