Business Objects Announces New Data Visualization Solution for BusinessObjects XI Release 2

Crystal Xcelsius Viewer Allows Organizations to Create Interactive Presentations with Unparalleled Simplicity, Security, and Data Connectivity

SAN JOSE, Calif. and PARIS - July 11, 2006 - Business Objects (Nasdaq: BOBJ; Euronext Paris ISIN code: FR0004026250 - BOB), the world's leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, today announced the availability of Crystal Xcelsius™ Viewer, a new solution that helps customers visualize their business information. The product integrates Crystal Xcelsius, the award-winning data visualization solution acquired from Infommersion, with BusinessObjects™ XI Release 2, the industry's most advanced and complete BI platform. Crystal Xcelsius Viewer enables customers to turn static information into dynamic charts, graphs, and interactive "what-if" scenarios while maintaining live connectivity to their data.

"Most people process information much more quickly when it's presented graphically versus numerically," said Dan Vesset, research director at IDC. "Data visualization is a key to unlocking the power of information to improve information delivery for decision support and performance management. By adding these capabilities to BusinessObjects XI Release 2, Business Objects continues to make BI accessible to more people."

With Crystal Xcelsius Viewer, customers using BusinessObjects XI Release 2 can interact with visual models that clearly present complex business data. The new solution features a simple-to-use interface which allows customers to easily work with data and test out future scenarios. For example, a sales executive can illustrate sales information for different products across various vertical markets and regions in a visually compelling format. Then the executive could demonstrate how decreasing inventory for a particular product line might affect their northeast regional sales. Because these visual models stay connected to data sources, the model can be constantly refreshed to guarantee up-to-date insight.

Crystal Xcelsius Viewer takes advantage of features in the BusinessObjects XI Release 2 platform, including industry-leading security and Web Services. Security capabilities in the platform ensure that only pre-determined users can build or access consoles. Web Services helps maintain live data connectivity between visual models and any corporate data source.

The new data visualization solution enhances the promise of simplicity in BusinessObjects XI Release 2 and extends BI solutions to more users. For example, Crystal Xcelsius Viewer allows authorized users to easily move from high-level visual displays to more detailed reports provided by BusinessObjects Web Intelligence XI, the web-based query and analysis product. Because Crystal Xcelsius Viewer is tightly integrated with BusinessObjects XI Release 2, users can select report criteria from directly within the visualization, which are fed into the platform and automatically generate Web Intelligence reports.

Customers using BusinessObjects XI Release 2 can also combine Crystal Xcelsius Viewer with BusinessObjects Dashboard Manager, a solution which monitors performance across an organization. This allows users to add interactive functionality to dashboards so that they can conduct "what if" scenarios that help predict outcomes of new business initiatives.

"With this latest innovative solution, Business Objects continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with business intelligence," said Donald MacCormick, vice president of product marketing at Business Objects. "By adding advanced data visualization capabilities to BusinessObjects XI Release 2, the industry's most complete and advanced platform just got one step better. The platform continues to break the mold for end-user simplicity and delivering BI to customers when and how they work."

For more information on Crystal Xcelsius Viewer, please visit: www.businessobjects.com/releases/datavisualization

Today Business Objects also announced extended data connectivity of Crystal Xcelsius Workgroup to Microsoft Reporting Services. For more information please visit: www.businessobjects.com/releases/xcelsius_connectivity

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.

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The Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports, Intelligent Question, and Xcelsius 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.

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