Business Objects Launches Data Integration Tools

Business Objects launched new tools for data federation and metadata management on Wednesday. Both tools are intended to improve the quality and consistency of information provided by business intelligence reporting systems by presenting data from multiple sources through a common interface.

The company expects such tools for enterprise information management (EIM) to play an important role in its future growth, it said.

One of the new tools, Data Federator XI, creates a virtual, integrated view of disparate data sources in real time, making it easier for users to examine sources of operational data, Business Objects said. The company already offers Data Integrator XI, a tool for physically integrating such data on a batch basis by extracting it from the original data sources, transforming it and loading it into a data warehouse.

The other new tool, Metadata Manager XI, allows systems administrators to analyze metadata collected from sources including business intelligence systems and relational databases, in order to explore data relationships and identify business rules. Such functions can be useful in compliance activities, as they can help managers identify the source and reliability of information, the company said.

Both products are now generally available, Business Objects said.

To accompany the new products, Business Objects also introduced a range of EIM services, including data integration and warehousing, or an analysis of customers’ existing systems. The range will also include support for partner companies to provide such services.

-Peter Sayer, IDG News Service

Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage.