Business Objects Introduces Business Intelligence Virtual Appliance

Business Wire, Sept 11, 2007

Building on Relationship With VMware, Business Objects Continues Open Appliance Momentum

SAN FRANCISCO -- Continuing the momentum created by its Open Appliance Initiative (OAI), Business Objects (Nasdaq:BOBJ) (Euronext Paris ISIN code: FR0004026250 - BOB), the world's leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, today introduced its first BI virtual appliance, a flexible and high-value solution designed to radically change how companies evaluate, deploy and manage their business intelligence solutions, making it even faster and easier to transform their businesses through intelligent information. The company is leveraging its relationship with VMware to offer the virtual BI appliance, which is planned to be available in the VMware Virtual Appliance Marketplace, as well as directly from Business Objects.

"We created the Open Appliance Initiative to give customers more flexible deployment options for their BI and data warehousing needs," said Todd Rowe, vice president and general manager, worldwide mid-market business at Business Objects. "Working with VMware, we are now expanding both the OAI program and the deployment options available to customers. The BI virtual appliance furthers our leadership in delivering innovative and high-value business intelligence solutions to companies of all sizes."

The Business Objects BI virtual appliance will deliver a pre-installed and pre-configured solution that dramatically reduces installation, configuration, and deployment time. Larger enterprise organizations will benefit from lower total costs associated with running multiple disparate data warehousing solutions independently, while the mid-market will benefit from pre-packaged, pre-integrated BI solutions that do not require enterprise-level IT competency. The virtual BI appliance, first in a series planned to be made available, will enable companies that have invested in a virtualization infrastructure to easily extend the benefits of Business Objects Crystal Decisions[R], Standard Edition throughout their organization.

Targeted at the specific needs of mid-size companies, the Business Objects Crystal Decisions virtual appliance will introduce companies to the benefits of intelligent reporting, ad hoc query and analysis, and dashboards. The solution provides the flexibility to deploy and use business intelligence to complement existing business applications, data sources, and platforms, and delivers insight in a single, affordable package.

"We are seeing increased adoption of virtualization among companies of all sizes, as it lowers overall technology cost of ownership, particularly with regard to acquiring, managing and maintaining business infrastructure," said Brian Byun, vice president of global partners and solutions at VMware. "By delivering a virtual appliance, Business Objects is embracing this fundamental shift and providing business intelligence capabilities to mid-market companies that have previously only been available to enterprise organizations."

The virtual BI appliance for Business Objects Crystal Decisions, Standard Edition is expected to be available to customers in Q1 2008. Business Objects also plans on making more virtual BI appliances available during 2008.

About Business Objects Open Appliance Initiative

Business Objects Open Appliance Initiative is designed to offer customers an array of business intelligence appliances that provide innovative and streamlined ways to deploy integrated BI and data warehousing solutions. With this initiative, customers will have the flexibility to choose the right mix of data warehouse and business intelligence technology to meet their specific business needs and maximize the value of their corporate data.

The Business Objects Open Appliance Initiative encompasses extensive technology integration, joint product development, and joint marketing activities with leading Technology and Solution Provider Partners. This industry-first partner network will work together to deliver cutting-edge BI appliances to the market. Technology Partners in the OAI include: DATAllegro, Greenplum, HP, IBM, Netezza, rPath, Teradata, a division of NCR, and VMware. Solution Provider Partners in the OAI include: Andrews Consulting Group, Brightlight Consulting, Data Management Group, and Headstrong.

About Business Objects

Business Objects has been a pioneer in business intelligence (BI) since the dawn of the category. Today, as the world's leading BI software company, Business Objects transforms the way the world works through intelligent information. The company helps illuminate understanding and decision-making at more than 44,000 organizations around the globe. Through a combination of innovative technology, global consulting and education services, and the industry's strongest and most diverse partner network, Business Objects enables companies of all sizes to make transformative business decisions based on intelligent, accurate, and timely information.

Business Objects has dual headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and Paris, France. The company's stock is traded on both the Nasdaq (BOBJ) and Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0004026250 - BOB) stock exchanges. More information about Business Objects can be found at www.businessobjects.com.