In This Issue:

Excitement Builds for IBIS 2007

Distributed Dashboards in Demand

I-Card Plus: Pay-as-you-Use BusinessObjects Expertise

Ask the Expert - Your Business Intelligence Questions Answered

Special Offers for July 2007

  • FREE "Xcelsius for Dummies" Book

    Up and Coming Events

  • July 29 - August 1:
  • IBIS 2007 - Register Now for the Premier BusinessObjects and Crystal Training Event of the Year!

    • Excitement Builds for IBIS 2007

     

    The 2007 InfoSol Business Intelligence Seminar (IBIS) is once again shaping up to be the top BusinessObjects and Crystal education and knowledge exchange event of the year.

    New hands-on workshops for Web Intelligence and Crystal, that go beyond the certified courses, are being offered to help you develop advanced report development skills. Data Integrator and InfoBurst/Xcelsius workshops are also featured for the first time, along with a comprehensive seminar for BusinessObjects administrators and managers on Optimizing your XI R2 Environment.

    Business Objects will be the principle partner sponsor of IBIS 2007 and will be showcasing their EIM (Executive Information Management) solutions. In addition to the training workshops, there will be demonstrations during the breaks and evening receptions highlighting the latest product and solution offerings from InfoSol and its partners. These will include exclusive, first-time previews of new Business Intelligence solutions and a unique glimpse of the potential future of BI.

    Best of all, IBIS provides one of the best forums for exchanging information with your peers, as well as BI developers and specialists.

    The event is limited to 150 people in order to maintain the optimal environment for effective learning and knowledge exchange.

    There are still some seats left, so it is not too late to register, and remember the registration price INCLUDES 3 nights luxury accommodations at The Ritz-Carlton, meals, events and workshops, so it is also likely the best value event of the year too.

    To register click here.

    For more information on IBIS 2007 click here.

     

    Distributed Dashboards in Demand

    Dashboards are hot right now. They are quickly becoming the preferred choice for the user interface for many Business Intelligence applications everywhere. The ability to visualize key data in a way that is easy to understand, requires no training and allows you to compare and extrapolate using "What If?" scenarios is empowering executives, managers and key personnel to make business decisions quickly and effectively.

    As more companies deploy Dashboards, they are looking for versatile and cost-effective ways to do this. The capability of Xcelsius to publish a dashboard with its associated data into commodity formats like PDF, Powerpoint, Word and Exchange (e-mail) solves part of the deployment issue, but the function to automate, distribute and publish these dashboards is currently not available in the BusinessObjects Enterprise product suite. In order to overcome this, more businesses are turning to InfoBurst-XDS, which does provide the automated dashboard refresh and distribution functionality.

    Using InfoBurst-XDS, it is possible to automatically schedule and distribute Xcelsius dashboards in the same way as, and along with, BusinessObjects and Crystal reports. The dashboards can be distributed in their native format or in any of their supported publish formats, like a Word document, Powerpoint or PDF document. They can also be distributed via e-mail, either embedded in the e-mail, or as an attachment. It also supports the distribution of disconnected, or connected dashboards that can be automatically refreshed, or refreshed on demand, from the live data source. InfoBurst-XDS also supports automated, scheduled refreshing of connected Xcelsius dashboards through BusinessObjects, Web Intelligence or Crystal Reports, in addition to refresh through direct SQL or a stored procedure. This provides effective, real-time refresh when required.

    Click here to see this dashboard in action.

    For more information on Xcelsius-XDS click here.

    For a free web cast and trial of Xcelsius-XDS click here.

     

    I-Card Plus: Pay-as-you-Use BusinessObjects Expertise

    About 6 years ago, InfoSol launched a new Business Intelligence service offering that allowed customers to purchase blocks of hours that they could schedule to use for almost any kind of BusinessObjects service. The hours could be used in quantities as small as 1 hour remotely and 4 hours on-site and were valid for up to 12 months. The hours were pre-purchased and the more that you bought, the cheaper the hourly rate. Today this service, known as I-Card, is InfoSol's most popular offering.

    Due to its success to customer requests for additional options, InfoSol has created a new service offering called I-Card Plus. Like the I-Card offering, I-Card Plus allows customers to book blocks of hours to use for almost any BusinessObjects or Crystal service. But instead of pre-purchasing a block of hours, you select an estimated annual amount of hours and you are billed monthly at a discounted rate for only the hours used during that month. In addition, hours used outside of normal business hours (evenings and weekends) are charged at the same I-Card Plus rate and not at a premium rate as for the I-Card.

    The new pay-as-you-use and 24 hour same rate coverage make I-Card Plus a very attractive option to companies that have unpredictable, but frequent, service needs. The rate for I-Card Plus hours is more expensive than I-Card, but still very competitive.

    For more information on I-Card or I-Card Plus click here.

    Ask the Expert - Your Business Intelligence Questions Answered

    BusinessObjects Q&A

    QUESTION:
    In Web Intelligence, can you use pictures as a background for cells, e.g. to insert a logo?

    ANSWER:
     Yes! The options are...

    Click here to view full tech tip...

     

    Crystal Reports Q&A

    QUESTION:
    My DBA recently updated one of the tables I use in a Crystal Report with a new field I would like to use in the report, but I do not see the field in the Field Explorer?

    ANSWER:
     You need to update the Crystal Report with these changes by doing the following steps...

    Click here to view full tech tip...

    Submit your questions to the InfoSol expert by e-mailing infosol@infosol.com. Also, check out our BusinessObjects and Crystal Reports technical tips by visiting our web site.

    Special Offers for July 2007

    FREE "Xcelsius for Dummies" Book

    Xcelsius is the most exciting and versatile data visualization tool in use today, allowing almost anyone to quickly and easily create amazing, animated dashboards.

    To help you see for yourself how good a tool it is and how easy it is to use, InfoSol is continuing its free give away of the "Xcelsius for Dummies" book.

    To get your free copy, just click one of the options below.

    1. Request a free web cast demonstration of Xcelsius click here.
    2. Request a free 30-day trial of Xcelsius click here.
    3. Buy a desktop copy of Xcelsius Professional for just $495 click here.
    		 
     
    Up and Coming Events
     

    IBIS 2007 - Register Now!

    IBIS 2007: July 29 - August 1, 2007 at The Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas

    InfoSol’s Business Intelligence Seminar (IBIS) delivers an effective combination of Certified BusinessObjects training courses, knowledge exchange seminars and management workshops to help you get the most out of your business intelligence deployment.

    IBIS 2007 TRACKS
    View full synopses click here.
    Download synopses click here.

    TRACK 1: Web Intelligence
    Learn to access, analyze, and share corporate data using BusinessObjects InfoView and Web Intelligence. The workshop will include Report Requirements, Functions, Universe Concepts, and Data Warehouse Concepts.

    TRACK 2: Web Intelligence Advanced
    Learn to apply alternative query and reporting techniques when creating complex Web Intelligence documents. The workshop will include Advanced Concepts, Functions, and Tips and Tricks.

    TRACK 3: Crystal Reports
    Learn to plan and create efficient reports, understand formulas, variables, arrays, templates, parameters, summaries, and sections.

    TRACK 4: Crystal Reports Advanced
    Understand report processing, formulas, custom functions and subreports. The advanced workshop will include Joins, Security for Business Views, Row Level Security, Creation of Custom Functions, Scheduled LOV's, Troubleshooting Report Issues, and Improving Report Performance.

    TRACK 5: Data Integrator
    Learn to design efficient ETL projects to enable users to generate concise information from multiple data sources.

    TRACK 6: Deploying Dashboards with Xcelsius and InfoBurst
    Learn to design and build dashboards using Xcelsius, and understand how dashboards can be managed and distributed using InfoBurst.

    TRACK 7: Introduction to Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing, and BusinessObjects
    Attend this dynamic and interactive seminar to find out why Business Intelligence is a critical and essential component in so many businesses today.

    TRACK 8: Optimizing and Managing your XI R2 Environment
    Gain knowledge of Security Options. Auditing and Optimization, Optimal Configuration and Set-Up, and Troubleshooting. Additionally, there will be Customer Case Studies and a Round Table Panel Discussion.

    PRE-SEMINAR CLASSES:

    • BusinessObjects Designer 6.5 in a Day
    • Introduction to Crystal Xcelsius
    • XI R2 Migration in a Day
    • Introduction to Version Manager
    • Introduction to InfoBurst - BI Report Distribution Solution

    REGISTRATION IS JUST $1,795 AND INCLUDES:

    • 3 Days of Training, Knowledge Exchange and Workshops 
    • 3 Nights of Luxury Accommodations at The Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas Resort
    • Group Meals, Evening Receptions, and More...

    Register on-line now or call InfoSol at 623.707.7600 ext. 106.

    InfoSol Inc.
    1831 W. Rose Garden Lane, Suite 8
    Phoenix, Arizona  85027
    623.707.7600

     
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