Today`s real-time business environment requires that companies have access to data easily and instantly. But business intelligence lags in its ability to provide this level of operational access.
This is the view of UK-based Information Builders channel director Mike Warner who says companies are not getting the full benefits of business intelligence because the information they access is often out of date or not relevant to the business needs at hand. Warner says operational information is critical in a business intelligence environment. "But decisions are often made on data that is not up to date due to inefficient integration of the various applications being accessed," he says. "The implementation of a business intelligence system will generally require the integration of a number of different applications. This is often a difficult task because they are generally implemented on different hardware platforms and operating systems that run independently of each other. "Legacy systems further complicate the issue because the applications are also generally not integrated," says local WebFOCUS partner, Fujitsu product manager Denita Lawrence.
"To achieve a form of integration, some suppliers will create data warehouses or data marts. But this in turn can create a step in getting to the data, again causing it to be not current or perhaps relevant to the current business requirements."
Warner says creating an operating business intelligence solution rests on the successful integration of the various systems leveraging both real-time and staged information.
"In the case of WebFOCUS, Information Builders` BI tool, the company leverages its own integration software called iWay," says Lawrence.
She says iWay provides over 280 adapters for integrating various hardware, software and operating system platforms.
"The strength of a business intelligence vendor having both a BI and integration tool enables their BI solution to offer true operational reporting in comparison to the competition because of the ability to provide real-time reporting," she says.
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Fujitsu Services is one of the leading IT services companies in Europe, Middle East and Africa. It has an annual turnover of lb1.99 billion, (EUR2.86 billion) employs 15 200 people and operates in over 20 countries. It designs, builds and operates IT systems and services for customers in the financial services, telecom, retail, utilities and government markets.
Its core strength is the delivery of IT infrastructure management and outsourcing across desktop, networking and data centre environments, together with a full range of related services, from infrastructure consulting through integration and deployment.
Headquartered in London, Fujitsu Services is the European-centred IT services arm of the Fujitsu Group. The Fujitsu Group is a US$44.5 billion (EUR34 billion) leader in the provision of IT systems and services for the global marketplace.
Fujitsu has from the outset been fully supportive of South African government transformation agenda requirements for employment equity as well as having local BEE company Yard Capital as an active 30% shareholder of its South African operation.
Sha-Izwe
Sha-Izwe Communications (incorporating Charles Smith & Associates established in 1987) is a BEE company and part of the Constellation Group with operates in 25 countries. Sha-Izwe is the sole representative for The Constellation Group in SA.
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