What is the fate of Impromptu and PowerPlay for Windows?

[GoldFoxtrot]

I read about Impromptu is being replaced by ReportNet. I have a few questions and hope you can share your thought or fact. 1)When do you think Cognos will stop developing Impromptu? 2)When will Cognos drop Impromptu support? 3) Same questions for PowerPlay for Windows. Thanks!

 

[flex13]

Cognos has committed that support for these products through 2008 at which time they need to continue support will be re-evalauted.

FYI, ReportNet isn't really a replacement for Impromptu, it's an additional offering.

 

[DoubleD]

Cognos had given the stance that although Cognos Series 7 would continue to be supported, they would not continue to develop it.

The latest update I've gotten is that Cognos Series 7 will continue to be developed for an undetermined amount of time. That includes all Series 7 components.

I don't know if Cognos has put anything on their website regarding this issue.

Pain is stress leaving the body.

DoubleD

 

[GoldFoxtrot]

Thanks to Flex13 and DoubleD. Does Cognos still sell Impromptu/Windows to new clients? You can hardly see "Impromptu" mentioned in Cognos.com. Cognos seems to want you pay attention to ReportNet only. It is a big ticket item and small clients will be suffered in the future. I hope PowerPlay has better luck. Any idea?

 

[DoubleD]

Until Powerplay is truly incorporated into ReportNet, Cognos will be more willing to push PowerPlay as a stand-alone. It's one of the best OLAP modelling tools.

Cognos does still sell Impromptu, but you'll probably have to talk to a sales rep and listen to his pitch that ReportNet is the only way to go.

Pain is stress leaving the body.

DoubleD

 

[puppyquestion1]

It would be a shame for them to drop either product (Impromptu or Powerplay). Neither requires the large expenditure in infrastructure that a ReportNet style software does, much less the ReportNet software itself. The ease of use and integration of the software is what brought Cognos to the point it is today. The complexity and requirements of stuff like ReportNet and CMM are going to damage them in the long run if they don't have easier/less costly tools for users to start with.

I'm sure the reason Cognos is hedging on ReportNet vs. the 7 Series is that ReportNet sales are nowhere near what Series 7 is selling and won't be until Powerplay is integrated fully.

 

[DoubleD]

As Cognos states it, ReportNet is a revolution in reporting technology.
I think ReportNet is geared toward larger corporations. Cognos Series 7 is small enough to appeal to any company, yet powerful enough to answer fairly large companies needs.
If you truly want to web-enable your reporting, and you don't already have Series 7, ReportNet is definitely the way to go.

In a nutshell, I feel Cognos needs to keep both Series 7 and ReportNet. Although there is some overlap, the two products provide very different functionalities.

Pain is stress leaving the body.

DoubleD