Business Objects Upgrades Flagship BI System
SAP business intelligence platform
BusinessObjects XI 3.0 offers updates to many of the individual applications that make up the BusinessObjects XI portfolio, including the Crystal Reports 2008 reporting software and Xcelsius 2008 data visualization tool. A new version of the Web-based Web Intelligence query and reporting software, for example, now provides users with both online and offline access.
The enhancements to the Web Intelligence software, particularly the ability to incorporate personal data sources and access reports offline, are of particular interest for users, said Jose Hernandez, director of business intelligence at Dunn Solutions Group, a Skokie, Ill.-based technology consulting firm that partners with Business Objects. "Those were things that were all wish-list items for our customers," he said. "They pretty much take [Web Intelligence] to where it can meet and exceed the capabilities of the full [Business Objects] Windows client." Hernandez, who beta-tested the new release, also praised enhancements to the product's user interface and management console.
The new 3.0 release will be available by the end of the first quarter while an on-demand version of the release is slated for availability later this year.
"We believe that not only will this new release help reshape the BI industry, but we truly believe that it will help transform the way people work," said Marge Breya, Business Objects executive vice president and general manager of business intelligence platforms, in a Web presentation.
Incorporating text analysis technology Business Objects acquired last July through its buyout of Inxight Software Inc.; BusinessObjects XI 3.0 can analyze unstructured data such as e-mails and documents. The platform also combines the vendor's data integration and data quality management tools into a singe product called BusinessObjects Data Services that improves the reliability of the data that's being pulled into the system for analysis.
A new application called BI Widgets lets users put personalized metrics on their desktop systems for monitoring key performance indicators, while the Dashboard Builder tool has enhanced user interfaces and workflows. The Voyager OLAP data exploration software has enhanced multi-dimensional analysis and visualization features, while the new Live Office function lets users embed data from Business Objects into Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint documents.
Perhaps not surprisingly the new release also offers broader integration with SAP applications and enhanced support for SAP's metadata.
Polestar, a tool that combines search and business intelligence technology to help users find information using a natural language interface, will ship later this year. Business Objects first unveiled Polestar last October and said it would ship in December.