Data Virtualization Characteristics
Data virtualization provides a unique approach to data integration and management that is not found in any other technology. Data virtualization transcends simple data access to act as a full-fledged data discovery and search system, complete with data security.
Data Abstraction
Data virtualization hides the complexities of accessing data from the underlying data systems, their formats and structures.
Zero Replication
Unlike ETL, data virtualization does not need to “collect” the data into a separate repository in order to transform it to the destination format. It handles the transformation and aggregation on-the-fly.
Real-Time Data Delivery
Since data virtualization “connects” to the underlying data sources in real-time, it delivers up-to-the-minute data to the business users within their applications.
Agility and Simplicity
Data virtualization’s view-based approach delivers agility when underlying sources are added, removed, or changed.
Data Virtualization Benefits
Data virtualization provides a wide range of benefits:
Modernize Information Infrastructure
With the ability to abstract underlying systems, data virtualization enables architects to swap legacy systems with modern cloud applications, without affecting business.

Protect Data
Data virtualization enables CxOs to insulate critical source systems from users and applications, preventing them from unintentionally changing the data.

Deliver Information Faster and Cheaper
Replication takes time and costs money; with its “zero replication” approach, data virtualization benefits business users to receive up-to-the-minute information without investing in additional storage.

Increase Business User Productivity
By delivering data in real time, data virtualization enables business users to access the most current data during regular business operations.

Use Fewer Development Resources
With its simple view-based approach, data virtualization benefits CxOs to cut development resources by about one-fourth.

Enforce Centralized Data Governance and Security
With its single virtual data fabric, data virtualization enables architects to enforce centralized data governance and security.
Data Virtualization Benefits for CxOs
Data virtualization enables business leaders to make timely decisions, to compete effectively, and to improve business performance, all while saving money. With it, chief risk officers are able to effectively analyze and mitigate risk, chief marketing officers are able to improve campaign performance, and chief information officers are able to speed up business outcomes at a lower cost.
A leading biotech company
uses data virtualization to deliver sales reports in 20 minutes rather than the 7 hours required under the previous process.
A telecom company
reduced the IT operations team’s workload by 40%, resulting in savings of over $250,000 per year.
A leading financial services
company saved nearly $360,000 per year by eliminating thousands of hours of development time.
Data Virtualization Benefits for Architects
Data virtualization enables enterprise and data architects to build modern data architectures using data virtualization to abstract the complexity of accessing data from myriad data sources. They are able to control data governance by using data virtualization to strictly enforce access controls. Also, they are able to meet rapidly changing business requirements with agility.
Deliverinformation 10 times faster using data services.
Reduce data integration resources by 30%.
Reducethe number of database licenses by eliminating data replication.
Data Virtualization Benefits for Developers
Data virtualization enables developers to publish data services, so developers can build applications that deliver holistic enterprise information to the business. Data virtualization reduces the need for manual coding, freeing up developers to focus on information delivery at scale and speed.
Rapidly build data services and provision them in a marketplace.
Buildapplications or portals for call center agents or other business users who require a vast amount of interrelated data in real time.
Achieve 50–80% time savings over traditional data integration methods.
Customer Use Cases Demonstrating Data Virtualization Benefits
Some of the biggest companies in biopharma, telecommunications, semiconductors, and financial services around the world have embraced data virtualization as one of the key enterprise data initiatives for gaining competitive advantage. Data virtualization has helped customers with cost savings, revenue increases, customer satisfaction, resources, time optimization, and other benefits:

AmgenA leading US biopharma company
Improved drug manufacturing yield by 1-3% while increasing per-plant revenue by $10-30 million.

JazztelOne of Spain’s largest telecommunications providers
Increased its customers’ first call resolution rate to 95% while doubling customer retention.

A Leading Semiconductor Company
Saved 50-80% in time and 90% in resources while deploying new data services.

Seacoast BankA large U.S. regional bank
Increased the frequency of key business activities, such as verifying the credit worthiness of the borrower, from 10 times a month to 160 times a month.
By 2020, organizations utilizing data virtualization as a delivery style will spend 45% less on building and managing data integration processes for connecting distributed data assets.