Comshare(R) and Symmetry Offer Risk-Free Program to Evaluate Analysis ServicesANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 13 -- Comshare, Incorporated (Nasdaq: CSRE) the leader in software applications for corporate performance management (CPM), announced today that it is working with business intelligence (BI) consulting partner, Symmetry Corporation, to provide companies with an opportunity to efficiently evaluate Comshare MPC(TM) running on Microsoft's SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services. Growing Popularity of Microsoft Analysis Services Tracked by Industry Analysts According to Dan Vesset and Henry Morris of IDC, "A market for dedicated OLAP clients for Microsoft's Analysis Services is emerging. This market should show growth in the next two to three years as more Analysis Services- based applications are deployed." The report goes on to say that, "Microsoft's acceptance in the OLAP market will continue. Already, its Analysis Services, as bundled in with the latest version of the SQL Server, has shown significant product improvements." (1) Nigel Pendse, lead author of The OLAP Report (http://www.olapreport.com ) comments, "Microsoft has had an explosive growth in the OLAP market, which it entered only at the end of 1998. By 2001, it tied for first place with a 21.3 percent market share (http://www.olapreport.com/Market.htm ), and it is almost certain to be the clear leader in 2002. Even in 2001, Microsoft Analysis Services generated more license fees and now has more users than any other OLAP server, even those that have been available far longer." Comshare/Symmetry Partnership is Designed to Address Changing Needs of Marketplace Using Symmetry's QuickConvert toolkit, Symmetry consultants enable Essbase customers to quickly evaluate Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services and present a completed proof-of-concept in just two weeks for a fixed price. Symmetry helps companies define requirements, participants, the selected database and sample reports. Data is immediately available to the end users via Comshare MPC. "The partnership of Comshare and Symmetry brings together two companies with long histories of providing business intelligence solutions to enterprise customers," says Dan Bulos, president of Symmetry Corporation. "Comshare MPC using Analysis Services leverages Microsoft's industry-leading OLAP engine to provide more functionality and better performance than older technologies such as Hyperion Essbase. With QuickConvert, companies use their own company data in their own environment, enabling them to see firsthand how their Essbase databases compare with Comshare MPC and Analysis Services."
Partnership Complements Microsoft and Comshare "Power of Knowledge" Program Comshare recently announced it is working with Microsoft Corp. in the "Power of Knowledge" program that combines the power of Comshare MPC and Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services. In this program, Comshare offers the technology and business know-how the companies' combined forces can deliver to organizations that are also committed to implementing and executing corporate strategy. Symmetry's QuickConvert program gives companies an opportunity to evaluate Comshare MPC using Analysis Services for applications such as strategic planning, budgeting, financial consolidation, forecasting, management reporting and analysis before purchasing any software. "Comshare's relationship with Symmetry complements the 'Power of Knowledge' relationship we have with technology partner, Microsoft," says Dave King, Comshare senior vice president and CTO. "Both initiatives directly address the changing business needs of our current and future Comshare MPC customers." About Symmetry Corporation Founded in 1986, Symmetry Corporation has earned its reputation as The OLAP Experts by providing a full range of business intelligence consulting services to enterprise customers. For more information on how to get started with Symmetry's QuickConvert offer, contact Lynn Messick at 650-728-0455 or visit Symmetry's web site at http://www.symcorp.com . About Comshare, Incorporated Comshare, Incorporated is a leading provider of software that helps companies implement and execute strategy. Comshare's corporate performance management application encompasses planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial consolidation, management reporting, and analysis. In business for over 35 years, Comshare is one of the top independent software companies, with Fortune 500 and Financial Times Top 1000 customers around the world. Comshare is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for Business Intelligence and Microsoft Data Warehousing Alliance Platinum Partner. For more information on Comshare, call 1-800-922-7979, send email to info@comshare.com or visit Comshare's website at http://www.comshare.com . (1) Information Access Tools Market Forecast and Analysis Summary, 2001- 2005, June 2001, Doc #24779 Report by Dan Vesset and Henry Morris. Comshare(R) is a registered trademark and Comshare MPC(TM) is a trademark of Comshare, Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. SOURCE Comshare, Incorporated Web Site: http://www.comshare.com PRNewswire-FirstCall |