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Business Objects vs. Crystal Reports

Can someone please explain the difference? Are they the same product, and if not, what are they used for?

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Crystal Reports is a design tool — you use it to create and maintain reports. This is similar to Desktop Intelligence and Microsoft Access. It also has an SDK (COM, .Net, Java) for programmatic access.

BusinessObjects Enterprise is a platform for deploying reports:

  • supports various types of reports (e.g. Crystal Reports, WebI, OLAPi / Voyager).
  • uses a desktop metaphor called InfoView (nee ePortfolio), which allows people to access reports
  • has an administrative console called the central management console (console management console) to manage various aspects of these reports, including database authentication
  • consists of a number of Windows / Unix / Linus services (e.g. Job Server, Central Management Server, File Repository Server).
  • provides access rights (via NT, AD, LDAP or Enterprise authenitcation)
  • runs scheduled reports
  • distributes reports (via email, ftp and other mechanisms).
  • has an SDK (COM, .Net, Java) for managing these aspects of reports.
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Business objects is an enterprise that specializes in business analytics and provides tools that mainly help in the analysis, reporting of corporate data.

Crystal Reports primarily covers the design and creation of various types of reports from different data sources. It was acquired by business objects.

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In addition to the response received, Crystal Reports Server is a limited version of Business Objects Enterprise.

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