Frequently asked questions

Toucan is an embedded analytics and BI platform created around 5 core needs:

1. Ease of implementation: Toucan's agile nature is part of this company's DNA. This stems from the SCRUM methodology which allows us to work iteratively. Projects can therefore be quickly industrialized.
   
   
2. Easy to use UX: the quality of the end user experience is at the heart of Toucan's mission and strategy. Toucan's unique user experience is intuitive thanks to Data storytelling, enabling you to get actionable insights from your data regardless of your data literacy or position. 
   
   
3. One-Click Connectors: our connectors are able to aggregate your data, regardless of it's source. So, whether connecting flat files (Excel, Csv, etc.) or IT environments (BO, Qlick, SAP, etc.) we've got you covered. 
   
   
4. Analytics Anytime, Anywhere: accessible on any device, whether it's a phone, tablet, PC or wall monitor, any time and anywhere.
   
   
5. Collaboration: a truly differentiating element of Toucan is it's built-in collaboration tools that ensure your analytics actually get used. Whether it be chats, in-app recommendations, messages, or glossaries, Toucan is as collaborative as can be. 

Toucan can complement any existing Data Exploration tool. Toucan is aimed at end users, regardless of data literacy levels, not analysts.

Toucan is an end-to-end analytics platform devoted to eliminating the complexity built into most other tools that holds back users. You can find out more here.

Pricing varies based on the number of users and the complexity of the project.

Normal BI tools like Tableau, PowerBI, Qlik… are great tools when it comes to exploring data to find insights. However they’re often too complex for non-technical business users when it comes to actually delivering those insights.

And that’s exactly what Toucan focuses on. Our job starts and ends at communicating the insights that your team of data scientists will have found on a data exploration tool, to non-technical business users. We complement data exploration tools and help you leverage those investments by delivering information in the most appropriate way: through context and simplicity.

You can connect to any data source, from simple files to remote databases, with our extensive library of connectors and data connection mediums. We use a variety of techniques for our clients such as ETL, REST API, FTP, Scripting, manual drag and drop, Live and Real Time Data.

You can learn more on our connectors page, in our product documentation, and by watching our Under the Toucan Hood video series for all things technical!

Yes, for BI platforms that allow other platforms to connect to them (like Microstrategy), we’ll create a connector. When it comes to our clients having proprietary technologies like Tableau or Qlik’s .qvd files, we deploy a script to extract a .csv file and incorporate it into Toucan automatically. Data connection is never an issue! 

The short answer? Anything.

Whether simple files (excel, csv,...), local and remote databases, or through APIs, Toucan  connects to over 600 data sources (and counting). Toucan can ingest this data on a regular basis and cache it, or deliver it in real-time (live data).

Yes. Even if you’re dealing with, say, an Excel file, an SQL database and Salesforce at the same time, you can centralize everything with Toucan and publish the related visualizations accordingly. Learn more here about connecting and validating your data sources.

You can either refresh your data on demand, regularly (with our scheduler), or request it in real-time (live data). Our fastest data update is as quick as your slowest data update. Here’s a short  conversation where we explain how you can have a live data feature in Toucan:

With our scheduler, you can automate data updates in just a few clicks. Define which data sources you want to refresh and how often you want them (hourly, daily, weekly, or entirely customized).  More information in this video:

Your answer in a video or in writing!

Our business model is similar to that of a software publisher with licenses per user per month, and with no hidden costs. Our prices are aggressive and have been set up with scalability in mind.

Our chart library is tailored to accommodate most business cases. Each chart has numerous configuration options detailed in our product documentation. We do not build custom visualizations (for now) to ensure quality, ease of use, and accuracy of our applications. We can, however, work with third party platforms (such as custom mapping) to include their product in ours.

Our viz library contains dozens of charts. 

With our mapchart, you can position zones and markers on top of OpenStreetMap tiles. You can upload GeoJSON, Shapefiles, and other standard formats describing geographical zones.

Instead of focusing first on the data pipeline and its organization, we recommend to start by thinking about what it is you need to communicate, and to test it (with static or fake data against a panel of potential users).

Toucan allows you to do this with our fake data generator which eliminates the need for a data team and helps you ensure you’ve validated your needs as a team. 

Not yet, but you'll already have access to loads of possibilities with all our charts. This being said, we understand that you may need very specific visualizations, and we do intend to provide you with this capability in the future. 

Our servers are located in datacenter center DC3 from Scaleway, located in Vitry (France). It respects all hosting standards (security, network, client isolation) and has a Tier III Certification. More information in our documentation.

Toucan's private cloud is fully operated and monitored by Toucan with the latest security certifications (SSL Grade A…). Location can be adjusted.

We operate each of our clients in a separate instance, with an isolated network, volumes and databases (based on Docker).

As far as access control is concerned, you can connect Toucan to your company's SSO, which gives and controls access to apps. Here is a video about how Toucan manages SSO:

Yes - you can choose either / or!

For the cloud, we use a private cloud with state of the art security.

For on-prem deployments, we use Docker Image technology, meaning the installation process is easy and straightforward. More information in this video:

In this video, one of our experts explains how you can manage a successful on premise installation:

Toucan was founded in 2014. 

Toucan was launched out of Paris, France, but operates globally. Our team is truly international, with presence in the UK, Nordics, Netherlands,and United States. 

Toucan gives life to your data by putting it directly in the hands of decision-makers and operational end users. We have solutions for every industry, role, and department.

100s of customers trust Toucan, including Total, Ubisoft, BPCE, EDF, JCDecaux, Tereos, Citroen, So Local, Unibail, Vinci, Simply Market and Renault.

Head over to  Welcome to the Jungle to get involved?

Yes! You can view all of our open positions here!