iBi Class Inc.

What iBi Class Inc. does

ibi (formerly Information Builders) is an enterprise data and analytics software company operating as a business unit of Cloud Software Group. Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the company delivers a unified analytics and data management platform built around its flagship ibi WebFOCUS engine and the proprietary FOCUS fourth-generation language. The platform combines enterprise reporting, self-service analytics, AI/ML capabilities (including Natural Language Query powered by Microsoft's phi-4 small language model), data quality, master data management, and ETL through modules such as Data Intelligence, Data Migrator, iWay Service Manager, and the Open Data Hub for Mainframe. The technology supports containerized deployment across Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud and is differentiated by deep native integration with IBM Z and IBM i mainframe environments, including zIIP optimization for cost-efficient data access.

The company serves large enterprise customers across financial services, healthcare, government, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, and retail, claiming penetration in a majority of Fortune 100 companies that rely on mainframe infrastructure. ibi generates revenue through software licensing and subscriptions, managed cloud services, and professional services and training, with a recently introduced unlimited consumption licensing model that eliminates per-user constraints. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales, cloud marketplace distribution, and a partner ecosystem of global system integrators and solution providers. The business operates across 13+ countries globally with a headcount of 5,001-10,000 employees, and is led by General Manager Ali Ahmed and SVP/GM Dan Ortolani within the Cloud Software Group structure. The company rebranded from Information Builders following its 2020 acquisition by TIBCO and subsequent integration into Cloud Software Group.

Name

iBi Class Inc.

Legal name

Cloud Software Group, Inc.

Website

https://ibi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

ibi (formerly Information Builders) is an enterprise data and analytics software company serving large organizations with IBM Z and IBM i mainframe infrastructure. It delivers the WebFOCUS analytics platform and FOCUS development environment across financial services, healthcare, government, and manufacturing verticals globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Enterprise Analytics Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise AI Data & Knowledge Platforms (Vector Databases, Knowledge Graphs) (HDAEANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI Integration & Orchestration Platforms (Connectors, Workflow, iPaaS for AI) (HDAEANAI), End-to-End Enterprise AI Platforms (MLOps & Model Lifecycle Management) (HDAEANAA)

Keywords

• Enterprise analytics software
• Business intelligence platform
• Data management solutions
• Mainframe data integration
• Embedded analytics platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Lauderdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing and Subscriptions: ibi generates revenue through software licensing of its analytics and data management platform, including WebFOCUS, Data Intelligence, FOCUS, and related products. The company offers Long-term Support (LTS) releases with five-year maintenance commitments.
2. Cloud and Managed Services: ibi offers managed cloud deployment options where the company hosts and manages the platform for customers, providing flexibility for organizations seeking cloud-based analytics without self-management.
3. Professional Services and Training: The company provides product training through the ibi Education Center, professional services for implementation, and upgrade program services to support customer deployments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ibi delivers a modern data and analytics software platform combining enterprise reporting, self-service analytics, AI/ML capabilities, and data management in a unified offering. The portfolio centers on the ibi WebFOCUS analytics engine, the FOCUS 4GL development environment for IBM Z, and the WebFOCUS Data & Analytics Platform that bundles analytics with data quality, master data management, and ETL. Containerized deployment is supported across Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud, and the platform is differentiated by native, real-time access to IBM Z and IBM i mainframe data without migration.

Product overview

ibi delivers a modern data and analytics software platform that helps organizations harness the power of data. The portfolio operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture centered around two core products: ibi WebFOCUS (the flagship analytics and BI platform) and ibi FOCUS (the mainframe-focused integrated development environment). The WebFOCUS Data & Analytics Platform serves as the umbrella platform combining WebFOCUS analytics engine with Data Intelligence for unified data management. Key modules include: Data Migrator for ETL/data warehouse automation; Data Intelligence for data quality, master data management, and integration; iWay Service Manager for API enablement and microservices; Open Data Hub for Mainframe for real-time mainframe data access; and specialized components like ReportCaster for scheduling, Designer for report creation, and Container Edition for cloud-native deployment. The platform is designed for large-scale enterprise deployments supporting millions of concurrent users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ibi WebFOCUS Flagship analytics engine that enables users to explore, create, analyze, publish, and collaborate on analytics content. Supports dashboards, reporting, visualization, AI-powered analytics, embedded analytics, white labeling, and self-service capabilities for enterprise-scale deployments.
• ibi WebFOCUS Data & Analytics Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% increase in reporting adoption at Air Canada Cargo
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or Integrationibi WebFOCUS supports containerized deployment on Microsoft Azure cloud platform with Kubernetes orchestration, enabling customers to deploy analytics in Azure environments.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or Integrationibi WebFOCUS Container Edition supports deployment on AWS with containerization and full Kubernetes support for cloud-native deployment.
• Google CloudcoreTechnology or Integrationibi WebFOCUS Container Edition supports deployment on Google Cloud platform with Kubernetes support for enterprise analytics deployment.
• IBM ZcoreTechnology or IntegrationDeep integration with IBM Z platform providing tools to transform business with analytics, seamless data integration, and AI capabilities. Products work with zIIP processing for high-speed, low-cost computing to maximize IBM Z investment.
• IBM icoreTechnology or Integrationibi WebFOCUS for i provides best-of-breed Business Intelligence solution for IBM i Series customers using DB2, enabling fast, easy access to business information assets.
• Cloud Software GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partneribi is a business unit of Cloud Software Group, providing unified data and analytics platform as part of Cloud Software Group's portfolio of enterprise software solutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Qlik: Long-standing enterprise BI/analytics platform with strong data integration heritage, similar in target customer and product philosophy to ibi. Both compete for analytics-led enterprise modernization projects.
• MicroStrategy: Enterprise BI and analytics platform with similar emphasis on pixel-perfect enterprise reporting and large-scale deployments, often deployed in the same Fortune 500 accounts as ibi.
• SAS Visual Analytics: SAS's enterprise analytics and BI offering competing in regulated verticals (financial services, healthcare, government) where ibi is strongest, with comparable AI/ML and data management depth.
• Pentaho (Hitachi Vantara): Enterprise BI and data integration platform with strong legacy system and ETL capabilities, very comparable to ibi's Data Migrator and iWay Service Manager product overlap, often deployed in similar enterprise accounts.
• TIBCO Spotfire: Enterprise analytics platform from TIBCO, now a sister brand within Cloud Software Group. Competes directly with ibi for advanced analytics and data visualization in enterprise accounts.

Emerging players

• Sisense: Embedded analytics and BI platform serving product-led and enterprise teams with AI capabilities. Competes with ibi's embedded analytics and white-label offerings in mid-market and digital-native deployments.
• ThoughtSpot: AI-driven analytics platform emphasizing natural language search and self-service. Increasingly competing with ibi in AI-augmented analytics deals targeting the same enterprise customers.

Broad incumbents

• Looker (Google Cloud): Google Cloud's enterprise BI platform with strong semantic-layer and data modeling capabilities. Competes with ibi on enterprise analytics modernization and cloud-native data platforms.
• Tableau (Salesforce): Enterprise BI and visualization platform owned by Salesforce. Competes directly with ibi for self-service analytics and dashboards in large enterprises across all of ibi's target verticals.
• Microsoft Power BI: Microsoft's flagship cloud BI platform, the dominant general-purpose enterprise analytics solution bundled into the Microsoft ecosystem. Competes directly with ibi WebFOCUS in enterprise reporting, dashboards, and now AI-augmented analytics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@infobuilders
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/information-builders

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about iBi Class Inc.