Pentaho is the brand name for several Data Management software products that make up the Pentaho+ Data Platform. These include Pentaho Data Integration, Pentaho Business Analytics,  Pentaho Data Catalog, and Pentaho Data Optimiser.

Overview

Pentaho is owned by Hitachi Vantara, and is a separate business unit. Pentaho started out as business intelligence (BI) software developed by the Pentaho Corporation in 2004. It comprises Pentaho Data Integration (PDI) and Pentaho Business Analytics (PBA)]. These provide data integration, OLAP services, reporting, information dashboards, data mining and extract, transform, load (ETL) capabilities. Pentaho was acquired by Hitachi Data Systems in 2015 and in 2017 became part of Hitachi Vantara. In November 2023, Hitachi Vantara launched the Pentaho+ Platform, comprising the original Pentaho Data Integration and Pentaho Business Analytics] software, and new Pentaho Data Catalog, and [Pentaho Data Optimiser software products. Hitachi Vantara intends to extend the Pentaho+ platform with tools for Data Quality and Data Mastering.

Products

Pentaho Data Optimizer (PDO)

Pentaho Data Optimizer allows organizations to intelligently manage, maintain and tier their data based on its business value, the cost of managing it, and regulatory requirements. It reduces data-related expenses, meets performance and compliance demands, and supports sustainability initiatives. It uses the auto-discovery features of the Pentaho Data Catalog to achieve this.

Pentaho Data Catalog (PDC)

In March 2020 and June 2021 Hitachi Vantara acquired Waterline Data and Io-Taho respectively, and amalgamated the best of both into its Pentaho Data Catalog (PDC). PDC automatically finds, analyzes, and tags structured and unstructured data and contextualizes it with business glossary terms and governance policies.

Pentaho Data Integration (PDI) & Pentaho Business Analytics (PBA).

Pentaho Data Integration (PDI) and Pentaho Business Analytics (PBA) use a Java framework to create Business Intelligence solutions. Although most known for its Business Analysis Server (formerly known as Business Intelligence Server), the PDI/PBA software is indeed a couple of Java classes with specific functionality. On top of those Java classes one can build any BI solution. The only exception to this model is the ETL tool Pentaho Data Integration - PDI (formerly known as Kettle.) PDI is a set of software used to design data flows that can be run either in a server or standalone processes. PDI encompasses Kitchen, a job and transformation runner, and Spoon, a graphical user interface to design such jobs and transformations. Features such as reporting and OLAP are achieved by integrating sub-projects into the PDI/PBA framework, like Mondrian OLAP engine and jFree Report. For some time by now those projects have been brought into Pentaho's curating. Some of those subprojects even have standalone clients like Pentaho Report Designer, a front-end for jFree Reports, and Pentaho Schema Workbench, a GUI to write XMLs used by Mondrian to serve OLAP cubes. Pentaho offers enterprise and community editions of those PDI software. The enterprise software is obtained through an annual subscription and contains extra features and support not found in the community edition. PDI & PBA's core offering is frequently enhanced by add-on products, usually in the form of plug-ins, from the company and the broader community of users.

Server applications

Pentaho Enterprise Edition (EE) and Pentaho Community Edition (CE).

Desktop/client applications

Community driven, open-source Pentaho server plug-ins

All of these plug-ins function with Pentaho Enterprise Edition (EE) and Pentaho Community Edition (CE).

Licensing

Pentaho follows an open core business model. It provides two different editions of Pentaho Business Analytics: a community edition and an enterprise edition. The enterprise edition needs to be purchased on a subscription model. The subscription model includes support, services, and product enhancements via annual subscription. The enterprise edition is available under a commercial license. Enterprise license goes with 3 levels of Pentaho Enterprise Support: Enterprise, Premium and Standard. The community edition is a free open source product licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2.0 (GPLv2), GNU Lesser General Public License version 2.0 (LGPLv2), and Mozilla Public License 1.1 (MPL 1.1).

Recognition