Air and Space Expeditionary Force Enlists WebFOCUS to Secure Deployment Data

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - April 23, 2008) - Information Builders, the leader in production business intelligence (BI) systems, today announced that the United States Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF) Operations has selected Information Builders WebFOCUS software to give flying units, and their direct support personnel, the tools and information they need to plan and execute successful missions. AEF Operations also enlisted Information Builders Professional Services to provide strategic and tactical support for its BI implementations.

The AEF was designed to improve the United States Air Force's ability to quickly deploy an effective force in times of need, from humanitarian assistance missions to major regional conflicts. Supporting AEF missions is a massive data-access and reporting challenge, which is why AEF Operations selected WebFOCUS for the job. Developers used the BI software to create a secure reporting portal that makes information available to authorized users on demand. The system is used throughout the Air Force, from major commands to individual squadrons.

"It's vitally important that information pertaining to each stage of an Air Force deployment process be readily available to Air Force commanders so they can exercise their best judgment related to deployment of Air Force capabilities all over the globe," said Col. Robert Lala, deputy director of AEF Operations. "WebFOCUS gives us a common data platform for distributing AEF deployment information. Not only can we respond faster to customer requests, but the answers provided are able to be shared across a broad spectrum of users."

The reporting portal enables each Air Force user to retrieve information that is applicable to his or her level and role. WebFOCUS supports multiple types of security, down to the field level of the database. Once a user is authenticated, the reporting system automatically tailors the interface, report content, and functional privileges based on that user's unique privileges and skills.

Air Force users of all types now have ready access to information that was not previously accessible. Even users within other military environments, such as the Pentagon, can simply click on a report and obtain pertinent information. In the past, developers had to compile the information for them.

"The United States military must be able to conduct operations on short notice, often in response to a crisis," said Gerald Cohen, CEO and founder, Information Builders. "Our technology is making it possible for AEF Operations personnel to understand what information is available and to better use that information to accomplish their missions."

About AEF Operations

Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF) Operations, a directorate of the Air Force Personnel Center, located at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, provides the United States Air Force with the tools and information it needs to plan and execute expeditionary operations throughout the world.

About Information Builders

As a leading independent business intelligence (BI) company, Information Builders has been providing innovative solutions to more than 12,000 customers for the past 30 years. The company's flagship WebFOCUS product is the world's most widely used business intelligence platform. Superior architecture and intuitive nature enables WebFOCUS to address the needs of everyone in the extended enterprise -- executive, analytical, operational, and beyond -- and provides the agility to adapt to changing business conditions. It provides the security, scalability, and flexibility needed at every level of the global organization and can support dozens to millions of users.

One of the company's greatest differentiators is the integration expertise it brings to the business intelligence market. Information Builders iWay Software suite solves complex integration problems with pre-built components that require minimal custom programming, together with a flexible enterprise architecture that can adapt to long-term change. The award-winning combination of WebFOCUS and iWay give Information Builders customers the ability to live up to the company motto: "Because Everyone Makes Decisions."

Customer service is at the core of every decision Information Builders makes. The company's Professional Services division specializes in building custom tailored applications using WebFOCUS and iWay Software. The company continues to successfully provide quality software and superior services to its customers, including most of the Fortune 100 and numerous U.S. federal government agencies. Headquartered in New York City with 90 offices worldwide, the company employs 1,450 people and has more than 350 business partners. For more information visit http://www.informationbuilders.com.

Contact Information: Press Contacts: Kathleen Moran Information Builders (917) 339-6313 Karyn Martin Emerge PR (617) 729-3173