What is our primary use case?
I've been working with Amazon QuickSight for about two years. I think Amazon QuickSight is one of the first services I had to use when it comes to AWS. At first, I was doing Tableau for data visualization, analyzing, and treating data, providing insights through charts and maps for customers or businesses. When I went into the cloud, I discovered that AWS has its own data visualization tool that is linked with many databases, called Amazon QuickSight. Amazon QuickSight gives you the possibility to extract or link data from different databases, such as MySQL or even DynamoDB or your Excel data if it's on your local machine, and many others. Amazon QuickSight is really an interesting tool because it's flexible and easy to use. It's a pay-as-you-go service, meaning you don't need to bother with upfront payments; when you log into your AWS account, you'll be able to enable Amazon QuickSight and start using it immediately if you're versed with data visualization.
It's linked with many databases and servers where your data is kept, so companies, supermarkets, and schools can use various databases around the world. Amazon QuickSight provides that possibility to link them; you shouldn't think that if you're using RDS, MySQL, or PostgreSQL, you must be skeptical about whether Amazon QuickSight accepts data from those databases.
My last project on Amazon QuickSight involved treating and linking Excel data into Amazon QuickSight for analysis. I also have skills in data visualization, allowing me to analyze company data and create charts. For example, the last project I completed was on compliance, where I presented a compliance report on security, system updates for over 200 end users. I used Amazon QuickSight to create insights, graphs, pie charts, maps, bar charts, and so on to present a graphical view to management.
When teaching the topic of Amazon QuickSight, we also use some free datasets from the internet, such as supermarket datasets; the most common is Walmart. They provide free datasets used to see how Amazon QuickSight can be better implemented.
What is most valuable?
The feature I find most valuable is that Amazon QuickSight is linked with so many databases at the back end, which most data visualization tools don't accept. For instance, Tableau or Power BI are also visualization tools, but Amazon QuickSight offers connectivity to 99% of databases available. Secondly, Amazon QuickSight is easier to use and deploy. If you've ever used Power BI or Tableau, you may notice that you need a license to access those tools, but with Amazon QuickSight, you simply need knowledge of how to use the AWS console to start. Dealing with dimensions and measures, treating and formatting data is also wonderful in Amazon QuickSight.
Amazon QuickSight has an interactive dashboard that is beautiful and user-friendly. For someone who loves GUI, Amazon QuickSight is visually appealing, with beautiful colors and good icons that are easy to identify. You can click, drag and drop, and extract data without facing complexity or a terminal-based interface. Amazon QuickSight is 90% user-friendly; just as with Windows, you click and drag. Even beginners get tips on how to attach datasets and create charts. The filtering options in reports allow you to present data based on certain criteria, making Amazon QuickSight aesthetically pleasing and functional.
Regarding Amazon QuickSight's machine learning tools, they are evolving and affecting all technology sectors. Amazon QuickSight has inbuilt machine learning features that automate data analysis based on trends, sales, and time. You can analyze without needing to write complex formulas, unlike traditional tools such as Tableau, which require significant math knowledge. Amazon QuickSight resolves these issues by allowing users to implement various mathematical functions simply by clicking, eliminating direct formula writing for data trends.
Assessing the effectiveness of Amazon QuickSight's API for embedded analytics in applications depends on awareness among users; many technicians or developers do not fully understand the benefits. Integrating an API with products that automate analytics visualization can be vital. AWS enables connections with various services, and as a cloud engineer, you can create APIs to automate the process of importing or refreshing data. This automation can prompt charts to update automatically, allowing live monitors of trends as new data is continuously refreshed, enhancing collaboration through shared access to the data.
What needs improvement?
I can't specifically say how Amazon QuickSight could be improved since I focus more on using it and leveraging its functionalities. However, I could invest additional time to explore possible feedback from customers regarding their challenges. As cloud engineers, our capacity to improve is limited since AWS manages the services, but I would be open to feedback.
I'm aware there are minor details that AWS could enhance, such as optimizing costs for beginners or small startups, which can be steep when trying to take Amazon QuickSight into production. Many have noticed that AWS services greatly benefit well-established companies, while startups struggle with costs as they transition data out of AWS. Understanding how AWS charges for Amazon QuickSight usage is critical for all users wanting to visualize their data effectively.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with Amazon QuickSight for about two years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Amazon QuickSight is scalable, reliable, flexible, and extremely good.
What other advice do I have?
In my company, we use AWS services more about the VPC because infrastructure is one of the most important tools we use. I'm focused on VPC onsite, but in the cloud, I'm a teacher, and I teach AWS services. I've been using many AWS services, and Amazon QuickSight is one of the most interesting ones I've used in the past.
I haven't used Amazon QuickSight's SPICE engine, but I've heard of it and aim to implement it in a live project soon.
On a scale from 1 to 10, I would rate Amazon QuickSight as 9.7, recognizing many benefits while noting certain pricing structures could be troublesome for specific user groups.
When evaluating Amazon QuickSight, I would maintain my rating since its cloud accessibility makes it versatile and easy to use. You can access Amazon QuickSight from anywhere, including on mobile, without needing installation. You enable it on your management console, and simply log out when done, making it convenient for users.
After considering everything discussed, I give Amazon QuickSight a nine overall. Its accessibility and ease of use, along with its significant data visualization capabilities, continue to impress.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)