Business Objects expands geographic analysis capabilities for BusinessObjects XI Release 2

Business Objects, the world's leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, today announced an integration kit for ESRI ArcIMS and ArcGIS Server and BusinessObjects XI Release 2.

The product provides a powerful two-way bridge between these industry-leading solutions, enabling users to "mash up" business information with geographic information system maps to gain a more complete understanding of the link between relevant data and location.

Developed by APOS Systems, a Business Objects Technology Partner and ESRI Authorised Business Partner, the new integration kit is generally available now.

With BusinessObjects XI Release 2 and the new BusinessObjects Integration Kit for ESRI GIS, Business Objects provides customers the ability to quickly and easily access geographic data. Customers can use the solution to create Crystal reports and perform Web-based ad hoc queries with Web Intelligence that include detailed map information from ESRI ArcIMS or ESRI ArcGIS Server.

The integrated solution also enables ESRI GIS maps to be embedded into Microsoft Office documents, including Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files. Using the solution, a company could combine GIS analysis with BI information on customers, facilities and personnel to strategically balance sales territories based on where salespeople are located and how many existing and target customers are in the area. This information could be shared using a map image embedded in a Crystal report.

ESRI and Business Objects have a long-standing relationship and a shared commitment to providing the best in GIS and BI solutions to customers around the globe. Since 1997, ESRI has used Crystal Reports from Business Objects as the only third-party reporting solution bundled within ESRI's ArcGIS desktop products.

"The BusinessObjects Integration Kit for ESRI GIS provides advanced self-service analytic capabilities that allow both GIS and business analysts to realise more value from their existing data," said Jack Dangermond, president of ESRI. "APOS Systems' role in developing this integration kit will enable a large business intelligence user community to more effectively analyse and visualise business data. The success of a business is ultimately tied to its ability to exploit all relevant data to make decisions, and we believe geographic data is critical to this process."

The City of Troy, Michigan has used the beta version of the Integration Kit with Crystal Reports Server XI Release 2. Its goal was to use the URL reporting capabilities of Crystal Reports to generate a report with an embedded map image from its ESRI ArcIMS server, based on a variable in the report.

"We were delighted to see how easy it was to implement the BusinessObjects Integration Kit for ESRI GIS, to seamlessly serve BusinessObjects XI Release 2 reports back to the ArcIMS user based on selected map features," said Alex Bellak, GIS administrator at City of Troy. "It took very little technical knowledge of ArcIMS to add the Crystal Reports functionality to the standard ESRI html map template."

"With this new integration between our two products, Business Objects and ESRI customers are now able to seamlessly access and interact with the valuable data contained within ESRI ArcGIS using BusinessObjects XI Release 2," said Wyatt Mullin, vice-president of global ISV sales at Business Objects. "In doing so, customers will be able to better analyse their geospatial data in order to uncover new insights and improve decision-making."

For more information about the BusinessObjects Integration Kit for ESRI GIS, please contact your local Business Objects office. A brief Web demonstration can also be viewed online at businessobjects.auc.com/ESRI_solutionsKit/videos/aposSolutionsKit.html.