Empower users so that they can get the data they want to see.

How do you deliver the information your users need to do their jobs? Can they answer business questions quickly and correctly? Are they empowered with the tools and the knowledge they need to find and access the data spread out across your enterprise?

Sadly, for many, the answers are "we don't," "not really," and "no." Basic tools can generate lists and reports, but they require a strong understanding of the enterprise architecture, the various databases, and the extraction and presentation tools and technologies required to get at the data. And many in IT are leery of handing users the keys to the "data kingdom."

SEQUEL Empowers Users

SEQUEL ViewPoint not only accesses the data on your System i, but lets you extract, analyze, and present data from remote, multi-platform databases, such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL. The ease with which you can access these databases makes it possible for even non-technical users to build very powerful views, reports, and executive dashboards. Using SEQUEL's graphical interface, a 5250 command line, or the optional SEQUEL Web Interface, you can easily access local or remote databases through common database connections.

Desktop Shortcuts and Executive Dashboards

If you want to get meaningful information—such as query lists, summarized interactive tables, or spooled reports—into the hands of your end users, SEQUEL offers many options. Desktop shortcuts, executive dashboards, and links in a Web browser all help make SEQUEL the easiest and most cost-effective tool to deliver enterprise data to your users.

With a simple desktop shortcut, users can easily run a wide variety of requests—from simple customer lists to robust, multi-level host reports; from interactive, summarized data tables to CL-like scripts that work with your data and create work files before displaying the final results. Add run-time prompts to fill in variable search criteria, and the request becomes a very powerful data access application.

Your sales reps don't need to carry printed information or download data to their laptops. They simply connect securely to the network and run a shortcut to see the data they need today. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1: A simple shortcut displays a list of customers. (Click images to enlarge.)

Dashboards expand on the shortcut concept by placing different data objects into a single dashboard display. Add views (detail and summary), Web sites, Windows applications, gauges, and host or client reports to create a single access point to your enterprise data. Dashboards can contain views that run against different databases, including Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL. Everyone—from executives to non-technical management to end users—can create their own executive dashboards to view a wide variety of important metrics (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Design an executive dashboard that displays the information you want to see.

Discover how SEQUEL empowers users while reducing the backlog of data access and reporting requests. Try SEQUEL free for 30 days. Learn more about SEQUEL and your free trial by clicking here.

Floyd Del Muro is Sr. Consultant-Data Access Technologies for SEQUEL Software. He can be reached at 847.273.1046 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..