BI4.1 Overview EMEA Webcast Summary Highlights

Nick Wall of SAP provided this EMEA webcast last week.

Legal disclaimer applies that things for the future are subject to change.

While some of the content is covered in other slides, some of the slides I thought were new, so I thought I would share.

Also see SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.1 What’s New L2 which was recently updated by SAP today.

Figure 1: Source: SAP

Figure 1 shows that ramp-up started in May, only lasted 3 months,  very successful.

One customer is live with over 10,000 users

GA release is BI 4.1 SP1

Nick said it is a single suite, improved usability, improved collaboration

A single place for all of your data – Big Data like HANA, Hadoop, unstructured from Map Reduce – over 140 data sources in platform

It has enhanced migration tools to migrate tools to platform, and data sources

Figure 2

You can install a fresh 4.1 release or and update install if coming from 4.0

Figure 3: Source: SAP

Figure 3 shows “Lower TCO” with a new system configuration wizard that enables you to configure system in shortest time possible.

It offers command line configuration using script, upgrade management tool enhancements, and enhanced dependency checking

The multi tenancy feature allows for single installation of platform to control disparate deployments and improved auditing

SAP Jam is integrated with BI Platform

Figure 4: Source: SAP

Figure 4 covers semantic layer enhancements, including improved performance for BW, enhancements for HANA, automatic generation of universes from HANA, data federation features and new SDK’s

Figure 5: Source: SAP

With custom color palettes, the user can create their own color palettes, for consistency in reports

Freeze table headers feature is similar to Excel freeze function

Merged objects enhance the way we edit objects

Merge hierarchies feature can be used, even when they have different levels

Last 2 bullet points on Figure 4, you create and refresh reports and queries in BW

Figure 6: Source: SAP

You can select levels within nodes in SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence

Query stripping was developed for BW; it allows us to build report with all objects, but when run the report the only objects fetched from database are the ones that are actually needed

It is dynamic and refreshed

Figure 7: Source: SAP

BusinessObjects Explorer is “simple too to use”

4.1 allows you to use both universes

Under admin, this allows you to move information spaces from one universe to another

Figure 8: Source: SAP

Figure 8 shows support for offline Dashboards

You can download to desktop with current dataset

Figure 9: Source: SAP

With BI4.1 Analysis OLAP you can share your analysis out, with a single click to Design Studio and then you have a Dashboard browser

It has prompt handling improvement

Figure 10: Source: SAP

Web Intelligence uses the RESTful web services, as shown in Figure 10

Figure 11: Source: SAP

Nick said there is no change in end of life for Desktop Intelligence

With 4.1 SAP has moved DeskI into platform and use a DeskI client (see Figure 11)

It is still end of life 2017

Figure 12: Source: SAP

Figure 12 shows what is coming to Web Intelligence

Figure 13: Source: SAP

Lumira is SP11; SP12 comes new HTML5 interface.  Figure 13 is a summary of high level features.

Question & Answer:

Q: Are Dashboards available offline on BI Mobile app?

A: Yes

Q: Which versions of Design Studio are compatible with BI4?

A: 1.1 for sure

Related Links:

What is New in BusinessObjects – a SAP Public Sector Webcast Summary

Webcast: Transform Your Future with #SAP Advanced #Analytics – 9/24 – register here – it is open to everyone.

October 4 SAP Inside Track Newtown Square – join in -person or remotely; some sessions are BI-related.