Microsoft and Hyperion Publish Open XML for Analysis Specification

XML Message Interface Expected to Drive Adoption of Business Intelligence and
 Analytical Web Services; Microsoft .NET Platform to Deliver Full Support for
                               XML for Analysis

    REDMOND, Wash., and ORLANDO, Fla., April 23 -- Today at the Hyperion Annual 
Global Conference, Solutions 2001, Microsoft Corp.  and Hyperion  announced that they
have joined forces to publish the XML for Analysis specification, allowing
open access to multidimensional databases from any platform. The collaboration
between two leading OLAP vendors is expected to accelerate the adoption of
Internet business intelligence software and represents significant momentum
for XML-based analytic Web services. The joint effort will benefit customers,
developers and independent software vendors in the following ways:

    -- Customers will gain the ability to protect server and tools
       investments and ensure that new analytical deployments will
       interoperate and work cooperatively.
    -- Developers will gain the ability to leverage existing developer skills
       and to use open access XML-based Web services, eliminating the need to
       program to multiple APIs and query languages.
    -- Independent software vendors will be able to reduce complexity and
       costs for development and maintenance by writing to a single access
       interface.

    
    "The joint sponsorship of XML for Analysis specification by Hyperion and
Microsoft represents a substantial shift in the industry," said Mike Schiff,
vice president of E-Business and Business Intelligence at Current Analysis
Inc. "A uniting of two leading OLAP vendors, both of which have a significant
number of organizations and partners that utilize their respective OLAP
engines, will clearly benefit users because client-side, Web-based
applications will be able to readily access either vendors' servers, as well
as the servers of other vendors that adopt the specification, without having
to program for multiple APIs."
    As the first open access XML Message Interface solution designed to
address the unique challenges of Internet-based analytical data access and
manipulation, XML for Analysis has gained immediate support from business
intelligence software developers, including Adaytum, AlphaBlox Corp., ANGOSS
Software Corp., Brio Technology Inc., Business Objects Americas, Cizar
Software, Cognos Corp., Comshare Inc., Crystal Decisions Inc., digiMine Inc.,
Harmony Software Inc., Keylime Software Inc., Knosys Inc., Lawson Software,
MetaEdge Corp., MicroStrategy Inc., OutlookSoft Corp., Panorama Software
Systems, SAP AG, Simba Technologies , SPSS Inc. and Visual Insights.
    "It's good news for everyone that two competing major OLAP server vendors
are finally putting their differences aside to come up with an agreed, XML-
based OLAP query API," said Nigel Pendse, lead author of The OLAP Report
(http://www.olapreport.com/). "If this initiative succeeds, it will finally be
possible to query multiple major OLAP servers in a standard way, just as it
has been possible to do with all the SQL-based relational databases for many
years. This will give users more freedom, encourage the development of good
front-end tools and help the growth of the market."
    XML for Analysis is a set of XML Message Interfaces that use the industry
standard Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) to define the data access
interaction between a client application and an analytical data provider (OLAP
and data mining) working over the Internet.
    "XML for Analysis extends both Microsoft and Hyperion's cooperative vision
of analytical Web services," said Bill Baker, general manager of the Microsoft
SQL Server(TM) Business Intelligence Product Unit. "This joint initiative will
allow application developers to provide analytic capabilities to any client on
any device or platform using any programming language."
    "Hyperion is committed to support for open standards and universal access
to our analytic platform," said Robert Gersten, general manager of the Essbase
Technologies Business Unit at Hyperion. "Just as we have lead the drive for
open technologies across multiple technical environments, we are pleased to
work with Microsoft to jointly develop XML for Analysis for Microsoft .NET and
other Web services. Our customers win on all accounts."
    The first release of the specification is available for Web download at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/ and http://www.essbase.com/. Hyperion will be
offering customers and partners a preview at their annual Global Conference,
which runs April 22-25, in Orlando, Fla. Microsoft will be releasing the final
version of the XML for Analysis software development kit in mid-May, and it
will be available for download at http://msdn.microsoft.com.

    About Hyperion
    Hyperion is a global leader in business analysis software. Hyperion helps
business leaders plan, manage and execute on strategies by analyzing
information on e-business initiatives, supply chain execution, customers,
operations and finance. The company's market-leading Hyperion Essbase
technology, packaged business analysis applications and tools are used by more
than 6,000 organizations worldwide, including more than 60 of the Fortune 100,
64 of the Nikkei Top 100 and more than 40 of the Financial Times European 100.
In addition, more than 400 Hyperion alliance partners deliver technology,
applications and services to increase the flexibility and choice for
customers. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., the company has offices in
22 countries. More information is available at http://www.hyperion.com/,
info@hyperion.com, or 800-286-8000.

    About Microsoft and the .NET Enterprise Servers
    The .NET Enterprise Servers are Microsoft's comprehensive family of server
applications for building, deploying and managing next-generation integrated
Web experiences that move beyond today's world of stand-alone Web sites.
Designed with mission-critical performance in mind, .NET Enterprise Servers
provide fast time to market, as well as scalability, reliability and
manageability for the global, Web-enabled enterprise. They have been built
from the ground up for interoperability using open Web standards such as XML.
The .NET Enterprise Servers are a key part of Microsoft's broader .NET
strategy, which will enable a distributed computing model for the Internet
based on Internet protocols and standards to revolutionize the way computers
talk to one another on our behalf.
    Founded in 1975, Microsoft Corp. 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.

    NOTE:  Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the
United States and/or other countries.
    Hyperion and Essbase are registered trademarks and Hyperion Solutions is a
trademark of Hyperion Solutions Corp.
    The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.


                             Quote Sheet Addendum
                                  April 2001

    "AlphaBlox has always supported open industry standards in its solutions.
We look forward to the two leading OLAP providers driving the evolution of XML
for Analysis to support a single XML (Extensible Markup Language)
representation of a multidimensional query."
    --  Len D'Amico
        Vice President of Product Marketing
        AlphaBlox Corp.

    "Since Brio's first OLAP product in 1991, Brio has been committed to help
our customers drive business performance through an open Web-based
architecture. Brio applauds Microsoft and Hyperion for their cooperation in
publishing the XML for Analysis standard. As we integrate the new standard
into the Brio Enterprise Decision Platform(TM), our world-class customers will
benefit from complete and universal data access, regardless of platform or
device."
    --  Dan Jewett
        Vice President, Product Management
        Brio Technology Inc.

    "We are pleased both Microsoft and Hyperion are supporting the XML for
Analysis specification. Since Business Objects is an enterprise-scale vendor
of OLAP products, supporting industry standards is in line with our goals for
offering our partners and customers flexible products that can integrate with
any platform. Business Objects looks forward to continuing to collaborate with
Hyperion and Microsoft to deliver e-business intelligence solutions for their
OLAP servers."
    --  Mark Tice
        Group Vice President for Global Alliances
        Business Objects

    "Cognos is pleased to support the development of XML for Analysis - an
open, Internet-based standard for analysis. Having a standard for analysis
based on XML and SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is a positive move for
our industry."
    --  Patrick O'Leary
        Vice President of Strategic Alliances
        Cognos Inc.

    "Open standards such as XML for Analysis among competitors benefit
everyone, especially the customer. Comshare's use of standard database
technology including Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2000 Analysis Services and
Hyperion Essbase coupled with the new XML for Analysis standard offers our
customers an enhanced open framework for delivering management planning and
control solutions."
    --  Dave King
       Senior Vice President, Product Development
       Chief Technology Officer
       Comshare Inc.

    "Microsoft's release of XML for Analysis is a logical next step in the
Microsoft(R) .NET vision. digiMine, the leader in data mining, relies on .NET
to build and deliver our hosted data mining services. Now, through digiMine's
use of XML for Analysis, our customers can access their own multidimensional
data via the Web just as easily as if they were pulling a stock quote or a
weather report. For example, by using XML for Analysis, digiMine customers can
easily access their own analytic cubes hosted at digiMine and display the
results on their portal site."
    --  Bassel Ojjeh
        COO and Co-Founder
       digiMine Inc.

    "Lawson Software enthusiastically supports the proposed XML for Analysis
standard, which meshes well with Lawson's overall product strategy of
delivering all Lawson's Web-native applications on an XML foundation. In
addition, this initiative is synergistic with Lawson's current 'open' OLAP
server approach for Analytic Solutions. We see the potential for significantly
reducing the development overhead associated with the support of multiplatform
APIs for both Hyperion and Microsoft OLAP servers. This will allow Lawson to
speed delivery of critical value-add functionality to our customers."
    --  Eric Lopez
        Vice President
        Analytic Solutions R&D
        Lawson Software

    "As a leader in data access solutions, Simba is committed to supporting
XML for Analysis within our Simba Provider for OLAP."
    --  Amyn Rajan
        President
        Simba Technologies

    NOTE:  Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the
United States and/or other countries.
    The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.
    Hyperion and Essbase are registered trademarks and Hyperion Solutions is a
trademark of Hyperion Solutions Corp.
    The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.