DENVER, Oct. 2, 2003 — FRx Software Corp., a Microsoft company and a part of Microsoft Business Solutions, today announced the availability of Microsoft®
Business Solutions for Analytics(Integration Designer 1.0, an easy-to-use application that accelerates the process of integrating FRx Software’s financial reporting application with nearly any midmarket segment general ledger (GL) system.
Integration Designer was designed to help FRx Software’s value-added resellers (VARs) grow their business in financial analytics by offering Microsoft Business Solutions for Analytics(FRx®
to customers who don’t have a way to use the application with their particular GL. FRx is a financial reporting application used by more than 115,000 organizations worldwide.
“Midsize companies that haven’t had a way to use FRx with their GL systems and resellers who support these customers have been coming to us asking for a solution,” said Chris Scherpenseel, president of FRx Software. “Integration Designer is the solution. It allows us to meet the customer need by empowering our VARs with an integration tool that makes it possible to quickly and easily build an integration for FRx to nearly any midmarket segment GL system.”
Integration Designer automates and simplifies the process of transforming and loading data from the GL to a Financial Data Mart (FDM) that can be read by FRx. This tool enables VARs to cut weeks off the integration process and can greatly reduce the technical expertise required to integrate with FRx. Once the integration is set up, minimal customer assistance is required. The customer can upload data from their general ledger with the click of a button as often as they like, or it can occur on a regularly scheduled basis.
“We have customers with financial reporting challenges who need FRx, but prior to now they couldn’t benefit from the application because of the GL they were using,” said Brian Maloney, President of Focus 5 Inc. “Integration Designer from FRx Software tackles this problem head on, giving us the tools we need to integrate FRx to virtually any GL and allowing us to generate long-term, profitable relationships with our customers who require a financial analytic solution.”
In addition, value-added resellers benefit from the ability to leverage an integration built for one data source across multiple customers who are using the same GL, which establishes a substantial revenue generator for FRx Software’s Analytic Solution Provider channel.
To accomplish seamless integration, Integration Designer relies on two components:
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Data Integrator automates the otherwise time-consuming process of mapping data from general ledgers that allow schema discovery to the FRx FDM. Users can rapidly map and transform data using drag-and-drop functionality. Task lists keep track of required items as well as those yet to be completed. Upon completion of the mapping process, the Data Integrator tool automatically creates scripts needed to move the data from the GL to the FDM, saving the user from manually writing thousands of lines of code to accomplish this same process.
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Data Refresher executes the scripts created by the Data Integrator and ultimately populates the FDM with the GL data collected. Data Refresher will support both full and incremental data loads. This component puts control into the hands of end users, giving them the ability to perform updates and access data with minimal training. With the scheduling functionality, manual intervention also is kept to a minimum. Built into the Data Refresher tool is a security administrator function, which applies security roles and rules around the ability to execute the scripts for a given GL company.
Availability and Pricing
Integration Designer 1.0 is available immediately in the United States and Canada to FRx Software resellers. Pricing for resellers is a $5,000 one-time license fee, plus ongoing support and maintenance.
About FRx Software
FRx Software, a Microsoft company and a part of Microsoft Business Solutions, is the leading provider of advanced financial analytic applications to midmarket and corporate businesses seeking to bring more control to their financial analysis and reporting processes. Its flagship product, Microsoft Business Solutions for Analytics(FRx, is used by more than 115,000 sites worldwide to help bring control to the financial reporting process. Microsoft Business Solutions for Analytics(Forecaster is a browser-based budgeting and planning application that makes it easy for organizations to immediately realize the benefits of budgeting. Additional information about FRx Software can be obtained by calling (800) 379-8733 or by visiting the company Web site at http://www.frxsoftware.com/.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft and FRx are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. or FRx Software Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
FRx Software Corp. is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp .
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