Business Intelligence Leader Information Builders and IBM Announce Joint Product Roadmap for DB2 Web Query for System i

Enhancements Deliver Affordability and Increased Value to System i Users


NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - April 1, 2008) - Information Builders, the leader in production business intelligence (BI) systems, is proud to announce a joint roadmap for key enhancements to IBM's DB2 Web Query for customers of the i5/OS. These enhancements were developed based on the feedback that IBM and Information Builders received from some of the 7,500 customers in more than 50 countries currently using DB2 Web Query. Some of these offerings will begin in April, and all of them will be available by the end of 2008.

Web Query Run Time User Licensing Option -- In response to reported use patterns, Information Builders and IBM have created a new option where user licensing of DB2 Web Query is based on the set of reports made available instead of on the number of users who will access the reports. This new feature can significantly reduce costs and simplify deployment of DB2 Web Query for most IBM i5/OS customers that only need to run reports.

Web Query Report Distributor -- This new enhancement facilitates the distribution of reports generated via DB2 Web Query -- in any format -- via e-mail and printers. It enables a wide deployment of reports to both internal and external users and supports regularly scheduled reporting -- from high-quality quarterly and annual reports to daily, weekly, or monthly management reports.

Web Query Web Services API and SDK -- This new capability provides application developers with the ability to embed DB2 Web Query content into any application and drive DB2 Report Distributor from any business process. Especially important to independent software vendors, this offering is also designed to allow DB2 Web Query to be used as a core technology of every System i server.

Web Query Excel Plug-in -- By allowing DB2 Web Query reports to be executed from within a spreadsheet, end users can pull data into Excel using this vital enhancement.

"The delivery of these new capabilities in DB2 Web Query is intended to make the product both more affordable and more useful to the thousands of i5/OS customers who have received it," said Gerald Cohen, president and CEO of Information Builders. "We expect to continue to enhance the product and our relationship with IBM into the future."

"The enhancements to IBM DB2 Web Query are another example of our continued commitment to support our System i client investments in their business intelligence initiatives," said Doug Mack, power systems platform marketing manager at IBM. "Our joint development with Information Builders continues to deliver value for thousands of customers across a wide range of Web-based BI applications."

About IBM

For more information on IBM, go to www.ibm.com/soa.

About Information Builders

Information Builders award-winning combination of business intelligence and enterprise integration software has been providing innovative solutions to more than 12,000 customers for the past 30 years. WebFOCUS is the world's most widely utilized business intelligence platform. It provides the security, scalability, and flexibility needed at every level of global extended enterprises. Its simplicity helps create executive, analytical, and operational applications that reach dozens to millions of users. Information Builders iWay Software suite provides state-of-the-art, multi-purpose, pre-built integration components that address all SOA, application, data, and information management requirements. Its integration adapters have been adopted by the leading software platform providers. Together, these products give Information Builders customers the ability to live up to the company motto: "Your Business. No Barriers."

Information Builders award-winning technology has successfully provided quality software and superior services to more than 12,000 customers, including most of the Fortune 100 and U.S. federal government agencies. Headquartered in New York City with 90 offices worldwide, the company employs 1,450 people and has more than 350 business partners. For more information visit http://www.informationbuilders.com.

Contact Information: Press Contacts: Kathleen Moran Information Builders (917) 339-6312 Samantha Smith Emerge PR (617) 729-3178