BusinessObjects XI Release 2 Productivity Suite, available during H1 2007, helps customers find information to improve business performance. It offers BI to users "where and how they work," whether customers start from a search box, Microsoft Office document, or business process management platform.
- Business Intelligence Search: New search features enable users to retrieve business information from their Business Objects environment including Crystal reports, Web Intelligence, or Dashboard Manager. In addition, users can search data directly, generating completely new Web Intelligence reports.
- BusinessObjects Voyager: Productivity Suite includes a new tool designed specifically for business analysts who rely on OLAP data, enabling them to bring together and view OLAP data from multiple sources all from within the Business Objects platform.
- BusinessObjects Live Office: BusinessObjects Live Office allows customers to use BI securely within Microsoft Office applications. An updated version of the utility will deliver BI to users outside the corporate firewall. If Microsoft Office applications are posted on an extranet, authorized users can interact with secure, real-time information from within Microsoft applications. For example, a shipping company can post an Excel spreadsheet of all deliveries on its extranet and whenever data changes in BusinessObjects XI Release 2, information in the spreadsheet is automatically updated and distributed to authorized users.
- Query as a Web-Service: Productivity Suite includes a wizard-driven interface that enables customers to design queries and publish them as Web services without writing any code.
- Operational BI: Operational BI delivers real-time data to users within daily business processes. With query as a Web service, Business Objects will provide enhanced integration with business process management (BPM) solutions. For example, a procurement manager can use BI within a BPM application to monitor how well vendors are delivering against their contracts.