The SAP BusinessObjects platform continues to set the standard for enterprise-level business intelligence and analytics. In their newest release (slated for this year), SAP has simplified and integrated the multiple tools and features of the BO platform into a streamlined set of offerings that still manages to serve the widest spectrum of business intelligence and analytics needs. These offerings are aligned around four key areas: Data Discovery and Analytics Applications (Lumira 2.0), Office integration (Analysis Office), and Reporting (Web Intelligence and Crystal Reports). All four areas will be integrated by way of common platform services, interoperability, and self-service capabilities. And of course, the BI platform itself will be enhanced and expanded to incorporate the management of all areas of reporting and analytics, as well as integration with SAP HANA and the cloud enterprise landscape.
Here are a few of the many highlights of what to expect from SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.2:
The BI Platform
User notifications, allowing administrative alerts to individuals or groups directly within the LaunchPad portal.
The addition of a Recycle Bin enables the recovery of deleted content.
User commentary on all objects, controlled by administrative rights.
Administrator Cockpit - visual dashboard reporting on instance activity, job status, etc.
Expanded Audit activity to include Web Services clients and improved scalability to accommodate larger numbers of users and events.
Web Intelligence
Parallel queries can be enabled to speed up delivery of nested sub-queries and query-based filters.
"Big number" measures with decimal precision up to 40 digits.
Add, remove and modify "post-it" style comments within a WebI document.
Re-use and share individual report elements . . . a huge time-saver!
Native geo-mapping, incorporating geo-dimensional hierarchies and new geo-based charting.
Incorporate third-party visualizations to empower the charting engine.
Direct access to SAP HANA Views, bypassing the query panel and the semantic layer.
Semantic Layer
Linked universes are back, with core and derived UNX universes.
Authored SAP BEx universes conform BW sources to the standard BO universe platform.
Crystal Reports for Enterprise
Vertical alignment of text.
QR code and bar code generation.
Waterfall charting.
Direct to data enhancements, including sources such as SAP HANA, Netezza, Teradata, Sybase, et al.
Analysis for OLAP
Improved connectivity to SAP HANA
Alias table support for Oracle Essbase
Stay tuned for more updates on what these changes look like for new and existing SAP BusinessObjects users.
Are the new features in SAP BusinessObjects 4.2 right for you?
Don't fall behind. Learn about the benefits of the upgrade to SAP BusinessObjects 4.2 from an experienced team of senior consultants. Ask about our SAP BusinessObjects upgrade kit to ensure you have all the facts to build a case and prove the value. Contact us today to discuss your SAP BusinessObjects 4.2 upgrade plan.
