 The already widespread deployment of Excel, coupled with the fact that Office Connect client can work with even Excel 97 on a Win95 platform, makes an excellent ROI for any distributed business application that can be built using Excel against enterprise databases. This is one factor customers need to consider when selecting Office Connect: If a customer has gone through the cost and trouble of installing and learning Excel, then why even upgrade Excel or switch to a product that may provide flashy features they don't need at the expense of higher costs and learning curves involved? IBM Office Connect 4.0: - Enables development of powerful BI applications just using Excel
- Binds Excel worksheets to databases for read and write capability
- Integrate multiple data sources in the same Excel application
- Allows creation of master detail and QBE scenarios
- Offers intuitive wizards and drag-and-drop interfaces that follow Excel's existing paradigm
- Leverages Excel's native functionality such as pivot tables, macros or functions
- Allows spreadsheet distribution to enterprise users to enable secure and role based (SSL and LDAP) access to databases over the web
- Java based application server runs inside any J2EE compliant web server
- Office Connect Web Client installs and upgrades silently over the web
- Certified against most of the popular databases including, DB2/UDB, DB2/390, Informix (all shades), MS Access, Oracle and Sybase
Business Benefits for Business Users and Knowledge Workers Minimal learning curve - Leverages the organization's existing skills and comfort with spreadsheet technology
- Uses drag-and-drop/point-and-click technology for managing enterprise data from within a spreadsheet
Higher return on investment (ROI) - Extends the organization's existing investment in office automation tools (Excel)
- Simplifies the deployment and distribution of reports (over an intranet and the internet)
- Simplifies the development and deployment of business-to-employee (B2E) and other data input applications such as human resources forms, budget planning forms, etc.
- Provides the missing link between existing spreadsheet solutions and databases
Improved decision making capabilities, response times and flexibility - Processes large volumes of database and other data source information for real-time access
- Reduces dependency on the MIS/IT organization to develop and deploy custom reports and applications
- Reduces dependency on complex third and fourth generation programming and reporting languages
- Makes the domain expert (Excel power user) the application developer
Reduced risk - Spreadsheets are centrally managed, with simple access control mechanisms
- Corporate data is maintained in a database, not the spreadsheet
- Collaborative, multiuser access is managed to prevent duplicate "master" spreadsheets
- Eliminates bugs introduced by extensive macros needed to provide even limited database access from Excel
Improved anywhere/anytime access - Permits remote access from any desktop PC running Excel over the intranet/internet
- Allows disconnected updates and data synchronization
- Highly scalable to grow with organization needs
Business benefits (for the MIS/IT organizations) Reduced risk and improved application of best practices - Complex analytical models and queries can be developed, tested, audited and deployed within the database server (instead of within the spreadsheet), and are made available to all spreadsheet users/applications.
- Changes to analytical models and queries are therefore tightly controlled and consistently deployed.
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