Business Objects Updates BI Tool Set

New version adds functionality for nontechnical users

By Heather Havenstein

September 26, 2005 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld - Business Objects SA this week will unveil a new version of its integrated business intelligence tool set that lets nontechnical users access BI data without having to write queries or build reports.

Business Objects XI Release 2 also adds wizards to allow users of reporting tools from the company's Crystal Decisions Inc. unit to more easily switch to the BI tools, according to company officials.

The release's new Intelligent Question feature lets nontechnical users type in simple requests for specific data, said Lance Walter, vice president of product marketing at Business Objects.

Paul Zanis, director of corporate data architecture at Simon & Schuster Inc. in New York, expects the Intelligent Question function to help expand the use of Business Objects BI software beyond a select list of power users at the publishing firm. He noted that the earlier versions require that users have some knowledge of underlying data to write a query. "We can use Simon & Schuster-type terms and allow users to ask questions without making them feel like they are going into a new application," he said.

Simon & Schuster has been using a beta version of the new release; the company plans to upgrade to the final implementation within six months, Zanis added.

Keith Gile, an analyst at Forrester Research Inc., said it's vital that BI tools evolve to meet the needs of nontechnical business users.

Building a Data Pipeline

Hao Ngo, information specialist at Aera Energy LLC in Bakersfield, Calif., said Release 2 provides the oil and natural gas producer with enhanced connectivity to SAP R/3 and SAP Business Warehouse (BW).

Ngo, who is evaluating the beta version of Release 2, said Aera was unable to easily link to the SAP AG applications using earlier versions of the Business Objects BI tools.

With the beta version of the new release, the company didn't have to use extract, transform and load tools to gather data from back-end systems, he said.

"We are now able to easily query data directly out of data sources like SAP and BW ... where it at times required a full project to move the data to our custom warehouse," he said.

XI Release 2 is expected to ship in November; the first release shipped last December.

NEW PRODUCT

Business Objects XI Release 2

Includes wizards that let users of Crystal Decisions reporting tools or older BI tools to more easily upgrade to the new version.

Includes unified metadata management.

Can integrate multiple data sources in a single report.

Recommend Digg Twitter ShareThis

Email Print Send Feedback Reprints

Additional Resources

Xerox

Win a color printer!

By using solid ink technology only from Xerox, you could save up to 65% by printing color for the cost of black and white. Enter for a chance to WIN a PhaserTM 8860 network color printer!

Microsoft

Upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 today.

Save time and mitigate security risk. Deploy it now.

Sybase

NEXT-GENERATION MOBILITY PLATFORMS

In this white paper, IDC analyzes the role of next-generation mobile enterprise platforms as organizations seek a more strategic deployment of mobile solutions.

Learn the important issues you must consider before starting your next mobility initiative. Get your mobility white paper from IDC now, compliments of Sybase.

White Papers & Webcasts

Natural User Interface for Enterprise Applications
Learn how a revolutionary user interface can make a complex enterprise application so intuitive even casual users can jump right in....

Why Now is the Right Time for the Linux Desktop
(Source: Novell) Faced with tighter budgets, enterprises are rethinking their desktop strategies to deliver the same - if not better - services and...

Moving Beyond Monolithic - What's Next for Enterprise Application Architectures?
This white paper reviews the current state of enterprise application architecture and presents a prediction on what might come next....

Novell Opens PR Video
Is the Linux desktop for me? Customers are looking for ways to be more flexible and save money. Using Linux offers a great...

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Deployment Approach Guide
This document is intended for IT professionals and managers who are considering deploying SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. Novell has had a number of...

Usability Is Everything
Learn what sets Workday's HR and Payroll solutions apart from the competition....

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop Data Sheet
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is the market's only enterprise-quality Linux desktop ready. It delivers seamless interoperability with existing enterprise systems and dozens of...

The Value of Real SaaS at Workday
Cost savings, speed to value, and innovation brought to the enterprise by Workday's software-as-a-service solutions for HR and Payroll....

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Data Sheet
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is a highly reliable, interoperable and manageable server operating system built to power mission-critical workloads in physical and virtual...

SaaS at Flextronics, Inc.
Dave Smoley, CIO of Flextronics, discusses the real value of software-as-a-service and why he chose Workday for his HR solution....

All White Papers | All Webcasts