Business Objects Upgrades Integration Platform

Business intelligence software maker Business Objects enhanced its integration platform with data management improvements and functionality that allows users of Crystal Decisions technology to build data marts from the information within their documents.

Data Integrator 6.5, announced Tuesday, provides a Data Mart Accelerator that lets the former customers of Crystal Decisions move data they now store Crystal Reports into data marts. Business Objects acquired former competitor Crystal Decisions in December.

Through an OEM partnership with Firstlogic, also announced Tuesday, Business Objects' new tool lets developers use a single interface to correct and standardize data. Data Integrator 6.5 includes built-in profiling capabilities that give designers a visual representation of source data through the extract, transform and load process.

Business Objects also upgraded its ability to support grid computing. Its new integration technology allows customers to optimize available computing resources by sending new job requests to the least-utilized machine, Business Objects said. The capability is designed to let users work around server failures.

Data Integrator 6.5 is available now on Microsoft Windows, HP UX, Sun Solaris and IBM AIX. Data Mart Accelerator for Crystal Reports is scheduled for availability in May.