Data as you`ve never seen it before

Leaderboard, a developer of visual intelligence, business management and product evaluation solutions, has won Africa distribution rights for data visualisation solution Xcelsius. The product, introduced internationally by Infommersion in 2002, has been adopted by a long list of Fortune 500 companies and is geared for the SME and corporate markets, as well as the public sector in southern Africa.

"Data continues to pile up and business owners, executives and managers are starved for easily customisable, inexpensive and intelligent data collation and presentation tools," explains Leaderboard CEO Gary Cook.

"Xcelsius bridges the gap between data analysis and visual presentation, delivering the dual benefits of simplified comprehension of complex data and business discovery and planning. Given its fast uptake and the extraordinary business benefits this solution has delivered to organisations around the globe, we believe it will be eagerly adopted in South Africa."

Xcelsius is designed to work with all widely used sources of company data, from ordinary Excel spreadsheets, to elaborate enterprise and business intelligence databases and SOAP-based Web services. It converts data from these sources into dynamic, Flash-animated charts and graphs, with real-time what-if analysis and one-click deployment to PowerPoint presentations, intranets and the Web.

Available in Standard and Professional versions, priced at R1 700 and R4 500 (inclusive), respectively, Xcelsius requires no licensing and integrates tightly with Windows solutions.

"Companies are struggling to make sense of a growing mountain of data accumulated and generated by internal and external sources in a variety of formats," explains Cook. "The onus is thus increasingly placed on the user to select relevant data and turn it into contextualised information and knowledge that will accurately inform long- and short-term decision-making.

"Excel spreadsheets remain possibly the most pervasive form of BI, however, and time, complexity and varying skills levels constrain discovery of business trends and timeous actioning of opportunities or business adjustment to retain competitiveness. Xcelsius offers a considerable advance over mind-numbing rows and columns of figures and linear presentations of data sets that offer little contextualisation or overview of operations, business performance or strategic projects."

Xcelsius allows everyday business users and companies to develop visual business reports that range from interactive PowerPoint presentations to sophisticated Web-based corporate dashboards with links to live enterprise data. It combines data from numerous sources in a single comprehensive dashboard that offers a number of drill-down `views`, as well as a broad overview of business performance relative to the achievement of strategic organisational goals. The information can be further contextualised to suit target audiences with the assistance of templates which contain competency-specific formulae and comparitives, such as those commonly used by sales or financial departments."

In addition to the presentation benefits, Xcelsius is increasingly being used by executives for business discovery and analysis. Xcelsius makes it easy for executives to identify critical data relationships, peer into the company`s financial future, and shorten decision-making processes. A live, customised dashboard provides real-time insight into business performance with visual sliders and dials that let the user alter underlying assumptions and immediately see the impact on projected performance indicators.

"In short, if you`re still using spreadsheets you`re not seeing the whole picture," says Cook. "While Xcelsius comes at a commodity price, it`s a highly effective business tool. The `I` in BI is, however, you. Successful use of this solution is dependant on the user`s ability to ask the rightquestions - the possibilities are infinite.

"While point-and-click ease of use is a prime feature of this product, training has proven to be of enormous assistance in guiding new users in the application of data rules and the use of advanced functionality. Leaderboard offers a range of courses designed to introduce the user to scorecards, basic dashboard building, creating `what if` scenarios and the development of new products.

The company is staffed by a number of highly experienced business and technical professionals that can assist with business or project scoping and consultation as well as the development of dashboards and visual presentations.

Xcelsius provides the perfect way to get started with interactive data visualisation.

* You get point-and-click ease, and all the functionality you need to create innovative data presentations, including maps, charts, tools and extensive custom design capabilities.

* Sliders, gauges, filters, numerical input tools and other visual components allow you to quickly evaluate multiple "what-if" scenarios in real-time, with the click of a mouse.

* Pre-built components, skins, maps and charts - and one-click export - make it easy for non-technical users to develop fully interactive enterprise dashboards.

Trek to the summit

00Days

:

00Hrs

:

00Min

:

00Sec

Xcelsius data presentations can be exported - with one click - to PowerPoint, PDF, Outlook and the Web. They can run on any PC, Mac, Tablet PC, handheld or other device with the Macromedia Flash player.

PC with Pentium 3 equivalent processor with 128MB of RAM (recommended). Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP Microsoft Office 2000, Office XP or Office 2003.

To view an Xcelsius dashboard modelled by Leaderboard, visit www.infommersion.com.