State of Alaska Standardizes on BusinessObjects XI Release 2

Business Intelligence and Enterprise Information Management Solutions from Business Objects Create One Version of the Truth for Alaska Division of Finance

SAN JOSE, Calif. - October 3, 2006 - Business Objects (Nasdaq: BOBJ; Euronext Paris ISIN code: FR0004026250 - BOB), the world's leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, today announced that the State of Alaska's Division of Finance has selected BusinessObjects™ XI Release 2 as its business intelligence standard. The Alaska Division of Finance, which provides accounting, payroll, and disbursement services for state government, will use BusinessObjects XI Release 2 to improve operational efficiency. In addition, the agency selected Business Objects Enterprise Information Management (EIM) solutions to ensure data consistency and accuracy.

The Division of Finance manages accountability for the State of Alaska's financial resources and provides a variety of services and resources to State agencies and the public. The Division needed a BI solution that could consolidate data from a variety of sources into one, accurate version of the truth. Previously, financial and human resource data resided in disparate legacy systems and Excel spreadsheets created and maintained across the State. Since the Division is planning to transition some of these older legacy systems to a new enterprise-wide IT infrastructure, they needed a solution that was flexible enough to straddle all systems and applications.

"The BusinessObjects XI Release 2 was the solution that best met our business requirements," said Kim Garnero, director at the Division of Finance for the State of Alaska. "Business Objects provides the core BI capabilities we needed – reporting, query, and analysis – and combines it with a backend that ensures our data is absolutely current, correct, and secure. We're looking forward to increased visibility of our information for management purposes, as well as efficiency in our operations."

After conducting a competitive search, the evaluation committee chose BusinessObjects XI Release 2 over other BI vendors. The Division of Finance will use Web Intelligence to provide authorized employees with customizable, self-service reporting capabilities. Web Intelligence, the leading web-based query and analysis solution, increases the organization's transparency and enables managers to gain real-time visibility into their operations. For example, a state manager can monitor their budget on a daily basis so they know exactly where their finances stand.

The Division of Finance is also looking forward to a faster reporting process. Previously, it took staff hundreds of hours to create and maintain human resources reports. Managers had to spend time each day updating a report that indicated vacancy by position. With BusinessObjects XI Release 2 these reports can be scheduled and automatically generated, which will save time and improve accuracy.

The Division of Finance also selected Business Objects because its EIM solutions are seamlessly integrated with the BusinessObjects XI Release 2 platform. The Division needed to ensure that they could consolidate data from disparate sources that went back as far as 1990. These data sources needed to be pulled into one, consistent version of the truth, which the Division recognized was the first step to creating a successful BI deployment. The Division will use BusinessObjects Data Integrator to bring together information from statewide systems for accounting, payroll, and human resources. BusinessObjects Metadata Manager will allow data to be traced back to its source to ensure its accuracy and resolve any discrepancies.

"Public sector customers continue to embrace BusinessObjects XI Release 2 for its simplicity and superior functionality," said Jay Johnson, vice president of the Government Business Unit at Business Objects. "With increased pressure on state and local agencies to run like businesses, these organizations need business intelligence solutions that allow all employees to take an active role in improving performance. As the State of Alaska has recognized, trustworthy data is the foundation to any successful BI strategy. That's why so many public agencies are choosing Business Objects EIM solutions as the first step in their BI deployments."

About State of Alaska
Alaska is the 49th state, joining the union in 1959. At 570,374 square miles, it is the largest state by area, approximately one-fifth the size of the continental United States. The state government serves its 640,000 residents from the capital in Juneau, as well as from offices geographically dispersed all across the state. More information on the State of Alaska is available at www.state.ak.us.

About Business Objects, an SAP company

Business Objects has been a pioneer in business intelligence (BI) since the dawn of the category. Today, as the world's leading BI software company, Business Objects transforms the way the world works through intelligent information. The company helps illuminate understanding and decision-making at more than 46,000 organizations around the globe. Through a combination of innovative technology, global consulting and education services, and the industry's strongest and most diverse partner network, Business Objects enables companies of all sizes to make transformative business decisions based on intelligent, accurate, and timely information.

Business Objects has dual headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and Paris, France. The company's stock is traded on both the Nasdaq (BOBJ) and Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0004026250 - BOB) stock exchanges. More information about Business Objects can be found at www.businessobjects.com.

Business Objects and the Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects and Crystal Reports are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects in the United States and/or other countries. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

More press releases