Presto 3.5, the second update this year, features click-and-drag dashboards and customizable graphics from an array of internal and external sources that can be created in a couple of hours, even by new users. With capabilities to pull KPIs and information sources from in-house ERPs and SaaS data or Twitter scrolls and business media feeds, Presto enables governance controls down to the source level for IT departments.
JackBe CTO John Crupi says the self-service upgrades aren’t built to bring in every business user, but are constructed for ease-of-use for power users that shifts away IT-led construction.
“If you have to go to a developer, it changes the whole atmosphere of what you’re doing,” Crupi says.
Aberdeen Group analyst David White says the self-service emphasis with the new version of Presto supports the possibility of more business managers digging into info and increased BI penetration throughout the organization. White adds that giving business users another tool still requires data quality and governance efforts on the back end.
“The bigger challenge is in ensuring that metrics defined at the operational level – and JackBe is all about operational or tactical decisions – are aligned to the overarching corporate objectives,” says White. “If you allow line managers to have a free hand in defining the metrics they track, you need to be careful that what they are focused on rolls up to the corporate strategy.”
The latest update of Presto includes HTML5 apps, security and visualization for mobile devices, and aligns with OAuth open standard for authentication. There are also facets to customize “branding” of the latest version of Presto to enterprise colors and logos.
JackBe also revamped its website Wednesday to coincide with the product update.
Justin Kern is senior editor at Information Management and can be reached at justin.kern@sourcemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @IMJustinKern.
