Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/50188
Business Intelligence On the Go: A Product Review by Emily Cunningham Rushing Product Name: Roambi Company That Owns Product: MeLLmo What business problem is the product designed to solve? Roambi aids in the creation, delivery and sharing of business intelligence (BI) and analytics via mobile devices. A 2010 report by the Aberdeen Group found that "BI usage among organizations with mobile BI was twice the level of those that had not mobilized their BI." This indicates that the ROI for mobile business intelligence is significant, and a tool like Roambi might help achieve that efficiency. Is the business problem that this product addresses long-standing and waiting for a solution or new and expected to become more widespread? In May 2011, McKinsey Global Institute published a study on "Big Data: The Next Frontier for Innovation, Competition and Productivity." They uncovered that the need to turn vast collections of data into intelligence is rapidly increasing, driving success through innovation in the creation and use of BI. In a article about the study ("New Ways to Exploit Raw Data May Bring Surge of Innovation, a Study Says"), McKinsey is quoted as saying: "The report points to the need for a sweeping change in business to adapt a new way of managing and making decisions that relies more on data analysis." Analysts in the industry predict that law firms will increasingly see the advantage of using BI tools. How well does this product deliver on solving the described business problem? The use of even the free Roambi Lite enterprise software and its integration with SAP, IBM, Microsoft and Oracle BI systems, as well as Excel, Salesforce CRM and other applications, makes this an incredibly useful mobile reporting application. The help and training materials provided by the tool are extensive, making it easy for even novice users to begin exploring the interface. The graphics are bright and clean, and the interface is very easy to navigate. The interface is better suited to the larger screen of the iPad, but it certainly works on the iPhone. www.iltanet.org Tech Potpourri 9 New Y ork T imes