Differences Between Crystal Report and Crystal Enterprise

[essa2000]

Hi;

We have developed a complete ERP system for one of the client in VB.NET , SQL Server and Crystal Report 9.2. Now, our client is asking for Reporting on Web. I heared about Crystal Enterprise but I don't know what is the difference in Crystal Report and Crystal Enterprise. Could you clear following things :

1- What is the differences b/w Crystal Report and Crystal Enterprise.

2- Can we use our existing CR files .rpt on web as well for our client.

3- How much time it will take to give web based reporting solution to them if we have 50 reports.

Thanks in advance.



Muhammad Essa Mughal
Software Engineer
iLogic Inc.

 

[spedi]

If the reports are stand alone, I mean complete in itself without any custom interfaces. It will be straight forward. Install Crystal Enterprise and publish the fifty reports, you are done. You might have to create end users and assign rights for them to access those rights.

If it involves through custom interfaces, that might take time. The CR object model is quite different than CE Object model for customizing it.

Srinath

http://www.nhsonline.org

srinath_p (at) yahoo.com

 

[paulmarr]

Hi essa,

1- What is the differences b/w Crystal Report and Crystal Enterprise.

Crystal Reports is a Report development tool - Crystal Enterprise is a web based report delivery system. Crystal Reports costs about $500 - depending on the userbase - Crystal Enterprise can cost from $8K to $100K+

2- Can we use our existing CR files .rpt on web as well for our client.

Yes!

3- How much time it will take to give web based reporting solution to them if we have 50 reports.

Depending on your network config - server availability - set up time - anywhere from 1 hour to "how long is a piece of string!"

Cheers,

paulmarr

 

[essa2000]

Hi paulmarr;

Thanks for your answers which are really very understandable for me easily. Now, I have few more questoins.

1- Could you please explain to me in step by step approach , how can we use Crystal Enterprise for our existing report to access those reports on web.

2- Can you we integrate Crystal Enterprise with Coldfusion?

Thanks.



Muhammad Essa Mughal
Software Engineer
iLogic Inc.

 

[paulmarr]

Hi essa,

1- Could you please explain to me in step by step approach , how can we use Crystal Enterprise for our existing report to access those reports on web.

Crystal Enterprise is a web based report delivery system that lives on a server - and is accessed by the user through the company intranet. Once it is installed, up and running, you can "publish" your existing reports to folders within the CE system. Users log on - choose the report they wish to run by clicking the appropriate hyperlink - answer any parameters - and the report runs and is displayed to the user through the web browser in one of a variety of ways - from a Crystal Report format in a report viewer to an excel spreadsheet, pdf file, and so on.

It is an industrial strength piece of software with lots of functionality including scheduling, security ,etc. - and can be a thin client system meaning no additional software needed for users to access it - just their web browser.

The installation process really depends on the situation, network, amount of users, etc. It can be as easy as installing it on your local machine to have 2-3 users access it - to a dedicated server with hundreds of users.

2- Can you we integrate Crystal Enterprise with Coldfusion?

I dont know about Cold Fusion - but it lends itself well with Java, C++, VB and Delphi.

You can download a evaluation version of the software from the Business Objects site - well worth a look!


Hope this helps!

paulmarr

 

[essa2000]

Hi paulmarr;

I got all of my answers and I am really thankful to you for giving me this nice help. It really helped me a lot.