By Nathan Dukes
SAP will cater for casual users with their new software-as-a-service business intelligence tool, SAP BusinessObjects BI OnDemand.
With a focus on ease of use, the solution is a complete BI toolset with functionality to assist new users to get up and running with little to no prior experience or training.
The solution brings together all SaaS BI solutions from the SAP BusinessObjects portfolio into a complete, integrated BI toolset.
SAP said there was a need in the market for a solution which catered to users who weren’t familiar with SAP.
‘Targeted at casual BI users currently underserved by products on the market, the solution will deliver a complete BI toolset in one flexible offering,’ the company said in a statement.
‘Even casual users can then combine that data in just a few clicks, and follow a guided path that walks them through reporting and analysis.’
SAP plans to make BI OnDemand available through its PartnerEdge program in the channel partner ecosystem later this year.
SAP said the on demand configuration allows customers to go to one vendor for all their on-premise and on-demand BI needs, rather than having to assemble a patchwork approach to their BI deployments.
The solution will also include capabilities that allow business users to tap into their data online, get insight into their organisation and securely share illustrative reports and dashboards with colleagues inside and outside the firewall.
“Current market trends show strong demand for SaaS BI tools that are easy to use and acquire, and IDC research expects the SaaS BI market to grow three times faster than the overall BI and analytics market over the next five years,” said Dan Vesset, program vice president, Business Analytics, IDC.
“As organisations look for intuitive, cloud-based solutions that can empower their end-users, applications that supplement traditional BI functionality of query, reporting and analysis with support for workflow, search and collaboration will become increasingly attractive to them – especially applications that offer rapid, alternative deployment options.”
BI OnDemand will also include a flexible pricing model, allowing customers to try and use the product, and easily scale their deployment as necessary.
Three editions are planned that range from a comprehensive version with limited storage to one with more advanced capabilities and the ability to handle larger data volumes.
