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Progress Software Introduces EasyAsk(R) for Operational Business Intelligence

Apr 08, 2008
Progress Software Introduces EasyAsk(R) for Operational Business IntelligenceBEDFORD, Mass., Apr 08, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ: PRGS), a global supplier of application infrastructure software used to develop, deploy, integrate and manage business applications, announced today the availability of Progress® EasyAsk® for Operational Business Intelligence (BI) software. The EasyAsk for Operational BI software is designed specifically to help employees at all levels of an organization make more effective decisions by giving them immediate access to operational, analytical, and strategic information. The EasyAsk for Operational BI software complements traditional BI solutions by extending access to important information to all employees beyond the small subset of "power users" and technical people often needed to effectively access information in such systems.

The EasyAsk for Operational BI software gives any employee, with appropriate access rights, the ability to ask questions in natural language in a manner that is even more expressive than using an internet search engine (e.g., "show last 3 month sales for X product"). In addition to receiving immediate answers in response to their queries, users also obtain access to relevant existing reports.

Jack Alberti, director of IT special projects, Hartford Hospital, commented, "Hartford Hospital depends on EasyAsk software to deliver accurate, timely information to our employees 365 days a year. The software is easy to use and makes it possible for our employees across our organization to get access to the information they need to get their jobs done."

With EasyAsk for Operational BI software, employees can also share reports generated from their own searches and make them available or searchable by other employees. This user-generated content creates a community of users who can share useful data and reports with those searching for similar information. Before reports are shared and become searchable, organizations have the option of sending reports through a work-flow certification process to further ensure that shared reports are of value to other employees.

According to Howard Dresner, founder and president of Dresner Advisory Services, LLC, "As we march towards the promise of information democracy, it's important to include all constituents for both operational and strategic applications. This is especially urgent in the execution cycle where constant monitoring and measurement can ensure that operational goals, which support the strategy, are met."

When employees begin entering their question into the EasyAsk search box, commonly queried search phrases and previous searches start displaying beneath the search box for easy selection. This feature helps employees better define their searches when they are unsure of exactly what to enter for their search. Once the search criteria is entered, the EasyAsk for Operational BI software offers the data in a variety of formats, including MS Excel spreadsheets, system generated reports, HTML, pie graphs, bar graphs, or line graphs, providing employees with a set of options that they can select depending upon their needs.

"The organization doesn't know what it knows," said Dr. Larry Harris, vice president and general manager, Progress EasyAsk division. "By unlocking hard-to-access data, EasyAsk for Operational BI empowers authorized employees of all levels of the organization to leverage the data to make better business decisions."

For more information or to schedule a demonstration visit http://www.easyask.com/eaobi.html.

About Progress Software Corporation

Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ: PRGS) provides application infrastructure software for the development, deployment, integration and management of business applications. Our goal is to maximize the benefits of information technology while minimizing its complexity and total cost of ownership. Progress can be reached at www.progress.com or +1-781-280-4000.

Progress and EasyAsk are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation or one of its affiliates or subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. Any other trademarks or service marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE: Progress Software

Progress Software
Jessica Lavery Pozerski, 781-280-4913
jpozersk@progress.com
or
LEWIS PR
Dan Gaffney, 617-226-8844
progresssoftware@lewispr.com