Business intelligence software suppliers MicroStrategy,
Actuate and QlikTech are reinforcing their reporting tools with
simplified deployment, centralised management and better data
presentation.
MicroStrategy will unveil its Report Services this week, which
are designed to simplify the deployment of BI apps to employees,
customers and suppliers.
The tool's web interface will allow users to receive
personalised versions of reports such as scorecards, managed
metrics and invoices, as well as statements for customers.
The design interface will allow users to create reports without
programming or outside help and can be delivered to the web,
networked printers, e-mail file servers and portals.
Universal Pictures has been using a beta version of
MicroStrategy’s technology for 250 employees in its
home-entertainment division.
Users have analysed a wide variety of information more
thoroughly, such as sales and return data and inventory and
advertising costs, said Laura Paoletti, senior director of IT at
Universal's home-entertainment division.
“We’re able to present the information in a format that is
usable over the web or the desktop. User-defined web reporting
allows completely personalised versions of reports," Paoletti
said.
Earlier this month, Actuate unveiled an enhanced version of its
MAO (Multi-Application Option), designed to allow enterprises to
centralise BI by managing multiple applications on a single
platform architecture.
Regional transportation company Pitt Ohio Express is using
Actuate’s MAO to centralise BI for both internal users and
customers and to ensure the accuracy of its reports delivered to
2,000 users daily, said Kent Szalla, IT corporate business systems
manager.
“Transactional systems cannot make assumptions on trends because
a lot of data is purged just so a transaction can go through,”
Szalla said.
“We have some power business users who might run a report, and
IT might run a report; and they get two different answers. If that
gets in the hands of a customer, it is a bad thing.”
But with centralised BI, the company can standardise answers to
queries while enforcing security policies and deflecting the impact
of multiple report requests from users so that systems do not go
down.
QlikTech has also rolled out the latest version of its QlikView
6.02 BI software designed to give thin web clients ad hoc reporting
capabilities and enhanced dashboard and collaborative features.
"A lot of these suppliers are finally realising that the broader
market is in more standardised reporting capabilities," said Wayne
Eckerson, dorector of research at The Datawarehousing Institute.
"All people really want is reporting with just a little bit of Olap
underneath - a drillable report."
Heather Havenstein writes for Infoworld