This whitepaper compares ETL and data virtualization, clarifying when each approach is most appropriate. ETL excels at bulk data consolidation, historical snapshots, and complex multi-pass transformations, while data virtualization delivers agile, real-time federation without replication. The paper highlights differences in cost, time-to-value, data freshness, and governance impact. It emphasizes that the two technologies are complementary, with virtualization extending existing warehouses, federating multiple sources, and enabling near real-time access. Together, they form a flexible, modern integration strategy.

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