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“Second star to the right, and straight on 'till morning.” – Peter Pan (1953 film version)

I was lucky enough to see a demo of Business Objects new Polestar software at the recent Insight 2007 conference, and while it may not lead to Neverland - it’s another step along the path towards what some are calling “pervasive BI”.

That is, making information more accessible to the next layer of users who have neither the time, skills, nor inclination to learn how to navigate a traditional BI interface, but who could definitely make use of relevant data if it was easily available to them:

“BusinessObjects Polestar users will be able to simply enter a few search keywords to find the most relevant information instantly from across all of their applications and data sources – with no previous reports or metrics required. Like internet search, Polestar will index the data stored in organizational sources for rapid user search and exploration. Information workers will benefit from this self-service discovery without needing to understand the data, where it is located, or how it is structured. Polestar presents the most relevant requested information first, and complements it with additional contextually relevant details. The experience becomes as easy as browsing an online store.”

 It makes more sense when you see a live demonstation, but here's a screenshot to whet your appetite in the meantime:

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 The product is currently scheduled for a December ’07 release, and I think you’ll definitely be hearing more about it in the new year.

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