Business Objects XI 4.0 (Features & Expected Release)

Sarap7 · Senior Member Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 39

Michael,

I am at a client site who purchased SAP modules but not used so far. It's almost like a new implementation using the reporting and Data services modules.

Enviroment: SAP Business Objects EDGE Standard v 3.1 and Data Services 3.2

The client wants to use the SAP tools for the first time for the upcoming project with in the company both for ETL and reporting.

Would you recommend waiting for BOXI 4.0 as we have time till Aug to start the developement efforts? Or should we continue with what we have and then upgrade in future? Please advice.

Thanks
- Sara

MichaelWelter

Hi, Sara;

If you have not deployed BO yet, I would wait for 4.0, as there are some significant changes in this version. If you roll out 3.1 now, then 4.0 later this year, you will have to go through two learning cycles. If you just wait for 4.0, you'll only have to go through one learning cycle.

MJRBIM

Sarap7 · Senior Member Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 39

Thank you for your replies and let's hope to receive some feedback after next week.

SAP not planning to release Data services 4.0 ? That's a bummer..

Our client is a small shop with two environments (Dev and Prod). And we are in the process of building new marts in SQL server 2k8. We need to deliver atleast two reports by end of the year.

If we were to plan deliverables for Nov 2011, we may need to start the development atleast by Sep (Keeping the no of reports in view). For that we have to make sure that the SW is installed and works without any issues by Aug... Huh.. the timing is tricky but the project is in critical stage.

Next steps: Looks like we have no other option except to wait for the update on release 4.0 till July and proceeed with what we have after that.

Thanks
- Sara

substring

If I am not mistaken, EIM 4.0 should be released about the same time. They have to or they will have integration problem. It will be very bad when they are selling this new release as the first one to unify all tools across the SAP BusinessObjects Portfolio.

Everyone is expecting some sort of announcement in Sapphire. So stay tuned.

edurda

For what it is worth Sara, I'd go ahead and go forward with 3.1 for now. Unless there is specific functionality that you need in the 4.0 product I would wait until it has been tested and implemented by many other customers before rolling it out. Let's say that they get it into GA this summer sometime that would put you in the very first group of implementations. I'd really plan on 3.1 for now and go to 4.1 in 2012 or 2013 if you can.

That being said, if you need the new functionality, then you have to do it, but being on the bleeding edge can be painful. 3.1 is a good product and I would not suggest waiting.

substring

Hi Ethan, for your information. BI 4.1 is scheduled to be released in Q4 this year. Since minor release does not have to follow the KPI requirement, it should be on-time.... + or - a month or two.

substring

In last month, the common "guesstimate" is late May early June for BI 4.0 to go into GA. Now at Sapphire, the common answer from SAP employees is late June.

And from what I have seen and what I have heard, it is supporting more and more of my original theory of not to jump on " dot zero" but wait for "4.1" instead.

Sebastien Goiffon

Thanks Simon for sharing this info...

Strange way to launch a brand new product ...

MJRBIM

BobCroce

Hi Sara,
Just my opinion, but from everything I'm reading, I would wait.

Anupam Gupta, one of our contributors, who works for The Principal Consulting, told us recently that: "With 4.0, customers will be able to have one single unified place to collaborate, analyze, and govern their data."

Anupam is working with several clients right now who plan to either implement or upgrade to 4.0. It's easier to go 4.0 right now too, since SAP has cut down on some of the redundant layers in the process.

I wrote about this more in my blog on BusinessObjects Expert http://bit.ly/jvvAyv if you'd like to check it out.

misanthropic777

Do we have any information yet on what is involved in upgrading/migrating to 4.0? How does it compare to a 3.0 to 3.1 migration or a 2.0 to 3.0 migration?

Sebastien Goiffon

Maybe you can have a look to xi4_bip_upgrade_en.pdf guide you can find here