The following information is related to recent updates to the SAP BusinessObjects BI release plan.
For updates to the EIM 4.0 Release Plan, including BusinessObjects Data Services and Information Steward, please refer to this post.
What’s new in the BI release plan?
With the recent GA of SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.0, we are updating our BI release plan. Instead of releasing both BI 4.0 SP3 and BI 4.1, we will now deliver one release consisting of:
- BI 4.0 SP3 customer fixes
- The new product features that were to be included in the original BI 4.1 release
What will we call this release?
It will be called SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3.
Why was this change made?
The change was made to ease the deployment of these new features. Customers can deploy these features on their existing BI 4.0 deployment without waiting for the availability of a separate minor release. Installation of the new product features will be a straightforward install that does not require a major upgrade.
What new product features are included with BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3?
There are many new product features in BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3. The highlights include the following new features:
- Next generation of SAP BusinessObjects Explorer, which empowers end users to easily organize and share exploration views with web and mobile users
- Enhanced capabilities for SAP BusinessObjects Mobile BI, with expanded platform support and Sybase Unwired Platform integration
- SAP StreamWork integration for BI enabled collaborative decision making
- Insight to Action framework, which enables closed loop BI in the context of your business processes
Are feature packs part of the traditional SAP release process?
No, the usual support packs only typically contain customer fixes or improvements to existing releases – no new features. We needed a deliverable that communicated all the new features – hence the feature pack. This is an exception to our traditional SAP release process. From time to time we make such process modifications in order to benefit customers.
Should I wait for BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3 to release before upgrading to BI 4.0?
No. The best path forward is to deploy BI 4.0 today to get the system ready for production. Then install the BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3 as soon as it becomes available. BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3 will be released with an update installer. The content of BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3 can simply be added on top of your existing deployment.
How can customers deploy BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3?
We will be delivering both a new installer and an update installer. New customers will be able to install BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3 using the new installer without requiring a pre-deployment of the BI 4.0 GA build. Existing customers will be able to upgrade from BI 4.0 SP2 by applying the BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3 update installer.
Can customers implement new customer fixes without using the new product features in BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3?
Yes. The majority of the new features are additive to existing workflows. Many are configurable by administrators. Others are available in the environment but the users have to explicitly select to use them. There are no features that will create major disruption to customers’ existing workflows.
Will there be fixes on BI 4.0 SP2 prior to the release of BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3?
Yes. We will continue to deliver patches on the BI 4.0 SP2 line (e.g., patch 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, etc.) to support customers currently rolling out BI 4.0. Learn more about the standard SAP support process.
Will BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3 include a ramp-up process?
Yes. Since the feature pack includes new features, this release will have its own ramp-up.
How can I get involved in the ramp-up?
Please contact your account manager. We are excited about the BI 4.0 Feature Pack ramp-up and will start accepting pre-nominations in a few weeks with official nominations beginning early January, 2012.
For additional questions to these changes to the release plan, please contact your account representative or feel free to add a comment, question to this blog post.
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October 18th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
What new mobile platforms are you expecting to support? Android? iOS? Windows Phone 7?
What about support for IE 9? The PAM for BI 4.0 SP2 doesn’t show support for IE9…will this change in 4.0 SP3?
November 22nd, 2011 at 3:34 am
Is there a release date for BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3.
January 8th, 2012 at 9:02 pm
Really nice post. Great blog about SAP Business Objects BI Release Plan Update. keep doing more and more…
January 10th, 2012 at 12:32 am
Is there a release date for BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3 ?
January 16th, 2012 at 8:59 am
According to SAP Feature Pack 3 will go to Rampup end of Q1 2012. So it will be general available in autumn..
January 17th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
FeaturePack 3 should be or go into RampUp soon, and therefore I would expect it to be GA Q1/Q2 2012, certainly BEFORE autumn/fall, that is what I hope for.
January 28th, 2012 at 9:42 pm
[…] Further details can be found here: https://blogs.sap.com/analytics/2011/10/07/sap-businessobjects-bi-release-plan-update/ […]
June 5th, 2012 at 11:23 am
I have a customer who runs into compatibility issues with Red Hat Directory Server and wonders if the support is in the roadmap. I would appreciate an update. Thanks!
June 11th, 2012 at 9:00 am
I am very disappointed as the product that went GA is full of bugs. I have been doing this for 14 years from Seagate Info to Crystal Decisions to BusinessObjects and now SAP. From an administrator prospective, the system is not as out of the box as an upgrade/migration as it was in the past. We are on SP02P16. The following statements are misleading if not untrue at this point.
Can customers implement new customer fixes without using the new product features in BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3?
Yes. The majority of the new features are additive to existing workflows. Many are configurable by administrators. Others are available in the environment but the users have to explicitly select to use them. There are no features that will create major disruption to customers’ existing workflows.
Will there be fixes on BI 4.0 SP2 prior to the release of BI 4.0 Feature Pack 3?
Yes. We will continue to deliver patches on the BI 4.0 SP2 line (e.g., patch 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, etc.) to support customers currently rolling out BI 4.0.
YES and NO – some fixes have been corrected, but fixes tagged into FP3 will not be made available until FP3 and means you have to live with the bugs until that time, even though they have discovered the error and the fix, they will not release it in a patch and force you to FP3. FP3 originally in scheduled for release from rampup in 2012Q1 got delayed and didn’t even make it to rampup until end of 2012Q1 with a release date of 2012Q2 end. That was pushed to September and rumor has it now December.
We are in the middle of doing Sandbox testing, and though we can get 55% of our functions working, 30% new functions that we need to discover first and 15% may have us waiting for FP3 before we even continue with the testing and upgrade project.
With these “Bugs” and “Features” I consider BI4.0SP02 almost as bad as Crystal Enterprise 9. In that version, bugs and performance were so bad that many of us in the industry waited for 10 and migrated 8.5 to 10 foregoing the nightmare that was version 9.
July 25th, 2012 at 2:28 am
Please help us in understanding how FP3 is different then 4.1, should we wait for 4.1 or go ahead with FP3 or 4.0.