By Candace Taylor, Marketing Coordinator for PerformanceG2
 
By now, you have probably heard about the new IBM Cognos 10, and you may be wondering if it’s really as groundbreaking as some say it is. I think we may be underselling this new BI solution. IBM Cognos 10 will change how your organization makes decisions, allocates resources and predicts and plans for the future. Ultimately, it will help accelerate your competitive advantage.

But don’t take my word for it, see for yourself. Watch this brief demo on the new BI workspace of Cognos 10 Business Insight. This user interface is so simple and intuitive, it enables all types of users to confidently find accurate answers to key business questions. This is analytics that truly everyone can use. I think that’s one reason why Ventana Research has said: “Cognos 10 is a dramatically improved release and currently sets the standard for end-to-end integrated business intelligence products.”
 
Watch the Business Insight Demo and see for yourself why IBM Cognos Business Insight will give all your users the freedom to think and make smarter decisions.
 
 

 
 
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By Candace Taylor, Marketing Coordinator for PerformanceG2
 
With less than 2 months left of the year, it is time to take advantage of some end of the year business intelligence software offers available for you and your organization. IBM Cognos and PerformanceG2 are offering Q4, 2010 sales for Cognos 10 and for Cognos Express, and are not to be missed:
 

 

Free Financing on Q4 Cognos 10 Pricing

IBM Global Financing is now offering no interest financing that will enable you to put Cognos 10 to work for your organization in Q4 of 2010. With this offer, your organization can: turn on Cognos 10 by making 12 monthly payments or 4 quarterly payments with no interest, depending on location, preserve case for other strategic business initiatives in 2011, and realize the benefits of Cognos 10 before you finish paying for it. For more information on this limited time offer, connect with us at info@performanceg2.com, call (877) 742.4276 and ask about the Cognos 10 0% financing offer, or click on the Cognos 10 picture above.
 

Limited Time Discount on Cognos Express

Affordable reporting just got even more affordable. Drive growth, market share, revenue and compete effectively against local competitive products and seeding programs and gain a fast foothold leveraging global success and penetration. From now until December 31, 2010, IBM and PerformanceG2 are offering a limited time discount on a 5-user license starter kit of IBM Cognos Express Reporter software for self-service reporting and ad hoc query capabilities. For more information on this Cognos Express limited time offer, connect with us at info@performanceg2.com or call (877) 742.4276.
 
Don’t miss out on these valuable Cognos offers while they last. Start your business intelligence and analytics initiatives off strong in 2011 with IBM Cognos innovative software.
 
 
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By Lori Higdon, Senior Business Systems Analyst at Clark County Nevada
 
How do you stay a progressive and results-oriented government that is responsive, accessible and accountable to 2 million citizens? A strong commitment to driving innovation focused on improving citizen service helps.

Clark County Family Services Department is the local public agency in Nevada whose role is to help keep children safe, as required by the federal Adoption and Safe Families Act. We’re responsible for running many services – from child protective services to foster care services to adoption services – all of which require a large amount of data input and access.

Clark County used to operate on a system where the state was responsible for the backend operations for child welfare, foster and adoption services. Only the front end services, such as intake and investigation, were the responsibility of the county. However, significant changes made by the Nevada legislature over the years now makes all of those services the responsibility of the two largest counties in the state, one of which is mine. It’s up to us to service one of the fastest growing states in the nation.

To keep our quality of services on pace with the population growth, we needed to bring innovative ways to serve our citizens. We realized spreadsheets and hand counting of information led to confusion, errors and time delays in serving those in need. With the added requirements to work with the statewide system and benchmark new services, we had to find a solution that would not only streamline reporting, but also help us to comply with regulations and measure business performance – that’s where business analytics comes in.

Analytics has made a huge difference in how Clark Country Family Services Department works and delivers services. We’ve been able to solve our initial challenges around data access, information explosion and reporting. It’s helped us monitor case worker compliance with state policies and legislation more easily. We’ve been able to identify bottlenecks and improve business processes.

Our executives, for instance, can now look at a variety of measurements such as whether open investigations are being completed in a timely fashion, how many face-to-face contacts have taken place with victims of abuse and neglect, and the average length of stay for children in out-of-home placements.

Our analysts are also reaping the benefits. While it used to take the programming staff 14 hours to build a report, it now takes 6.5 hours – meaning that analysts can get their reports much faster. And with thousands of ad hoc and daily reports run annually, this adds up to an enormous amount of time saved for my department.

Saving the best for last, analytics has been instrumental in helping us identify more federal revenue sources. In fact, we’ve generated about $7 million in new revenue over the last 18 months – a significant amount that is especially needed in tough economic times.

The bottom line? Our staff can devote more time going out in the community and providing services to families and children vs. dealing with numbers and data.

 
 
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By Candace Taylor, Marketing Coordinator for PerformanceG2
 
It’s official IBM Information on Demand and Business Analytics Forum 2010, (#iodgc, #baforum) the premier business analytics conference of the year, has finally arrived. Last night’s kick-off and grand ceremony opening party started off with a college band playing outside of the EXPO hall, and Cognos 10 supporters – people dressed from head-to-toe in Cognos 10 gear – handing out Cognos 10 stickers and pins to remind everyone that Cognos 10 is coming. The night’s events continued with the opening of the EXPO hall where almost 7,000 attendees networked with IBM business partners, fellow colleagues and business analytics professionals. All in all, the night was a huge success as professionals prepare for a variety of information on demand sessions and conferences for the week.

Some of those who were not able to attend last night’s ceremony, or who is not able to attend IOD this year, check out our live streaming videos below to watch some of the night’s events unfold right from the EXPO hall carpet. And of course, stay tuned this week on our blog, G2 Live, the PerformanceG2 Twitter page and our Facebook page for access to some of the top highlights of the week. Questions, comments, or would like to meet us at the event? Email me and we can chat.
 
 

 
 

 
 
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By Candace Taylor, Marketing Coordinator for PerformanceG2
 
There is only one more week left until the IBM Information On Demand and Business Analytics Forum event in Las Vegas (#iodgc, #baforum). Whether you are attending the event or not, we are providing a long list of resources for you to stay connected including EXPO information, virtual resources and links, must-attend sessions, and more. Learn more here, or click on the image below to access valuable event resources so you are fully prepared for the information and analytics event of the year.

Don’t forget to stop by the PerformanceG2 booth #020 in the business analytics section to meet with us face-to-face, chat with us about our innovative business intelligence solutions, and enter in a chance to win a free iPad. Download the EXPO map to locate our booth.

Have questions about the event, or do you have videos or blog posts that you would like to see us feature during the event? Email us and tell us what you think.
 

 
 
 
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By Candace Taylor, Marketing Coordinator for PerformanceG2
 
IBM announced this week that Cognos 10 Intelligence, the updated Cognos software that is dedicated to help organizations see more and do more to make smarter decisions, will be unveiled at the 2010 IBM Information on Demand Business Analytics Forum in Las Vegas on October 25, 2010. General Manager of IBM Business Analytics, Rob Ashe, will deliver the news live from the forum in a keynote that will include news of innovations for the coming year.
 

 
Sign up for the live simulcast to ensure you hear about what Cognos 10 has to offer. Also, visit our booth #020 in the business analytics section at IOD to learn more about Cognos 10 and the next steps you can take to ensure you and your organization is ready for new business analytics innovations. And of course, connect with us at anytime to learn more Cognos software,

For more information about Cognos 10 and its unveiling, watch the Cognos 10 Intelligence video by IBM.

 

 
 
 
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By Candace Taylor, Marketing Coordinator for PerformanceG2
 
While using Cognos, do you find yourself having questions or needing help, but don’t necessarily have the resources available? Do you find yourself needing instant, on-demand Cognos support that is easy, fast and inexpensive? Do you need a service that helps you manage IT spending without sacrificing the quality of data and analytics?

With these questions in mind, PerformanceG2 wanted to create a service dedicated to offering organizations the support that they need – support for accurate and reliable data, support for a better understanding of results and more efficient performance, and support for quality of data accuracy – all while saving you time and money.

PerformanceG2′s newest service, SupportLink, now offers pre-pay Cognos support to quickly and efficiently help you with your Cognos needs. This pre-pay SupportLink service can help with strategic data warehouse planning and best practice design, server turning and support, IBM Cognos BI, EP and TM1 support, report development and maintenance, business user training and mentoring and more.

You have the option of purchasing 3, 10, 20 or 40 hours of support to use whenever you need it – simply visit our SupportLink page, select the block of hours you would like to purchase, and one of our trusted Cognos consultants will connect with you immediately to provide the support you need. Use the hours instantly after you purchase them, or whenever you need help.

For more information or if you have questions, email me or visit http://performanceg2.com/services/supportlink. Need more than 40 hours of support? Our SupportLink service is also fully-customizable to meet your needs and can include a free assessment to determine exactly how we can help to ensure we save you and your organization time and money. This means 24/7 technical support, right at your fingertips at a fraction of the cost of hiring full-time employees. Connect with us to learn more.
 


 
 
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By Candace Taylor, Marketing Coordinator for PerformanceG2
 
While Q4 is right around the corner, so are some of the industry’s must-attend Business Intelligence, performance management and Cognos events. To make things easy, here is a list of those events with information on how to register. Most of these are free events, that you don’t want to miss – the events will increase your knowledge in the world of business analytics, will provide industry trends and what to expect for the rest of the year, as well as Cognos tips and tricks, and upcoming Cognos training courses – take advantage of these valuable events today.
 

FREE Virtual Summit: IBM Cognos Midsize Business Analytics Virtual Summit
Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Time: 6:00 AM EST, 12:00 PM EST or 8:00 PM EST
Location: Virtual
Cost: Complimentary

Description: If you’re interested in learning how technology can help your organization turn data into insight, to help manage costs and drive business growth, then join us on Wednesday, September 15 for the third quarterly virtual summit. IBM Cognos will be unveiling the newest capabilities of IBM Cognos Express reporting, analysis and planning software that’s purpose-built for midsize companies.

Through this online simulated conference and expo, you will:
* Learn how adopting integrated business planning increases the accuracy, agility and adaptability that midsize companies need to compete in today’s volatile global economy
*Hear how Everlink Payment Services Inc. implemented BI for quick benefits and is now adding planning capabilities for a totally integrated environment
*See IBM Cognos Express in action, featuring the newest product capabilities for easy to use planning, budgeting and forecasting
*Network and chat live with peers, colleagues and industry experts
*Visit the PerformanceG2 virtual booth to download rich resources, connect with PerformanceG2′s expert team members and more

Whether you’re a technical, financial or business manager, you won’t want to miss this event! Register today – thousands have participated in the previous events. See what it’s all about on Wednesday, September 15.

Check out this FREE virtual summit event to learn more about business analytics and Cognos Express!

FREE: Query Studio Online Training Course
Date: September 16, 2010
Time: 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM CST
Cost: Complimentary
 

Description: The Cognos 8 Query Studio course is designed for business authors who want to learn how to create, modify and organize ad hoc reports. This covers how to use different report capabilities and the appropriate use of each, how to graphically display the data and how to create reports with the same look and feel through the use of templates. The course also covers basic administrative tasks, such as scheduling reports and delivering reports in different formats (HTML, PDF, Excel, etc.). Sign up for this complimentary online training course today!*

*Space is limited
*Only one registrant per company available

Two-Day Report Studio Online Cognos Training Course
Date: Wednesday, September 29 and Thursday, September 30, 2010
Time: 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM CST
Location: PerformanceG2 Online Classroom
Cost: $795 p/person

Description: The C8 Report Studio Course starts with an introduction to Cognos Connection, report management through Cognos Connection, basic and intermediate report building techniques, and ways of enhancing, customizing and managing professional reports in Report Studio. Through hands-on demos, you will also learn advanced techniques for creating, modifying and distributing professional reports using Report Studio and Cognos Connection. In addition, you will learn the proper techniques for creating Cognos 8 Dashboards.

Sign up for this two-day Report Studio training course.

Two-Day Report Studio Online Cognos Training Course
Date: Wednesday, October 20 and Thursday, October 21, 2010
Time: 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM CST
Location: PerformanceG2 Online Classroom
Cost: $795 p/person

Description: The C8 Report Studio Course starts with an introduction to Cognos Connection, report management through Cognos Connection, basic and intermediate report building techniques, and ways of enhancing, customizing and managing professional reports in Report Studio. Through hands-on demos, you will also learn advanced techniques for creating, modifying and distributing professional reports using Report Studio and Cognos Connection. In addition, you will learn the proper techniques for creating Cognos 8 Dashboards.

Sign up for this two-day Report Studio training course.

IBM Information On Demand/Business Analytics Forum 2010
Date: October 24 – 28, 2010
Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
Cost: Use PerformanceG2′s Conference Code, G10PERFG2, and Save $800

Description: Join PerformanceG2 at this year’s premier conference for information and analytics – IBM’s Information On Demand and Business Analytics Forum 2010 – and use our exclusive discount code to save a total of $800 off registration!

Register before August 31, 2010 to receive an instant $500 off registration, follow the instructions below and use the exclusive PerformanceG2 registration code to save a total of $800 off your registration:

1. Visit the IBM Information On Demand 2010 Web site registration page
2. Enter your email address and choose the registration type
3. Select the sessions and activities you are primarily interested in attending and continue to the next page
4. Select the relevant attendee type and complete the requested attendee information
5. Under the ‘Promotion Code Information’ section, enter the PerformanceG2 code G10PERFG2 to save an additional $300
6. Complete the remaining fields on the enrollment form clicking ‘Continue’ at the bottom of each section
7. Click ‘Submit Registration’ to finalize your registration process

For more information or questions on registering, please contact Candace Taylor at candace.taylor@performanceg2.com.

For more information on these Business Intelligence events, or other events, visit http://performanceg2.com/events/.
 
 
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By Candace Taylor, Marketing Coordinator for PerformanceG2
 
Do you know the current health of your organization’s Cognos environment? Is your Cognos system mature, up-to-date and conforms to industry standards? Is your Cognos platform efficient and organized? Do you want to be dedicated to making sure your Cognos system is healthy?

While organizations focus on utilizing Cognos software to its fullest through training and best practices, it is also important to think about your Cognos system’s overall health to ensure that the architecture is stable, logical, clean and fully-functional.

Through PerformanceG2′s Cognos Health Check service, your system is assessed by certified technical specialists who know what they are doing, know what they are looking for and can provide recommendations on how you can get your system cleaned up. They do this by reviewing the overall system and architecture through a validation process, scan the content store for corruption, check for broken reports and inconsistencies, identify broken links and run a variety of other diagnostics to offer a full-view, and grade of the health of your Cognos platform.

To take advantage of our Cognos Health Check service, call us at (877) 742-4276 or email us at info@performanceg2.com and see how you can get started.
 


 
 
 
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By Candace Taylor, Marketing Coordinator for PerformanceG2
 
It’s about that time of year again, to start thinking about, and planning for, IBM’s premier conference for information and analytics – IBM Information On Demand and Business Analytics Forum 2010. This year, the event will take place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, October 24 and 28 and will host 9,000 plus attendees, provide 600 IT and Cognos skill building sessions, and include 110 industry-focused business and IT leadership sessions – making it the must-attend Cognos, BI, Information On Demand and CPM event of the year. To make the event even better, if you register before August 31 and use the exclusive PerformanceG2 promo code, G10PERFG2, you can save $800 off of your registration. To take advantage of this limited time offer, click on the image below, or follow the below instructions.
 

 
Register before August 31, 2010 to receive an instant $500 off registration, follow these instructions and use the PerformanceG2 registration code to save a total of $800 off your registration:

1. Visit the IBM Information On Demand 2010 Web Site Registration Page (https://www-950.ibm.com/events/IOD/IOD2010/secure/regWizard.do?step=begin)
2. Enter your email address and choose the registration type
3. Select the sessions and activities you are primarily interested in attending and continue to the next page
4. Select the relevant attendee type and complete the requested attendee information
5. Under the ‘Promotion Code Information’ section, enter the PerformanceG2 code G10PERFG2 to save an additional $300
6. Complete the remaining fields on the enrollment form clicking ‘Continue at the bottom of each section
7. Click ‘Submit Registration’ to finalize your registration process
 
For more information, or questions on how to register, contact me at candace.taylor@performanceg2.com Don’t miss out on this year’s premier Cognos and business analytics conference!
 
 
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