VENDORiQ: Google Launches Looker Modeler

May 22, 2023
IBRS Advisor Team
Strategy & Transformation, VendorIQ

Google’s standalone metrics layer, Looker Modeler, was launched to enable customers to create a single source of truth for their enterprise. How does this impact the industry?

The Latest

23 May 2023: Google has announced Looker Modeler, a new service that allows customers to utilise Looker’s semantic modelling capabilities to establish and save metrics. The service will be accessible for private preview in Q2 of 2023 and will be available for general release later in the year. It can be used by clients of any BI vendor verified by Google.

Why It’s Important

Looker Modeler’s aim to establish a single source of truth is a significant step in combating the prevalent issue of inconsistent metrics. The concept is similar to data catalogues, though the focus is less on managing and exposing data on more on creating a common semantic (i.e. business language) to make accessing data more uniform. Microsoft’s Dataverse and Snowflake’s Snowpark are similar concepts.

The trend for data management is towards services that ‘wrap’ different data sources into a semantic business layer and make the data usable within an organisation’s ICT ecosystem. It is part of the broader low-code everything trend that is enabling the fourth-wave of ICT. In the near term, Looker Modeler and similar services can streamline data management by eliminating conflicting definitions and outdated data extracts. The ability to create consistent metrics could enhance operational efficiency and foster a data culture anchored in trust and reliability.

Who’s Impacted

Data governance/business intelligence teams

What’s Next?

Organisations should consider evaluating their current data management strategies in light of the trend towards semantic data access services.
Allow enough time for users to get comfortable with data management solutions. As they build trust, they will learn to offer recommendations on what other governance and controls may be needed, and what services would best meet their needs.