Leading Analyst Research Finds Business Objects Number One Business Intelligence Tools Vendor in Western Europe

IDC Annual BI Market Report Shows Business Objects Continuing to Lead Overall Western European BI Tools Market

San Jose, Calif. - September 23, 2002 -- Business Objects (Nasdaq: BOBJ), the world’s leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, today announced that it has been named the leading BI tools vendor in Western Europe, according to the most recent market share report from IDC. The report, “Western European Business Intelligence Tools Forecast and Analysis, 2002-2006,” finds that Business Objects holds 14.7 percent of the market, topping all other vendors in this space including SAP, SAS, and IBM.

IDC sees the business intelligence tools market as comprised of five related segments: online analytical processing (OLAP), executive information systems (EIS), end-user query and reporting, packaged data marts/warehouses, and data mining tools. According to the report, “Business Objects continues its leadership of the Western European BI tools market overall, with growth primarily driven by the OLAP business, where Business Objects has made a number of new initiatives in 2001.” In addition, Business Objects is the number one vendor in end-user query and reporting, with 26.3 percent share of the segment.

The report also states, “Business Objects is leading the way across most of Western Europe,” and is ranked as the top vendor in five out of seven local regions, specifically, Benelux, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

“European businesses today are facing more complex issues and are looking to technology to manage in the current economy,” said Bernard Liautaud, chief executive officer at Business Objects. “Business Intelligence is a strategic weapon that helps organizations gain valuable insight into their business, and thus optimize performance and manage costs. Business Objects has a long and proven track record of providing innovative technology solutions to meet increasingly complex business needs, and it is this commitment to meeting customer requirements that has made us number the one BI vendor across Western Europe.”

IDC forecasts the business intelligence market in Western Europe to grow to approximately $U.S. 2.5 billion in the year 2006, representing an average annual growth rate of 14.9 percent. According to Christina Steensboe, Program Manager with IDC's European Software Group, the increased interest in BI at a strategic level in organizations combined with new ways of accessing the software will cause growth to accelerate, particularly in the packaged data mart/warehouse and end-user query and reporting tools market.

IDC expects the increased demand for analytic applications and for intranet and extranet deployments will bring business intelligence to broader classes of users inside and outside the enterprise. In addition, the report predicts a growing need for tools that help companies understand and predict customer and supplier behavior, thus fueling data mining and analytic applications adoption.

About IDC
IDC is the world's leading provider of technology intelligence, industry analysis, market data, and strategic and tactical guidance to builders, providers, and users of information technology. The management team is comprised of some of the most experienced and respected industry luminaries.

IDC delivers dependable, high-impact insights and advice on the future of ebusiness, the Internet, and technology to help clients make sound business decisions. IDC forecasts worldwide markets and trends and analyzes business strategies, technologies, and vendors, using a combination of rigorous primary research and in-depth competitive analysis. IDC provides global research with local content through more than 720 analysts in 43 countries worldwide. IDC's customers comprise the world's leading IT suppliers, IT organizations, ebusiness companies, and the financial community.

IDC is a division of IDG, the world's leading IT media, research, and exposition company.

About Business Objects
Business Objects is the world's leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions. Business intelligence lets organizations access, analyze, and share information internally with employees and externally with customers, suppliers, and partners. It helps organizations improve operational efficiency, build profitable customer relationships, and develop differentiated product offerings.

The company's products include data integration tools, the industry's leading integrated business intelligence platform, and a suite of enterprise analytic applications. Business Objects is the first to offer a complete BI solution that is composed of best-of-breed components, giving organizations the means to deploy end-to-end BI to the enterprise, from data extraction to analytic applications.

Business Objects has more than 16,000 customers in over 80 countries. The company's stock is publicly traded under the ticker symbols NASDAQ: BOBJ and Euronext Paris (Euroclear code 12074). It is included in the SBF 120 and IT CAC 50 French stock market indexes. Business Objects can be reached at 408-953-6000 and www.businessobjects.com