Limitations of Discoverer compared to Other Reporting tools

Hi,
I need to evaluate the Pro's and Con's of Oracle Discoverer.Can u please tell me the advantages and disadvantages when compared to Business Objects, Cognos or any other Reporting Tool.
Thanks, Prasad

Hey Prasad.
Now there's an open question (ie: which is better, Ford or Chevy).
I'm sure this has been address on this forum before so you might want to perform a search for this subject.
However, dipping my toes in the pool ...
1. Oracle is pushing Discoverer as an important tool in their repertoire. Future versions will now interface with XML Publisher (now BI Publisher), etc. so it's tightly inter-woven into Oracle. BO, Cognos, etc. are 3rd. party tools and therefore not tightly woven.
2. If running Oracle Apps, then you can use the BIS views for pre-written views, Disco workbooks, etc. It's simply not practical to try to use BIS without Discoverer.
3. Newest version of Disco (10g r2) now supports OLAP. Badly ... but it's a start.
4. Oracle is really pushing the idea of everything being in the database and therefore they are pushing OLAP, DW stuff in the database along with your relational stuff. What this means in tools is that they're strongly pushing Disco with OLAP instead of a customer having to buy hardware, software (ie: Hyperion, Cognos, etc.), people (dbas to manage, software types to program), etc. and exporting your data from the Oracle database to a 3rd. party database to then report on. Again, Disco with OLAP (and someday if actual possible / practical) mixing your OLTP stuff with OLAP stuff.
5. It's been awhile since I used BO and Cognos so not sure if their newest versions have the same idea of 3 versions (well 2 someday) where you create the report with Plus (or Desktop) and allow users to lightly manipulate (but not create) existing reports using a simple HTML browser (Viewer).
6. Discoverer is a neat name as it sounds like you're stuttering ...
I'm sure they'll be lots of other reasons stated by others on this board, but if I was betting the farm on where to go, I would go with Discoverer if I had an Oracle installation. It'll cost you - and Oracle is definitely in it for making a buck or two - but if you're in for a penny with Oracle databases, etc., then you're in for a pound and using 3rd party tools that may do the same, less or even a bit more, never appeals to me as Oracle will either catch up and surpass them ... or let's be realistic ... buy them out! Like Microsoft, they've been doing that lately with a spare few billion dollars falling out of Larry's pockets.
Russ

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