Business Objects Unveils Add-Ons For BI Software

The first three QuickStart Packs announced this week include one for the insurance industry and two to be used with J.D. Edwards financial and CRM applications. QuickStart Packs for the retail banking, manufacturing and health-care industries are under development, says Todd Rowe, vice president and general manager of Business Object's worldwide midmarket business.

In early February, Business Objects announced a major push into the midmarket using a new line of BI tools called Business Objects Crystal Decisions designed for companies with less than $1 billion in annual sales. The vendor is counting on its network of 2,300 channel partners to provide professional services around those applications.

At the time, Business Objects also said it was working with solution providers to develop software templates, reports and data connectors around Business Objects Crystal Decisions for specific business processes and vertical industries. Channel partners then sell those products as the QuickStart Packs. This week's announcement is the first fruits of that effort.

Partners also have the option of having Business Objects resell the products. Business Objects' goal is to create an online market of business intelligence solutions similar to Salesforce.com's AppExchange, Rowe says.

The new add-on software includes INSolve Functional Intelligence QuickStart Pack that provides reporting, analysis and decision-making tools for the insurance industry; Preferred Strategies BI Quick Launch for JDE QuickStart Pack providing query and reporting for J.D. Edwards applications; and RapidDecision QuickStart Pack for building a data warehouse around J.D. Edwards software.