IBM Cognos Reviews

Vendor: IBM

4.0 out of 5

134 reviews
91% willing to recommend

6,143 followers

What is IBM Cognos?

IBM Cognos Business Intelligence provides a wide range of tools to help you analyze your organization's data. IBM Cognos BI allows businesses to monitor events and metrics, create and view business reports, and analyze data to help them make effective business decisions.

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IBM Cognos is the #4 ranked solution in top Reporting Tools and #7 ranked solution in top Business Intelligence Tools. PeerSpot users give IBM Cognos an average rating of 8.0 out of 10. IBM Cognos is most commonly compared to Microsoft Power BI: IBM Cognos vs Microsoft Power BI. IBM Cognos is popular among the midsize enterprise segment, accounting for 58% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a educational organization, accounting for 54% of all views.

Helped 849,686 peers since 2012

Featured IBM Cognos reviews

AMOL JAJU

Senior BI-ETL Consultant at CMA Consulting Services

There used to be many valuable features, but in the last three or four years, whatever IBM is doing with enhancements, it has taken a lot of time to build and develop. But the best usage of Cognos is the ad hoc analysis reports. I really like that. Our customers also like that. But now the usage of Cognos and OBIE is reduced by various business users because people and business users are now more focused on analytics, slice and dice, and the dashboard, and the widgets.

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Kumar Gurram

Senior Business Analyst at HSBC

You can use the dashboard to determine where it stands based on the graph. The amount is included in the dashboard. We use data from the United States, the UK, Germany, and Japan. The data is stored in our CCS report. Based on the ID, we can retrieve specific data within that report. Certain portions of the data will display information for only one particular country. This restriction confines the data within the report. We are implementing security measures to ensure data integrity. Some users access IBM Cognos directly for their businesses, while others log in to the Cognos console portal. These users interact with the actual JavaScript within the portal. This process may require additional time for adjustments, including those related to the DKA component. If you have the budget, you can opt for Cognos; otherwise, you can opt for Power BI. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

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Carlos Larrad Salgado

Deputy Director Operations Management Control at Mapfre

I don't like that when we use Colab packages, we get less functionality. For example, you can make groups of data with Excel or with the data sets from the packages, but when you use the Colab packages directly, you can only group the data when you analyze it with Analysis Studio. I think Cognos needs to improve more on this functionality. The user experience is also very important. Cognos is not very easy to understand sometimes, especially when they change the layout but keep the functionality the same. The help is not very graphic and they have no examples. Cognos has to make a big effort to help with understanding the functionality by improving the documentation. There is a lot of documentation, but the examples are hard to find and they should make their help section easier to understand for non-technical users.

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IBM Cognos mindshare

Product category:

As of May 2025, the mindshare of IBM Cognos in the BI (Business Intelligence) Tools category stands at 3.4%, down from 4.3% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

BI (Business Intelligence) Tools

PeerResearch reports based on IBM Cognos reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	BI (Business Intelligence) Tools	May 1, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	May 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	IBM Cognos vs Microsoft Power BI	May 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	IBM Cognos vs Tableau	May 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	IBM Cognos vs Amazon QuickSight	May 1, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Microsoft Power BI	4.0	21.4%	93%	321 interviews Add to research
Tableau	4.2	17.1%	89%	303 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

IBM Cognos offers powerful features like robust reporting, versatile Report Studio, and flexible Query Studio for ad-hoc queries. Users appreciate its data integration capabilities, scalability, user-friendly interface, and extensive customization. The platform supports dashboards, dynamic cubes, and automated reporting, enhancing efficiency. Users value its security, metadata management, and compatibility with different databases, facilitating quick access to diverse data sources. It enables complex data modeling and visual storytelling, catering to a broad spectrum of analytical needs.

"IBM Cognos is a robust governed platform with significant security features and provides excellent graphics and reporting."
"IBM Cognos is a robust governed platform with significant security features and provides excellent graphics and reporting."
"The initial setup was straightforward."

Room for Improvement

IBM Cognos needs enhancements in visualization quality and user interface, which feels outdated and complex. Users encounter challenges with integration, especially with data sources and frameworks. Performance issues include slow dashboards and inefficient handling of large data volumes. There is a need for improved self-service analytics and error messaging clarity. Users desire more flexibility in report authoring and customization features, along with better support and scalability across its functionalities.

"I rate pricing as a four, meaning it is more expensive compared to other solutions."
"There is room for improvement in self-service analytics and predictiveness."
"It is a costly product; it is comparatively expensive."

ROI

IBM Cognos provides a substantial return on investment depending on implementation and use. Some experiences indicate significant financial savings and improved operational efficiency. Companies reported better data understanding and efficiency, though opinions on precise returns varied. Users achieved extensive time savings, transforming processes such as delivery times from hours to minutes, using tools like barcodes for efficient data handling. Customers valued IBM Cognos for enhancing business insights, reflected in positive feedback from various clients.

Pricing

Enterprise buyers evaluating IBM Cognos should be aware that the pricing is generally considered high compared to other solutions like Power BI and Tableau. Users suggest negotiating for better prices, especially on new licenses, and exploring partnerships with third-party vendors for potential discounts. Licensing options include named and CPU-based licenses, each catering to different needs. The platform offers good value for large enterprises due to its extensive features, but it can be costly for smaller businesses.

"IBM Cognos is priced reasonable. However, it is more expensive than Power BI and Tableau."
"My company uses IBM Cognos with another IBM product, so I think only one license is used."
"The licensing costs are a little bit higher for IBM Cognos. I don't think there is any additional cost apart from the licensing charges."

Popular Use Cases

IBM Cognos is widely used for business intelligence, focusing on reporting and analytics across various industries. Users leverage it for financial reporting, data analytics, and enterprise-wide reporting, utilizing its capabilities for standard reports, dashboards, and forecasts. It supports static and dynamic reporting, integrating with various systems for seamless data analysis. IBM Cognos is preferred for its versatility in handling large datasets, predictive analysis, and customizable reporting, catering to diverse business needs.

Service and Support

IBM Cognos customer service varies, with some rating it highly and others finding it lacking, especially in complex cases. Many users mention technical support as knowledgeable and responsive, yet occasionally slow. The costs can be high, resulting in users seeking partner or external support. The effectiveness of technical support often hinges on the specific technician and existing support agreements. Online resources and community forums supplement official support but are sometimes seen as more reliable.

Deployment

IBM Cognos's initial setup often varies in complexity. Many users find it straightforward, particularly with planning and detailed execution, while others highlight challenges due to complex configurations and diverse environments. Expertise is required for advanced setups, including distributed architectures and large-scale deployments. Good documentation and prior experience simplify the process, though integrating additional components may introduce specific complexities. The ease of setup depends on technical proficiency and familiarity with related technologies.

Scalability

IBM Cognos is generally considered scalable, handling numerous users efficiently. Most users have not experienced scalability challenges, noting the platform's strong architecture. Some reported potential issues with dispatcher performance and data retrieval times. Successful scaling often depends on hardware and database integration rather than Cognos itself. The tool supports various user sizes, from personal to large enterprise. Cognos benefits from added features and user training to optimize performance.

Stability

Users report IBM Cognos as highly stable, often highlighting robust performance and few issues when configured correctly. Occasional stability concerns arise with heavy loads, complex datasets, or poor query designs. Proper server management and configuration reduce interruptions. Some users mention periodic reboots for optimal operation. Newer versions have enhanced the stability significantly, emphasizing its reliability in comparison to other BI tools. Administrators find its framework beneficial for stable metadata management.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our IBM Cognos Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

54%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Government

University

Retailer

Healthcare Company

Comms Service Provider

Energy/Utilities Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Wholesaler/Distributor

Construction Company

Legal Firm

Media Company

Consumer Goods Company

Non Profit

Outsourcing Company

Transportation Company

Hospitality Company

Pharma/Biotech Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Performing Arts

Compare IBM Cognos with alternative products

Learn more about IBM Cognos

IBM Cognos applies techniques to describe, summarize, and compare data, and draw conclusions. This allows users to see trends and discover anomalies or variances that may not be evident by simply reading data. Data sources that contain information from different areas of a business can be stored in separate packages. Users can see only information that they have been granted access to, based on their group or role.

IBM Cognos BI consolidates the following business intelligence functions into a single web-based solution:

IBM Cognos Insight: Create personal and managed workspaces for data analysis. Using these interactive workspaces, you can share insight results with managers. Cognos Insight supports write-back, and you can also use these workspaces to capture and integrate management goals, commitments, and forecasts.
IBM Cognos Workspace: With IBM Cognos Workspace, you can create rich, interactive workspaces using IBM Cognos content as well as data from external sources. You can view and open your favorite workspaces and reports, edit content in your workspaces, and share your workspaces via email.
IBM Cognos Analytics: IBM Cognos Analytics utilizes built-in AI and intuitive searches which helps users to quickly create the visualizations and a wide range of reports. Cognos Analytics provides cognitive and managed self-service, enabling you to gain insights from controlled and trusted data.
IBM Cognos Report Studio and IBM Cognos Query Studio: Easily create structured and query reports. IBM Cognos allows users to create application and report templates. In addition, report authors can reuse report objects to apply filters, fields, and styles to reports. Users can set the language of the user interface and report content according to the user's native language.
IBM Cognos Event Studio: Receive notifications of events that occur within your organization in real time. Event Studio enables the creation of agents that detect the occurrence of business events, failures, or anomalies, based on the change of specific events or data conditions. Notification can be sent via email, publication in the portal, or by triggering reports.
IBM Cognos Connection: This is the Web portal for IBM Cognos BI and is the central area for accessing all the IBM Cognos functions. In the web portal, users can schedule and distribute reports, create tasks, administer the server and the access permissions, and more.

Reviews from Real Users

IBM Cognos stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its powerful analysis tool and its reporting capabilities.

Prasad B., a senior software engineer at a financial services firm, notes, “The product is a very good reporting tool and is very flexible. It allows for the users to get a scheduled report. We can receive automated reports as well. They are easy to schedule on a weekly or monthly basis. It is very fast. I mean in means of report output, it's very fast compared to the actual clients involved.”

IBM Cognos was previously known as Cognos, Cognos Analytics, IBM Cognos Analytics.

IBM Cognos customers

More than 23,000 leading organizations across multiple industries use Cognos. Some examples of Cognos customers include BMW Financial Services, Quinte Health Care, Troy Corporation, Michigan State University, and GKN Land System.