One year after talks began between Microsoft Corp. and channel partner NexVue Analytics Corp. - a business analytics software provider for the mid-market - the pair have collaborated on a new business intelligence product for Microsoft Dynamics SL called Business Intelligence Optimization."I think we're going to have a very interesting offering for the mid-market that is typically not available for them," said Eric de Jager, director of Microsoft Dynamics SL. "The costs, as well as the level of complexity, tend to be out of reach for them."
NexVue Information Systems started research and development on the BIO application roughly three years ago. The company then split in two, with the NexVue Analytics Corp. unit geared specifically towards business analytics development.
Microsoft then stepped in last year to help with the development and became partners on the solution.
Set for a June release, BIO is available in three modules: BIO Foundation, at $3,600 for two licensing seats; BIO Advanced, for $4,000; and BIO Extender, for $3,500.
BIO Foundation is the financial analytics module, delivering customizable scorecards for 14 distinguishable roles, i.e. a chief financial officer, chief executive officer etc. The information presented on the scorecards can be drilled into, showing the underlying data, said de Jager. All together, those 14 roles offer 60 different perspectives that the user can customize with some knowledge of SQL cubes and tools.
BIO Advanced creates customizable scorecards for distribution, project management and field services.
For those unfamiliar with how to work with SQL, BIO Extender can be purchased for an additional cost as an assistant in modifying the scorecards.
Reports generated in BIO Foundation or Advanced can be viewed in Microsoft Word and Excel, and Microsoft Office SharePoint Services and Scorecard Manager, as well as in Dynamics SL.
