Earlier this week, Endeca (a search provider) made two announcements relevant to BI:

1. A partnership with Informatica that lets Endeca customers access and use standardized data integration functionality, and
2. the integration of Xcelsius dashboards and SAP BusinessObjects intelligence search within Endeca’s current platform.

The traditional way of looking at BI and search involves the use of search within BI applications.  This may include the ability to search text strings or for reports that have been created but that might not be easily accessed.  By turning the tables and embedding BI and data integration within an overall search platform, the ability to gain value out of information expands exponentially.  Instead of being limited to BI related content, search solutions can give organizations access to internal, external, structured and unstructured data sets.  This creates more of a unified approach to data visibility and gaining overall insights into business. As BI continues to mature, its use will become more complimentary to operational and other analytical applications creating a more holistic approach to how data management and visualization tools are applied within organizations.