Re: Impromptu

> Mike <mike_at_mrush.demon.co.uk> writes:
> I recently did an evaluation of Reporting tools, and looked at
> Impromptu, Business Objects and Reportsmith.
>
> I was specifically interested in a tool which can connect to an
> Oracle database server and which hides the complexities of database
> structures from users. I didn't want users having to specify
> table joins etc in their reports. (Reportsmith requires you to do this)
>
> I chose Impromptu because it allows me to do all these things and is
> also relatively easy for the users to use.
> Business Objects has more functionality (which we didn't need it) but
> is phenominally expensive.
>
> Impromptu is not cheap however, at around 500 per copy (although it
> gets cheaper the more you buy).
>
> Hope this helps.
> -- Mike
>
>>>>
Mike,

We looked at Impromptu as well, but had questions about the distribution of the meta-data layer (e.g. the catalogs). From my personal point of view, Impromptu had many good points, and I would have liked to have included it in our evaluation; however, it didn't seem to fit the client's needs.

How does your site address the problem of replicating the catalogs out to distant users (on separate lans). Our warehouse is 'distributed', in that subsets of the Master Warehouse are regulary replicated to distant servers (e.g. Regional Warehouses), where those distant users have 'local' access to data in their 'local' warehouse.

Or are all your needs 'centralized' in one place, and one place only?

P.S. From our research, Impromptu was about average in price (and *certainly* not the most expensive... you should see some of the prices out there!!)

Gary Wong (gary.wong_at_cyberstore.ca)
Information Technology Consultant
(604) 360-1699 (Voice)
(604) 384-1178 (Fax) Received on Wed Oct 11 1995 - 00:00:00 CET