Omniscope Connectors
Import, merge, analyse and present data from online sources
Omniscope's 'hybrid' desktop/web client-side capability is the perfect compliment to 'cloud'-based platforms and services. Combining Omniscope with remote-hosted ASP/SaaS solutions can address most of the reservations typically associated with the trend towards remote-hosted data storage and services. Omniscope is a general-purpose local client which can be combined with almost any 'cloud' to create 'best-of-both-worlds' workflow and reporting solutions.
Omniscope connectors enabe users to import remotely-hosted data from 'clouds' and other repositories that do not support direct database connections via standard protocols like ODBC/JDBC. Most of the currently-supported data sources are accessed directly from Omniscope Professional from the File > Open online source menu:
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From Omniscope Data Manager, online data sources are accessed from the Online sources section of the Sources listing.
Bloomberg
Omniscope also includes connectors that access proprietary data repositories/feeds such as Bloomberg, which is not available via open, web-based APIs. The Bloomberg connector can be accessed from the Omniscope Professional Data > menu, or the Data Manager Sources listing. The Bloombeg connector opens with a wizard enabling you to specify the fields you want to import, the identifiers/BLP syntax you wish to use, refresh behavior, etc. For example, if you are running on a PC with access to Bloomberg terminal services, just go Data > Import from Bloomberg to configure Bloomberg fields you wish to import and refresh on demand. Automatically save end-of-day Omniscope files containing Bloomberg data as static values with timestamps, then use the Folder of files (Data Manager) or the Merge data wizard Append process (Professional) to append past files for time series analysis.
More on using the Omniscope connector for Bloomberg.
Email (POP-3 and IMAP)
New in 2.5...and very, very useful for everyone who wants to search & analyse a lot of e-mail. Download the contents of one or more inboxes and analyze the patterns of traffic, search for key words and phrases...find the smoking gun!
More about the Omniscope E-Mail Connector
Google Docs & Spreadsheets
Visualise, present and publish data sets compiled and maintained in Google-hosted online spreadsheets. Activated Omniscopes can refresh automatically from data sets being compiled and maintained in online Google Spreadsheet worksheets...perfect for collaborative data publishing with live updates.
More about using Omniscope with Google Docs & Spreadsheets
Google Analytics & AdWords
Google Analytics is a free service available to anyone who has added the requisite lines of Google code to all their web pages. The new, direct API connection from Omniscope enables direct download of Google Analytics data to your desktop for visualisation, editing and presentation of reports on your website traffic.
More about importing data from Google Analytics and AdWords
Website Mapping
You can point Omniscope 2.5+ at any website and it will crawl the site and construct a site map using the Network View. Very useful for web site management and optimisation of traffic flow and search when used in conjunction with data drawn from Google Analytics.
More about generating website maps
Salesforce/Force.com
Omniscope has both web and direct connectors that enable you to download, visualise, edit and merge presentations based on Salesforce Reports, and to synchronise changes to your Data Objects stored in the Salesforce Sales and Service clouds (and potentially many other applications being developed on the Force.com platform). Omniscope is the perfect compliment to 'cloud'-based platforms like Salesforce, adding the new dimension of the scaleable 'hybrid' desktop/web Omniscope to otherwise browser-constrained Salesforce standard implementations.
See this introduction to Salesforce integration for more detail on benefits, new options and features available when you use Omniscope with Salesforce.
Facebook is a social networking site...or so we have heard. Import your network and visualise it using the Omniscope Network View.
More about using Omniscope with Facebook
More Connectors are coming...
More connectors are still in the experimental stage, and will be added to forthcoming versions. Some of these experimental and beta connectors may already be briefly described in the User Guide section Connectors Overview. If you would like to discuss development of an Omniscope connector for your own platform, application or service, please contact us.