Jaspersoft is open source business intelligence software. JasperSoft has a suite of business intelligence products which is called JasperIntelligence. JasperIntelligence is a business intelligence platform which provides a web services based environment for reporting, data analysis (OLAP) and data integration. The core product is JasperReports there is also JasperServer, iReports for JasperReports, JasperAnalysis and JasperETL, all of these are briefly described below:

JasperReports

JasperReports is a java reporting library. JasperReports can create reports from 3rd party applications (e.g. SugarCRM), relational databases or data marts. Output Formats include PDF, HTML, XLS, CSV, RTF (Word), TXT and XML files. Microsoft Excel can be used to further manipulate the data if required. Charts can be also be created with full drill down capabilities

JasperServer

JasperServer is a report server that can automate the delivery of reports on an on-demand or scheduled basis. It also allows access, through a web browser interface, to non technical users for browsing and editing reports via Jasper reports and integrated visual design tools.

iReport Designer for JasperReports

iReport is a visual reporting tool based on JasperReports written in 100% pure java. You can manage charts, images, subreports etc.It supports output in PDF,RTF,XML,XLS,CSV,HTM. IReport can be downloaded from the JasperSoft website or from Sourceforge.

There are also two other Jasper products planned, these are

JasperAnalysis – OLAP functionality to deliver (Excel) pivot style (slice and dice) reporting that can be delivered to non technical users through a web interface

JasperETL (Extract, Transform, Load) – is a data integration tool and will allow multiple data sources to be merged so a report can be run on the combined information.

For Demonstration purposes there is a virtual JasperReports setup Using VMware available here, this includes SugarCRM data as an example. Jasperforge is the open source community website but it is still under development but will hopefully be a good resource. There is also a sourceforge homepage.

Integration to other packages

• Compiere (ERP) – Sourceforge project
• SugarCRM

Summary

Current Version
Jasper Reports 1.2.4

Platform
Web Client/Browser Firefox (all platforms Windows, Apple Mac and Linux), Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator

Server Installation – Windows 2000/2003, Linux (Solaris and BSD). Mac OSX should also work

Application Server: Tomcat,. BEA Weblogic, IBM Websphere

License

GNU Public License (GPL)

Well known Users/Case Studies
Case Studies

Commercial Product/Support

Yes, JasperDecisions

Proprietary ERP Competitors
Business Objects, SAS, Oracle, IBM, Cognos

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SugarCRM has just launched SugarExchange beta. Sugar Exchange is a market place for SugarCRM Extensions. This would appear a response to Salesforce.com’s Appexchange a marketplace of applications that integrate to Salesforce’s CRM.

Extensions range from themes to integration to other software (Jasper Reports, Alfresco) and functionality not included un the standard product. Extensions can be sorted by which SugarCRM version they are for both commercial and open source. Although the site can promote commercial extensions that you would need to pay for. the majority of the downloads appear free and open source.

Currently the offering is very similar to Sugarforge the open source community pages for SugarCRM. SugarCRM has so many different websites that they have another website describing each one, this can be found out SugarNET.

One of the most popular extensions is the integration with Jaspersoft’s Jasper Reports. Jasper Reports comes with a suite of reports that can be run against your SugarCRM data and allows users to write their own reports. Also according to the press release there will be a joint webcast :

JasperSoft and SugarCRM will be hosting a joint webcast, “Turning Data into Decisions,” at 10:00 a.m. PDT on June 29, 2006. Barry Klawans, JasperSoft CTO and Lars Nordwall, SugarCRM VP of Worldwide Sales, will present and demonstrate the JasperSoft for SugarCRM solution. Register for the event at https://jaspersoft.webex.com/ec0502l/eventcenter/frame/g.do?siteurl=jaspersoft &t=a&d=333195357.

Pentaho, the Florida based open source business intelligence company, has just announced Pentaho Report Designer and donated the code to the open source community. Pentaho Report Designer is based on GmBH a proprietary product Pentaho has acquired from Gridvision Engineering a Swiss based company.

Pentaho will be a subject of future post but as a summary from their press release:

Pentaho provides a full spectrum of open source Business Intelligence (BI) capabilities including reporting, analysis, dashboards, data mining, data integration, and a BI platform. Formed by a highly experienced team of industry veterans, Pentaho’s mission is to bring innovative, high quality technology and professional support to the BI market. Pentaho uses a revolutionary approach to development, distribution and support made possible by an open source business model. Pentaho’s technologies support a wide range of business initiatives from sales and profitability analysis, customer analysis, HR reporting, Financial reporting, KPI dashboards, Supply Chain analytics, and operational reporting.

For more information: Pentaho’s web site is located at http://www.pentaho.org.