Enterprise software provider Sybase SA and business intelligence (BI) vendor Business Objects have forged a strategic partnership to deliver BI applications to their South African customers.
Although Sybase will also be using traditional distribution methods to resell the Business Objects suite, it is understood that a key element of the partnership is a Web services drive by both companies.
Business Objects unveiled a Web services offering Q1 of 2002 which will allow companies to connect more easily with more partners, give them better mechanisms for exchanging information over the Internet, and provide a better infrastructure for using that information.
By the same token, Sybase has invested heavily in the development of integration technologies as key to its e-business infrastructure software, with last year`s acquisition of application integration provider New Era of Networks a prime example.
Business Objects country manager in SA, Gary Lawrence, makes no secret of his company`s view that Web services are the future of business intelligence for inter-company collaboration, while Sybase SA marketing manager Julie Tomlinson sees the explosion of Web services as "an extension and evolution" of integration technologies.
"What this partnership with Business Objects aims to do is to bypass the hype of Web services by delivering real integration business solutions for enterprises. While the evolution of distributed computing via Web services will take many years to achieve mainstream adoption, we`re delivering solutions that will help customers adapt when necessary," said Tomlinson.
Business Objects, which coined the term e-business intelligence (eBI) in 1998 to describe the intersection of business intelligence and the Internet, has over 600 customers worldwide that share information in intranet, extranet and e-business environments.
"Many of our leading customers provide information to both their customers and suppliers across the Web. This provides them with the ability to access and analyse their purchasing patterns, planning and information to ultimately reduce cost throughout the supply chain while simultaneously improving customer service," said Lawrence.
Lawrence says Sybase is the "perfect example" of the type of organisation Business Objects looks towards to add genuine value to customers.
"In today`s business world, information is critical to the success of organisations," said Lawrence. "The value of BI is that it transforms raw data into real information and presents that information to end-users in a meaningful and usable manner, allowing them to take quick, educated decisions."
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Business Objects is the world`s leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions. Business intelligence lets organisations access, analyse, and share information internally with employees and externally with customers, suppliers and partners. Business intelligence helps organisations improve operational efficiency, build profitable customer relationships, and develop differentiated product offerings.
The company`s products include BusinessObjects 2000, the industry`s leading integrated business intelligence toolset and platform, and BusinessObjects Analytics, an integrated suite of enterprise analytic applications.
Business Objects pioneered the modern BI industry in 1990 by inventing a patented "semantic layer" that insulates users from the complexity of databases. In 1995, the company was first to focus on enterprise-scale BI deployments and today supports customers with more than 20 000 users. The company moved aggressively to the Internet in 1997 by pioneering the market for BI extranets, a market that it continues to lead today. In 2000, the company delivered the industry`s first interactive wireless BI solution. Today, Business Objects continues to innovate, creating and delivering a unique vision for enterprise analytic applications.
Business Objects has more than 14 000 customers in over 80 countries. The company`s stock is publicly traded under the ticker symbols NASDAQ: BOBJ and Euronext Paris: code Euroclear France 12074, and included in the SBF 120 and IT CAC 50 French stock market indexes. Business Objects can be reached at 408-953-6000 and www.businessobjects.com.
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