The repositioning of Microsoft Performance Point Server within SharePoint Server extends the breadth of exposure of business intelligence offered by Microsoft within organisations, and depth budgeting and planning functionality is offered through dedicated products such as idu-Concept.
Microsoft's strategy is to deliver BI to everyone in the organisation through the broadly adopted tools of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server and Microsoft Office Excel, and build on the scalable Microsoft SQL Server BI platform.
Based on customer feedback, Microsoft is moving the scorecard, dashboard, and analytic functionality from Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server into Office SharePoint Server Enterprise, making these capabilities available throughout the organisation at a lower TCO.
In mid-2009, Microsoft will release PerformancePoint Server 2007 “service pack 3”, which will include updates to the current product's planning module. Thereafter, customers should not expect further investment in standalone versions of PerformancePoint Server.
As a Microsoft Gold Partner, Cape-based IDU software has been delivering value-added products around the financial and sales budgeting, reporting and asset management functions of medium to large sized organisations for the past decade.
The company's core product set, idu-Concept, is a dedicated budgeting and forecasting solution built on Microsoft technologies, consistent and integrated with the other Microsoft product offerings, which allows present and prospective Microsoft clients to leverage their investments in the Microsoft technology stack.
The success of idu-Concept has made it the de facto leader in the specialised budget and forecasting applications space in South Africa, offering depth planning to users involved in the budgeting and reporting processes of the organisation.
idu Software has an array of blue chip companies across all industry sectors relying on idu-Concept as their budgeting solution. In addition, the product has recently entered the global market in the US, Europe and Australasia.
The solution is a Web-based application that allows users to access the system via the company's existing network and the Internet. Budget information is updated in real-time, offering users an up-to-date view of financial information on demand.
With Microsoft standards at its core, idu-Concept ensures a complete technology fit with Microsoft architecture - the solution has been developed in C#.NET on Framework 2 and leverages the power of SQL Server (2000, 2005 and 2008) and SQL Server Reporting Services.
idu-Concept interfaces directly with organisations' existing ERP systems to provide a single view of an integrated database. The solution interfaces with financial systems from Pastel to SAP, including the Dynamics range of Microsoft ERP solutions.
“As a budget planning application built on the Microsoft technology stack, idu-Concept is ideally positioned to provide an integrated, dedicated budgeting, planning and management reporting application delivered on a Microsoft platform. The design of the idu-Concept product suite ensures implementation of the solution would be smooth, with no technology gaps in the process,” says idu Software MD Kevin Phillips.
Microsoft SA's Information Worker Business Group Executive Albie Bester says Microsoft has a long history of working closely with ISV partners to help deliver compelling solutions and applications to its mutual customers.
“As a longstanding Microsoft Gold Certified Partner with considerable market share in the planning and budgeting space and a well-established client base, idu Software is well positioned to provide Microsoft customers with a comprehensive packaged budgeting and planning application,” says Bester.
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