Business Objects adds Linux to its BI Portfolio -- ADTmag

Business Objects adds Linux to its BI Portfolio

By ADT Staff
August 10, 2005

Business Objects announced yesterday that BusinessObjects XI, which includes Crystal Reports Server XI, now supports Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server platforms. To simplify deployment, BusinessObjects XI on Linux features guided installation and Web-based management, BO says.

"BusinessObjects XI on Linux…will help us expand our BI deployment while keeping hardware costs down," says Amy Miller, a senior data analyst at the University of Pennsylvania. "As with many universities, more and more of our application servers are on Linux. BusinessObjects XI on Linux will help us increase our return on investment on both our BI deployment and hardware," she says.

Business Objects is also launching a Linux version of Crystal Reports Server XI, its reporting solution for mid-market organizations. As mid-market organizations begin to deploy more diverse platforms and computing environments, Crystal Reports Server XI on Linux offers them a packaged reporting platform that is supported and easy to manage, BO says.

"There is a rising interest in Linux-based business intelligence solutions, and over the next 5 years we expect to see Linux drive significant growth in BI revenues," says Dan Vesset, research director for analytics and data warehousing software at IDC.

"Based on IDC's 2004 published data, Business Objects continues to be the market-share leader for business intelligence tools,” Vesset says. “With the launch of BusinessObjects XI on Linux…Business Objects has extended its reach in the BI market and provided additional support for organizations with mixed computing environments."