Business Intelligence white papers discuss, in differing levels of detail, a particular technology or solution. The most sought after white papers are those written independently, i.e. not sponsored by a software vendor.
Often software vendors will write a paper discussing the virtues of having a Business Intelligence stack (ETL to Reporting to Dashboards) from one vendor. By all means, read these white papers, but bear this in mind, a software vendor offering the full Business Intelligence stack would say that wouldn’t they?
Much more useful are the white papers, written by experts in their fields, which write about a particular Business Intelligence technology and how it may improve an organisations bottom line. Or how a particular suite of technologies can be implemented at a far lower cost than first anticipated. These can give the reader a far wider view of the Business Intelligence market and get a real feel for certain issues from an independent source.
There are various other sources of Business Intelligence news and view. Seek out Business Intelligence presentations where independent speakers talk about various aspects of the industry, or demonstrate how products can make an organisation more effective. Many of these presentations are available on the internet in audio and often available in video via YouTube or Google Video.
A particularly good source of information relating to the industry comes from the coal face – end users who write blogs. An ever popular medium of communication to the outside world, blogs allow users to present their views on various aspects of Business Intelligence technology. These can be invaluable.
Below are a few links to external websites which are a good source of Business Intelligence information:
B-Eye-Network White Papers
Business Objects Forum
BI Blogs