STORAGE

Cognos, a world leader in business intelligence (BI) and corporate performance management, today announced it has placed as the top BI/CPM market leader for overall vendor satisfaction in the 2006 BPM Pulse Survey published by BPM Partners. Cognos was ranked first in market perception by respondents who were still in the planning process because of its depth and breadth of product and because of its reputation in the market. Vendors were rated on a five point scale by existing or former clients based upon their experiences in deploying their solutions. Cognos, with a score of 4.12 out of a possible five, was the only BI/CPM full suite vendor to achieve a satisfaction rating higher than four. "In our 2006 survey, Cognos' ranking reflects the confidence of the respondents in Cognos' ability to meet their performance management needs," said Craig Schiff, CEO of BPM Partners. "Cognos had its highest rating in overall product functionality and product quality, and these are critical for customers when choosing BPM solutions." The survey also found that 55% of respondents listed their performance management initiative as still in progress. This year's survey was the first time that respondents still in the planning process were asked to rate the likelihood that various vendors could address their requirements. The BPM survey is the only user report card on the BPM industry's vendors. There were 525 total responses; 63% of respondents were from North America and 25% were from Europe. The most important capabilities according to respondents were metadata management, unified solution, and driver-based planning. Budgeting and forecasting was rated as the top initiative according to 53% of respondents. "Cognos has always made it a high priority to partner with customers to help them achieve high rates of success. It's pleasing to see this external validation that organizations still in the project planning process are recognizing our world-class reputation and our ability to meet our clients' BI/CPM requirements," said Dave Laverty, senior vice president, Global Marketing, Cognos. "Our position in the 2006 BPM Pulse Survey clearly demonstrates that Cognos' ability to deliver a tangible performance dividend continues to drive customer satisfaction." Cognos performance management solutions provide organizations with a single line of sight across all time horizons. Planning and consolidation combine the forward management view of the business with the current and historical view provided by scorecarding, reporting and analysis. Together, these capabilities provide organizations with a consistent corporate and management reporting environment. This integrated operational and financial view lets organizations proactively address business challenges for greater operational effectiveness. Leading independent analyst firms have consistently positioned Cognos as a BI and performance management leader. For more information on the survey visit: its Web site