Vlamis Software Solutions, Inc.

» May 2009 Newsletter

Contact Us

(816)781-2880

sales@vlamis.com

In this newsletter we inform you about recent and upcoming events in Vlamis Software and the Oracle business intelligence and data warehousing communities. We hope you find this information helpful.

Vlamis Software Solutions is a consulting company specializing in Oracle-related business intelligence and data warehouse solutions. Learn more about us at our web site at www.vlamis.com. Contact us at sales@vlamis.com or (816)781-2880.

We have redesigned the newsletter and now renders better in Outlook 2007 and webmail clients. Please add newsletters@vlamis.com to your address book to ensure that you continue to receive our newsletter. To have your name removed from this mailing list, follow the directions at the bottom of this message.

More Information

VSS Homepage

VSS Blog  RSS Feed Icon

BIC2G:WIN

Oracle.com

Oracle Business Intelligence

Oracle Technology Network

Oracle Partner Logo


Vlamis Inks Deal to Distribute BIC2G Demo Images Worldwide

International Oracle Partner Network members around the world are now able to order the BIC2G images from Vlamis Software Solutions. These virtual machines contain more than 20 gigabytes of Oracle software, data sets and demo scripts. They enable partners to demonstrate Oracle Hyperion EPM and Oracle BI software without the hassle of installing and configuring software in a demo environment. With this extension of the exclusive licensing agreement with Oracle and Microsoft to include all countries worldwide, Vlamis Software Solutions is THE source for Oracle's BIC2G MS Windows virtual machines. These are the same VMs used by internal Oracle sales consultants.

These demo images greatly simplify the construction of a demonstration environment. All you need to do is install the VM "player" software, and load the VM purchased from Vlamis Software. The virtual machine has everything you need to run the demonstration within the VM. Although the VMs can be configured to connect to the internet, it is not necessary to connect to the internet to give demonstrations to customers.

Transactions and support are available only in English via email and over the web.

These virtual machines are available for purchase by Oracle Partners. A Microsoft VHD image with evaluation license is available for US$350 each and an unlimited VMware VM with a fully-licensed copy of Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007 is available for US$1500 each. International shipping and handling is an extra US$30 per order worldwide and is added automatically when you enter your credit card and select a ship-to country other than the United States. Oracle Partner Network members can order all four VMs at www.vlamis.com/. For more information visit us at www.vlamis.com/ or e-mail us at sales@vlamis.com.


Vlamis and Claterbos Announce Forthcoming Book on Essbase and Oracle OLAPOracle Essbase & Oracle OLAP Book

Dan Vlamis and Chris Claterbos lately have been working with an all-star cast of Oracle employees on a forthcoming book titled "Oracle Essbase & Oracle OLAP: The Guide to Oracle's Multidimensional Solution" to be published by Oracle Press later in 2009. This book will be unique in covering both Oracle Essbase and Oracle OLAP. Here is an excerpt from the abstract for the book:

With the acquisition of Hyperion Systems in 2007, Oracle finds itself owning the two most capable OLAP products on the market--Essbase and the OLAP Option to the Oracle Database. Written by the most knowledgeable experts on both Essbase and Oracle OLAP, this Oracle Press guide explains how these products are similar and how they differ. Oracle Essbase & Oracle OLAP will help you architect the Oracle OLAP product that is most appropriate for your application, and build, tune, and maintain OLAP solutions.

You can pre-order your copy and get more information on the Oracle Press web site. Look for more information as the publication date draws near, hopefully in time for Oracle Open World.


Back to Top



Vlamis Reselling ClearView

We are pleased to announce that Vlamis Software Solutions is now a reseller of ClearView, by Collaborative Concepts Consulting, Inc. ClearView 2.0 allows Microsoft Excel users a great way to access data in Oracle OLAP cubes - both 10g and 11g. ClearView is a rich Excel add-in that enables users to view data with a feature-rich selector for adhoc reporting, analysis boardroom-ready reporting, and what-if analysis. ClearView supports full write-back to Oracle OLAP cubes and can be used for a complete analysis solution.

This solution is designed for a collaborative, multi-user environment and includes support for an Oracle-based Excel workbook management catalog system and a task processor that coordinates data submissions and execution of calculation rules. It also supports Sarbanes-Oxley compliance with change tracking for reports and all data adjustments.

If you currently have Oracle Financial Analyzer (OFA) or Oracle Sales Analyzer (OSA), you should know that Oracle is ending support for these products in 2009. ClearView has the set of capabilities that most closely matches these product's capabilities that we have seen so far. You owe it to your organization to check out ClearView.

See our web site or contact us today for more information.

Back to Top


Meet at Collaborate 2009Collaborate 09

Are you planning to go to Orlando for Collaborate 2009 May 3rd to 7th? Vlamis will be well represented with Dan, Mark, and Chris all making presentations. We'd love to grab a cup of coffee or a beer and catch up, so contact us if you're planning to be there and we'll set up a time to meet or just keep our eyes open for you.

Collaborate will host more than 350 sessions with user-driven education, covering the hottest topics such as Oracle OLAP, Essbase, OBIEE, database administration, and development. We are scheduled to present several topics at the conference. Dan will be co-presenting with Michael Schrader, from Oracle on "Oracle Essbase and Oracle OLAP: A Guide to Oracle's Multidimensional Solution" on Monday May 4th, at 10:45am and will be hosting an interactive session with several Oracle experts later that day in "Ask the Experts: Time dimensions in Essbase and Oracle OLAP" at 2:30pm. Mark Thompson will be presenting "Tales from the Front: Strategies for a Successful OBIEE Implementation" on Wednesday, May 6th at 9:45 am. Chris Claterbos will be presenting two topics:"Having your Business Intelligence the Way You Want It!" on Wednesday, May 6th, at 8:30 am and "Building Cubes and Analyzing Data Using Oracle OLAP 11g" on Thursday, May 7th, at 9:45 am.

Collaborate is a combination of the Independent Oracle User Group (IOUG), Oracle Applications User Group (OAUG), and Quest International User Group conferences. Attendees will hear from Oracle President, Charles E. Phillips, Jr., and from key Oracle speakers like Tom Kyte during the Oracle Executive Sessions. Attendees can also choose from more than 15 University Seminars at an additional cost.


BIC2G Free Education

Oracle and Vlamis Software are starting a series of webcasts to help the growing community of BIC2G users. The series will be hosted Friday afternoons by Oracle University throughout May and much of June, 2009. The first in the series will be held on Friday, May 1 at 2:00pm Central time and will focus on the BIC2G: Hyperion EPM image. Dan Vlamis will first give a brief introduction to the BIC2G program. Then Abhijit Bhattacharya, Oracle's developer of the Hyperion EPM BIC2G image, will go over the best practices in using the BIC2G: Hyperion EPM image. Some of you may know Abhijit's voice from EPM section of the March 20 webcast that kicked off the BIC2G program. Abhijit will also browse through the demo home page, talk about the startup order of services involved in EPM, and give some tips and tricks on how to gain the maximum value from the BIC2G: Hyperion EPM image.

Detailed programs for future Friday BIC2G seminars are still being developed as this newsletter is going to press, but will include detail on BIC2G: BI internals, sample demonstrations on Hyperion Planning, OBIEE, and other topics related to gaining the maximum value from these images. Please go to www.vlamis.com/ for the complete list of presentations that have been and will be presented on BIC2G. We plan to make recordings of these sessions available.

In addition to regular webcasts on BIC2G, two different forums are now active and available for the community of BIC2G users on Oracle's OTN Discussion Forums. We encourage you to post questions and comments about the different BIC2G images, ideas for using the different data sets, and tips for leveraging the power of BIC2G. Check out the BIC2G: EPM image forum and the BIC2G: BI image forum. We also encourage you to suggest topics in the BIC2G: EPM and BIC2G: BI image forums for us to cover in future webcasts.

Our goal is to develop a community of BIC2G users, sharing ideas on how to gain maximum advantage with these virtual machines. Please join us!


Employee Spotlight - Chris ClaterbosChris Claterbos

Chris has 26 years experience working with Oracle technologies with the past 12 in the Business Intelligence area. Chris has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the following areas:

Chris brings a strong systems approach developed from his training as an engineer to all of his projects. He strives to find the most effective and efficient solution for all the problems that are brought to him. He enjoys working to provide solutions that meet or exceed the requirements of the project. His motto is "Work Smarter Not Harder" and brings this philosophy with him wherever he goes.

Chris is currently writing a book, along with Dan and others, on Oracle OLAP and Essbase to be released later this year.

Chris has Bachelors and Masters degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Kansas. He spent 6 years as an officer in the Naval Civil Engineer Corps (a fighting Seabee!); he was the assistant public works officer at Camp Pendleton and one of the officers in charge of constructing Naval Submarine Base in Bangor, Washington. He is proud to be a Kansas Jayhawk and is an avid KU basketball and football fan. He has been living in the house he designed and built in Lawrence, Kansas for 24 years.

Joyce, his wife of 33 years, has been an instructor at the University of Kansas School of Business for 12 years, teaching general marketing, global marketing and business strategy. Their daughter, Jill, is a designer for Hallmark Cards in Kansas City.


Upcoming Events

 

Collaborate 2009

May 3-7 • Orlando, Florida • http://www.collaborate09.com

Speaker Name Date and Time Presentation Title
Vlamis and Schrader 05/4/2009 10:45AM - 11:45AM Oracle Essbase and Oracle OLAP: A Guide to Oracle's Multidimensional Solution
Vlamis and Schrader 05/4/2009 2:30PM - 3:30PM Ask the Experts: Dan Vlamis and Michael Schrader - Time dimensions in Essbase and Oracle OLAP
Chris Claterbos 05/6/2009 8:30AM - 10:45AM Having your Business Intelligence the Way You Want It!
Mark Thompson 05/6/2009 9:45AM - 10:45AM Tales from the Front: Strategies for a Successful OBIEE Implementation
Chris Claterbos 05/7/2009 9:45AM - 10:45AM Building Cubes and Analyzing Data Using Oracle OLAP 11g

The Best of BIC2G

Fridays starting May 1 • http://www.vlamis.com/

DateTime (CDT)Topic
05/01/20092:00pm - 3:00pmInside the BIC2G: Hyperion EPM image
05/08/20092:00pm - 3:00pmInside the BIC2G: BI Image (topic is tentative)
05/15/20092:00pm - 3:00pmHyperion Planning (topic is tentative)
05/22/20093:00pm - 4:00pmTBA
05/29/20093:00pm - 4:00pmTBA
06/05/20093:00pm - 4:00pmTBA

ODTUG Kaleidoscope 2009

June 21-25 • Monterey, California • http://www.odtug.com/

Speaker Name Date and Time Presentation Title
Dan Vlamis 06/22/2009 3:45PM - 5:15PM Having your Business Intelligence the Way You Want It!
Mark Thompson 06/25/2009 9:15AM - 10:15AM Tales from the Front: Strategies for a Successful OBIEE Implementation

Abstracts for all presentations can be found on our website. Please contact us if you are attending the conference so we can arrange a time to meet with you during the conference.


Prior and Future Newsletter Articles

We feature breaking news in the "Headlines" section of our home page at www.vlamis.com. More news items can be found on our Business Intelligence and Datawarehousing Blog at http://www.vlamis.com/blog. An archive of our newsletters going back through 2002 can be found at http://www.vlamis.com/newsletters.

Our April 2009 newsletter featured the following articles:

Our March 2009 newsletter featured the following articles:

Our next newsletter will contain several exciting announcements including:

Please visit our blog for the most up-to-date Business Intelligence and Datawarehousing developments.