IBM Unfurls Cognos BI Application Service

Leveraging its acquisition of Cognos, the IBM Smart Analytics Cloud allows customers to roll out an implementation of Cognos 8 running on top of virtual machine software running on top of a Linux operating system hosted on an IBM mainframe. The entire backend system is managed by IBM, but customers can customize their instance of Cognos 8 because each implementation runs as virtual instance on the mainframe.

The IBM Smart Analytics Cloud will also include support for the Cognos application programming interface, so customers can share analysis with other applications and create a self-service capability for business executives that want to import or export data to the cloud implementation of Cognos 8.

IBM officials said they expect that its Smart Analytics Cloud will not only make it easier to increase the adoption rate of business intelligence software in the enterprise, but will also be seen as a natural extension of on-premise applications. That approach is a key element of a hybrid model for enterprise computing that should ultimately increase the depth of business intelligence capability available to any customer, they said.

Separately, IBM also announced that it is rolling out an implementation of its Smart Analytics Cloud for use by its internal employees as part of a service that the company is calling BlueInsight.