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BI made easier by accessing all data sources from one tool


Johannesburg, 10 Oct 2002

"The ability to access all corporate data sources from one tool that can easily be extended to customers via the extranet is a genuine business benefit," said Gary Lawrence, country manager at Business Objects SA.

"Users of a business intelligence [BI] tool need to dynamically work with all relevant corporate data in a way they understand, no matter where the information is stored."

Business Objects, through one intuitive, easy-to-use Web interface makes life easier for BI users, by allowing direct access and analysis of OLAP data which enables quick answers to business questions without having to understand metadata, filters, and dimensions.

Apart from providing one complete Web product to access all data and provide intelligent navigation between data sources, WebIntelligence 2.7 also provides full access to - and analysis of - leading online analytical processing (OLAP) servers, including Hyperion Essbase, IBM DB2 OLAP Server, Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services, and SAP BW.

The workflow is based on business needs, with the most common tasks performed by the majority of users available within one mouse click, and more advanced analytics popular with power users a few additional clicks away. This layered interface makes it easier for non-technical business users to analyse OLAP data with minimal training, enabling companies to quickly realise the business benefits of OLAP analysis.

"Users need to analyse data according to business needs, without being restricted by the location and format of the data," says Lawrence. WebIntelligence 2.7 has the ability to leverage the benefits of both relational and OLAP data sources and empowers the user to do just that.

"Historically, end-users have needed multiple tools to get the full picture. This is tedious and difficult, requiring skills that even power users lack, and puts a strain on IT staff who are forced to install and maintain multiple front-end tools that often only access a portion of the overall data sources," said Lawrence.

By enabling users to choose both relational and OLAP sources as the basis for their reports and analysis, WebIntelligence 2.7 helps them reduce the total cost of ownership and increase the return on investment of their BI system.

"Now a user can drill from any data in an interactive OLAP view straight to a supporting detailed report based on data in a relational or OLAP database. This reflects real-world needs, where OLAP analysis cubes and detailed relational feeder systems usually form part of the same application."

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Business Objects

Business Objects products include data integration tools, the industry`s leading integrated business intelligence platform, and a suite of enterprise analytic applications. Business Objects is the first to offer a complete BI solution that is composed of best-of-breed components, giving organisations the means to deploy end-to-end business intelligence to the enterprise, from data extraction to analytic applications.

Business Objects has more than 16 000 customers in over 80 countries. The company`s stock is publicly traded under the ticker symbols NASDAQ: BOBJ and Euronext Paris (Euroclear code 12074). It is included in the SBF 120 and IT CAC 50 French stock market indexes. Visit www.businessobjects.com for more information.

Editorial contacts

Ingrid Lotze
eCommunications
(011) 781 0097
ingrid@ecomms.co.za