Business Objects Introduces Business Intelligence Virtual Appliance

Building on Relationship With VMware, Business Objects Continues Open Appliance Momentum

VMWORLD

Continuing the momentum created by its Open Appliance Initiative (OAI), Business Objects (Nasdaq:BOBJ) (Euronext Paris ISIN code: FR0004026250 - BOB), the world’s leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, today introduced its first BI virtual appliance, a flexible and high-value solution designed to radically change how companies evaluate, deploy and manage their business intelligence solutions, making it even faster and easier to transform their businesses through intelligent information. The company is leveraging its relationship with VMware to offer the virtual BI appliance, which is planned to be available in the VMware Virtual Appliance Marketplace, as well as directly from Business Objects.

“We created the Open Appliance Initiative to give customers more flexible deployment options for their BI and data warehousing needs,” said Todd Rowe, vice president and general manager, worldwide mid-market business at Business Objects. “Working with VMware, we are now expanding both the OAI program and the deployment options available to customers. The BI virtual appliance furthers our leadership in delivering innovative and high-value business intelligence solutions to companies of all sizes.”

The Business Objects BI virtual appliance will deliver a pre-installed and pre-configured solution that dramatically reduces installation, configuration, and deployment time. Larger enterprise organizations will benefit from lower total costs associated with running multiple disparate data warehousing solutions independently, while the mid-market will benefit from pre-packaged, pre-integrated BI solutions that do not require enterprise-level IT competency. The virtual BI appliance, first in a series planned to be made available, will enable companies that have invested in a virtualization infrastructure to easily extend the benefits of Business Objects Crystal Decisions®, Standard Edition throughout their organization.

Targeted at the specific needs of mid-size companies, the Business Objects Crystal Decisions virtual appliance will introduce companies to the benefits of intelligent reporting, ad hoc query and analysis, and dashboards. The solution provides the flexibility to deploy and use business intelligence to complement existing business applications, data sources, and platforms, and delivers insight in a single, affordable package.

“We are seeing increased adoption of virtualization among companies of all sizes, as it lowers overall technology cost of ownership, particularly with regard to acquiring, managing and maintaining business infrastructure,” said Brian Byun, vice president of global partners and solutions at VMware. “By delivering a virtual appliance, Business Objects is embracing this fundamental shift and providing business intelligence capabilities to mid-market companies that have previously only been available to enterprise organizations.”

The virtual BI appliance for Business Objects Crystal Decisions, Standard Edition is expected to be available to customers in Q1 2008. Business Objects also plans on making more virtual BI appliances available during 2008.

About Business Objects Open Appliance Initiative

Business Objects Open Appliance Initiative is designed to offer customers an array of business intelligence appliances that provide innovative and streamlined ways to deploy integrated BI and data warehousing solutions. With this initiative, customers will have the flexibility to choose the right mix of data warehouse and business intelligence technology to meet their specific business needs and maximize the value of their corporate data.

The Business Objects Open Appliance Initiative encompasses extensive technology integration, joint product development, and joint marketing activities with leading Technology and Solution Provider Partners. This industry-first partner network will work together to deliver cutting-edge BI appliances to the market. Technology Partners in the OAI include: DATAllegro, Greenplum, HP, IBM, Netezza, rPath, Teradata, a division of NCR, and VMware. Solution Provider Partners in the OAI include: Andrews Consulting Group, Brightlight Consulting, Data Management Group, and Headstrong.

About Business Objects

Business Objects has been a pioneer in business intelligence (BI) since the dawn of the category. Today, as the world’s leading BI software company, Business Objects transforms the way the world works through intelligent information. The company helps illuminate understanding and decision-making at more than 44,000 organizations around the globe. Through a combination of innovative technology, global consulting and education services, and the industry’s strongest and most diverse partner network, Business Objects enables companies of all sizes to make transformative business decisions based on intelligent, accurate, and timely information.

Business Objects has dual headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and Paris, France. The company’s stock is traded on both the Nasdaq (BOBJ) and Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0004026250 - BOB) stock exchanges. More information about Business Objects can be found at www.businessobjects.com.

Safe Harbor for Forward Looking Statements

Certain sections of this press release contain forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions regarding product release dates and features which will be included. However, these statements are not guarantees of the date of availability, which may be delayed or cancelled, or of the availability of features mentioned, which may be changed or removed prior to release. Statements such as “expected” or “planned” denote forward-looking statements, and the word “introduced” refers to pre-release marketing activities and does not denote general availability. Forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. More information about potential factors that could affect Business Objects’ business is included in Business Objects’ Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2007, each of which is on file with the SEC and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. All forward looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Business Objects is not obligated to undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or changes in expectations after the date of this press release.

The Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports, Crystal Decisions, Web Intelligence, and Xcelsius are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects in the United States and/or other countries. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Contacts

BUSINESS OBJECTS
Dorit Shackleton, +1-604-974-2444
dorit.shackleton {at} businessobjects(.)com
or
HILL & KNOWLTON
Danielle Hayes, +1-415-281-7140
danielle.hayes {at} hillandknowlton(.)com