[NEW YORK] Walker announced that it will integrate a future version of the Walker Horizon analytic application suite with Microsoft`s upcoming OLAP (online analytic processing) server, code-named Plato. Walker Horizon 3.0, formally unveiled today in a New York City launch event, allows businesses to analyze financial and operational data in order to more accurately predict the financial outcome of business activities and make corrections to better meet business goals. The combination of Walker`s enterprise applications and Microsoft`s powerful OLAP platform will provide Windows NT users with a best-of-breed system for managing company performance, while offering businesses a common platform for business analysis across Windows NT, Unix and AS/400 platforms. Available today, Walker Horizon 3.0 integrates data from major ERP and financial applications, such as SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, and Walker, with data from operational applications to automate planning, forecasting, budgeting and financial consolidation across the enterprise. "Together with the Plato engine, Walker`s analytic applications will offer Microsoft customers a powerful solution for analyzing real-time business across the enterprise," said Steve Murchie, Microsoft`s data warehousing product manager. "Walker`s support of the upcoming Plato server is an important industry endorsement that shows the momentum behind Microsoft OLAP technology." Horizon 3.0 is Walker`s latest offering in the fast-growing market for analytic applications, which IDC predicts will grow to $2.6 billion by 2001. By leveraging OLAP technology, Walker Horizon creates an environment that allows management to take a "predictive and corrective" approach to managing company performance. Walker Horizon is architected to support a variety of performance management philosophies, including Balanced Scorecard, Economic Value Added (EVAand Activity-Based Management, and can monitor traditional and industry-specific key performance indicators, allowing users to measure and analyze data unique to their own business. "Microsoft Plato offers us the opportunity to deliver best-of-breed, NT-based analytic solutions," said Leonard Liu, chairman and CEO of Walker. "By embedding OLAP technology into a powerful suite of analytic applications, Walker Horizon can be used across the enterprise for predicting and correcting the likely outcome of business activities." Walker`s Horizon applications will support the Plato server through industry-standard OLAP extensions to Microsoft`s OLE data access specification. Walker`s support for OLE DB for OLAP ensures that Horizon applications will support any compliant OLAP engine, including Microsoft Plato, Arbor Essbase, GentiaDB and others. OLE DB is a Microsoft specification that provides applications with uniform access to data stored in diverse information sources, regardless of location or type, enabling access to both relational and non-relational data sources. Walker Horizon will also support Microsoft`s DNA component architecture to allow integration with virtually any application provider`s solution. Pricing and availability for the Plato-integrated version of Walker`s Horizon suite will be announced later this year. Walker Horizon 3.0 Application Modules The Walker Horizon analytic application suite consists of three robust modules that address a broad range of enterprise financial management and planning needs. Performance Analysis: Horizon includes a powerful, Web-enabled reporting and analysis solution that utilizes OLAP functionality to view business and financial information from any perspective. Planning and Forecasting: Horizon automates planning, forecasting and the budgeting processes, reducing planning cycles and facilitating continuous planning. Horizon allows each business unit`s plan to reflect individual policies and rules, while consolidating results instantly at any level. Financial Consolidation: Horizon manages the collection, adjustment and reporting of consolidated results for statutory, management and tax reporting across the enterprise. Horizon easily consolidates data from heterogeneous applications providing a company-wide view of company performance. Horizon`s range of functionality is designed to meet different levels of analysis and user demands throughout an enterprise. For CFOs and senior finance executives, Horizon provides a detailed, thorough, intelligent analysis of company performance. Additionally finance managers and controllers can now rely on a rapid, accurate budgeting, forecasting and planning process, while line-of-business managers can be more accountable for budgets and performance while actively managing their departments.
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