Hyperion Taps Multiple Sources For More Smarts

Hyperion Solutions Corp. is boosting the business-intelligence capabilities of its products through reseller and technology-development deals. Hyperion plans to resell Sagent Technology Inc.'s data-extraction, transformation, and presentment technology, giving users expanded abilities to tap into multiple data sources, including relational databases and operational applications. Hyperion and Crystal Decisions last week unveiled a deal to integrate Hyperion's Essbase online analytical-processor software with Crystal Decisions' reporting, analysis, and information-delivery applications, including Crystal Reports and Crystal Enterprise, and resell them as integrated business-intelligence systems.

Hyperion also unveiled a new release of its Financial Management software. New in version 2.0 are full European statutory reporting capabilities, a graphical rules builder, Web data-entry forms, enhanced security, and improved process-management features. Pricing starts at $200,000 for a 10-user license. "The performance is better, and the multidimensional analysis aspects of the product are a huge benefit," says Geordan Drummond, senior financial-systems specialist with Lincoln Financial Group in Philadelphia, a financial-services firm installing the software.