IBM and Business Objects bundle wares
Published:22-October-2007
By BR staff writer
IBM and Business Objects deepened their relationship last Friday by signing a new joint development and cross-product distribution agreement for pre-integrated data warehousing and business intelligence.
Under the terms of the agreement Business Objects will distribute and resell IBM's DB2 Warehouse data warehousing platform with its XI and performance management software. Returning the favor, IBM will distribute a limited-use "starter" edition license of XI with its DB2 database and DB2 Warehouse products.
Ambuj Goyal, general manager of IBM's Information Management division, said the agreement will reinforce IBM's Inormation on Demand strategy, a broad initiative the company launched several years ago to help companies manage and treat escalating data volumes as a business asset.
"Customers are seeking ways to innovate and derive greater business value from their information. So we're extending our partnership with Business Objects to accelerate the introduction of new Information on Demand solutions to meet this challenge."
Business Objects has enjoyed a close relationship with IBM for over 12 years and the companies share over 5,000 customers.
Last November IBM and Business Objects cemented a new strategic development, marketing and channel alliance to bring a sharper global focus to its partnership and to better address mid-market customers.
But the nature of that relationship might change in the near future. Business Objects, which maintains dual headquarters in Paris, France and San Jose, California, is being bought by German business applications firm SAP for $6.8bn. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008.
