Cognos Inc. shipped its next-generation business intelligence application suite, Series 7, Tuesday, while at the same time extending its technology into predictive analytics thanks to a partnership with WhiteLight Systems Inc.
Series 7, first announced in November is an integrated BI framework providing reporting, analysis, ad hoc query, scorecarding, visualization and data mart creation, with the Cognos BI Portal providing a common interface.
Chief among the new features in Series 7 are built-in monitoring and alerting of business performance and operational events through Cognos NoticeCast, technology Cognos acquired from NoticeCast Software Ltd. in late 2000.
The partnership with WhiteLight announced Tuesday will give Cognos users predictive analytics in addition to historical reporting. The partnership calls for Cognos and WhiteLight to jointly develop a software component that integrates Cognos PowerPlay with the WhiteLight AnalyticServer, giving PowerPlay users access to WhiteLights technology. The jointly developed software component has been completed and is ready to go, Cognos officials said.
WhiteLight signed a similar deal with Cognos rival Business Objects SA last October, linking the WhiteLight Analytic Server to the BusinessObjects client. That partnership remains in effect.