Business Objects SA is not the only query decision tool vendor crossing the analytical processing divide. Mountain View, California-based Brio Technology Inc released its BrioQuery Enterprise desktop analytical processing decision support tool last month (CI No 2,857). However, a Business Objects spokesperson claims analytical processing rival Brio has missed out key hierarchy metadata. What I would ask Brio, is how does it capture hierarchy metadata? Brio’s solution is a desktop solution aimed at Enterprise Information-type reporting, he said. We did. Brio claims that constructing the Business Object unified metadata repository requires long term consultancy. What happens when it needs to be changed? it asks; there is a lot of reworking involved. Business Objects repository relies on a transaction processing underpinning, with a normalized structure requiring categories and business rule limits. Brio claims BrioQuery comes from a pure data warehouse environment and provides the option of using business rules or its Open Metadata Interpreter to read metadata from external resources. In short, Business Objects solution requires two sets of metadata, while Brio needs just one, Brio claims. Both sides claim parts of their respective technologies have been copied by each other. BrioQuery Enterprise includes a desktop analytical processing engine enabling users to add dimensions, restructure and refresh the desktop hypercube. It claims its systems are easier to set up and use than Business Objects’ technology; use Business Objects and you’ll find they’re living with you, says Brio. BrioQuery Enterprise comes in three editions: Navigator for viewing pre-built reports or customized standard queries; Explorer for querying databases and pre-built data models and Designer for defining limits, pre-defined joins, query governors, database help and metadata access. They are up on Solaris, SunOS, AIX, HP-UX, Mac, Windows 3.1, 95 and Windows NT, and available in French, German and Italian. Unix prices start at $1,800 for Navigator and Explorer, $5,000 for Designer. Privately-held Brio claims 1,500 sites for BrioQuery.
