Microsoft is looking for BI dominance through Microsoft Excel. The latest vendor to respond is Excel Integration (Pty) Ltd with its release of Business Intelligence for Goldmine (BI4G), powered by the acclaimed Alchemex Reporting Solution. Traditionally found in the accounting environment, Goldmine users can now also take advantage of flexible automated Excel reporting.
Prior to the official launch in mid-October, Goldmine clients are urged to test-drive the product. MD, Brad Bartlett says: "We initially want feedback from Goldmine users so we are offering the first licence at 100% discount. With an auto-connect wizard and pre-packaged templates, you are evaluating the actual reports within five minutes."
The key component of Alchemex is the initial development of containers from which the actual reports feed. Each report calls a specific container which has been designed to enhance the Goldmine data purely for Excel reporting purposes. Bartlett explains: "Our primary R&D commitment is the ongoing development of useful containers."
With easy access to flexible data achieved via a user-friendly interface, report writers and Goldmine users can rather focus their attention on final presentation in Excel. Because Alchemex containers are bundled in the report, rather than a data-warehousing approach, the same container can be used by any BI4G user with access to the Internet.
Alchemex is already used by an estimated 2 000 companies in South Africa, with sites reporting mostly on accounting applications. As template sets surface for other departments within a business, the current Alchemex users simply get extended automation value from Excel. Bartlett suggests: "When Alchemex is used beyond just the financial department, then the business is initiating their journey into true desktop business intelligence."
A popular Alchemex feature, called `union reporting`, facilitates the presentation of data in one Excel report sourced from multiple databases. Most growing businesses reach a point where application integration is tabled as the next IT project.
"While it might be necessary," Bartlett warns, "integration is a big step, so we offer an affordable alternative to integrate just the outputs using Microsoft Excel."
Excel Integration specialises in developing templates for popular applications and verticals. Users are no longer tolerating the manual requirements of the "excel export", and pressure is mounting on software vendors to include Excel Integration functionality.
Bartlett concludes: "We are able to assist software vendors with an incredibly fast and low cost option to take a business intelligence offering to their client bases."
Brad Bartlett can be e-mailed on brad@alchemex.net, or to test-drive BI4G visit http://micro.majesticinteractive.co.za/bf.php?fid=10.
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