WebFOCUS Offers Unique Tools For Extended Information Delivery

Extended applications represent the fastest growing market for business intelligence applications in the years ahead, as software developers uncover new domains of analysis and reporting that are not being exploited today. In some cases the implications are dramatic, particularly when a self-service application yields a competitive advantage � such as a new way to initiate and solidify relationships with customers.

WebFOCUS is an ideal tool for creating these self-service applications, either on the public Web or within the confines of a corporate intranet. With a single infrastructure for query, analysis, enterprise-wide report distribution, and external information delivery, WebFOCUS allows organizations to deliver real-time information at the point of business.

According to Dave Sandel, senior vice president of the Business Intelligence Product Group at Information Builders, there are six primary differentiators that make WebFOCUS ideal for building extended, self service applications:

1. WebFOCUS was built for the Internet from the ground up � WebFOCUS is not simply layered on top of a client/server architecture, like other business intelligence tools on the market. This means there is no software for end-users to install, and a rapid learning curve for most applications.Thanks to its true thin-client orientation, authorized users simply need a standard Web browser to access WebFOCUS resources. �This is a prerequisite for selfservice applications,� Sandel explains. �All the user needs is a URL and a password to get into most of these public information systems.�

For example, allowing automotive dealers to interact with warranty data in an ad-hoc fashion, as Ford has enabled, typically requires client-side software. But Ford didn�t want to burden its dealers with any special software on their computers. WebFOCUS was the answer, since it delivers powerful interactivity but demands no more of dealers than an ordinary Web browser.

2. WebFOCUS is fast and inherently scalable � When complex queries are submitted, WebFOCUS only sends the answer set to the requesting user, minimizing network congestion. This serverbased architecture not only minimizes network traffic, but also is easy to scale. WebFOCUS applications can be installed on many types and sizes of servers, with inherent support for load balancing and fail-over.

3. WebFOCUS has unique integration capabilities � With direct access to more than 80 types of data � including legacy transaction systems and enterprise resource planning (ERP) data � WebFOCUS does not force developers to write special code to extract unique data types. An advanced point-and-click development environment makes it easy to construct pull-down lists and drill-down scenarios, and WebFOCUS even preserves the context of drill downs for several levels � commonly called knowledge mapping. �If the user moves from A to B to C, WebFOCUS maintains the context so that the results the user seeks in C reflect where he came from in A,� Sandel explains. �This is unique among business intelligence tools.�

WebFOCUS developers can use a graphical design tool to organize information into a customized portal-like user interface that requires only a browser for access.WebFOCUS applications can also be easily integrated with popular third-party portal environments from Computer Associates, Plumtree, IBM and other vendors.

4. WebFOCUS is backed by a mature fourth-generation language (4GL) � Some information delivery applications have a continually changing set of requirements, necessitating complex data processing behind the scenes. A prime example is the Bank Book Reconstruct application created by RBC Financial Group, which creates personal banking statements from six years of transactions in response to simple user qualifications. (See related story elsewhere in this issue.)

�WebFOCUS includes a 4GL to tackle really complex problems that a graphical user interface can�t handle,� says Sandel.

5. WebFOCUS can create named-user environments with multiple levels of security � Another unique aspect of WebFOCUS is User Administration Services, a utility that makes it easy for developers to set up the overall look and feel of any application � who gets the information, when they get, how they get it, and so forth. User Administration Services can also be used to identify the correct security infrastructure and apply it to each reporting application: database security, roll-based security, user-level security, and so forth. For example, Administaff used WebFOCUS to give external users secure access to personnel-related reports on payroll, employee benefits and other types of human resources information.The company, which provides personnel management services to small and medium-sized businesses throughout the United States, created an information delivery system that supports thousands of client companies and tens of thousands of worksite employees.

�We provide a wide range of information to our clients,� explains John Sheridan, applications manager at Administaff. �WebFOCUS allows us to create a reporting system that expands the functionality for users.�

Because WebFOCUS uses the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) to support single sign-on, Administaff was able to simplify user authorization among multiple systems. �We can pull in security tables from other sources, as well as take advantage of database-level and OS-level security functions,� says Dennis Cooper, director of business systems at Administaff. �This gives us lots of flexibility for authorizing users and protecting sensitive data.�

6. WebFOCUS supports a diversity of report distribution capabilities, output formats and end-user platforms, including wireless devices � If an organization needs to distribute ten different versions of the same report to ten different people, most business intelligence tools force it to run that report ten different times. WebFOCUS runs the report once then uses an automatic bursting mechanism to distribute it to each user based on his or her security profile, access permissions and so forth. This is a more efficient use of network resources.

With WebFOCUS, users can select the output format as well, whether that means a PDF file in Adobe Acrobat format, an e-mail attachment, simple HTML text, or direct input into an Excel spreadsheet. Built-in integration with mobile computing platforms enables WebFOCUS both to push critical information to wireless devices and to pull information from production information systems via e-mail. �Our goal is to enhance the service we offer to clients,� concludes Sheridan. �WebFOCUS makes that easy to do. It gives users the flexibility to create the types of reports they need and present the data in a meaningful way.�

David Baum is a freelance business writer based in Santa Barbara, Calif.