More enterprise software predictions for 2007

Just after we posted reader predictions and right before I dashed off to finish my Christmas shopping, I received one more set of predictions for 2007. As these focused on enterprise business intelligence, a sadly overlooked market segment amid the noise of the Web 2.0 crowd, I think these prescient predictions from Nobby Akiha, senior vice president of marketing for Actuate, are worth squeezing in before too much of the New Year goes by.

Open-source and service architecture recast business intelligence

Deployment of open source-based business intelligence and enterprise reporting applications will gain momentum and ultimately surpass conventional BI platform deployments by the end of 2010. Additionally, BI will be offered as reporting and analytic services that can be re-used across many business processes, delivering business analytics to more users across more business processes.

In the face of this change, traditional BI companies will need to redefine how they deliver value to their customers.

Spreadsheets in demand Microsoft's introduction of Excel services will raise awareness and acknowledgment of Excel's use as the world's most popular and preferred analytic format, which will increase demand for data-driven spreadsheets of all types. Server-managed spreadsheets will become the analysis cubes of tomorrow, quickly outmoding cube analytics in terms of usability, portability, and capability.

Mobile BI gets richer

Mobile BI already enables road warriors to check the state of their business using their mobile device of choice. In the future, however, mobile professionals will be able to easily access more context-sensitive information in real time, write back to databases, and approve and action information using SMS messaging.

BI moves outside the firewall

Customer retention will be the key driver for customer-facing websites. Delivery of customer-specific information in a variety of interactive formats, including Web 2.0-enabled sites that leverage AJAX, analysis-ready live Excel spreadsheets, and boardroom-ready PowerPoint slides, will become the new Internet standard for these information delivery sites.

Customers will begin to expect these capabilities from all external websites by the end of 2008.

Other reader predictions: Vivek Puri

In case you haven't already come across them, LucidEra and Workday are going hit the enterprise market this year. Both have the capability and vision to alter the enterprise landscape.

Recent articles by Chris Shipley

• Chris Shipley: Reader predictions would make 2007 quite a year

• Chris Shipley: Bold prediction: Web 2.0 goes away in 2007

• Chris Shipley: Web 2.0 will test your hype (and Star Wars) IQ

• Chris Shipley: Presto! A 94-year-old woman goes online

• Chris Shipley: The blogosphere as an echo chamber



This column was reprinted with permission of Network World Inc. All registered trademarks are owned by IDG. More information can be found at http://www.idgef.com.

The opinions expressed herein or statements made in the above column are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Wisconsin Technology Network, LLC. WTN accepts no legal liability or responsibility for any claims made or opinions expressed herein.