Jinfonet Launches JReport 8

Published: December 5, 2006

by Alex Woodie

Jinfonet, a developer of Java-based business intelligence tools, recently unveiled JReport 8, a new version of its flagship reporting tool that features more than 200 enhancements.

Once integrated into its host Java-based application, the new version of JReport enables workers to quickly extract meaningful data, or "operational business intelligence" as Jinfonet says, with close to zero latency.

The major enhancements to JReport 8 fall into four categories, according to Jinfone: new multidimensional cube technology, enhanced report layout capabilities, improved performance and security, and better business process integration capabilities.

On the cube front, the product has been enhanced with the addition of JReport Live Server, a multidimensional cube technology that enables users to find relevant data using slice-and-dice, drill up and drill down, and pivot techniques.

JReport 8 brings better reporting capabilities thanks to the introduction of two new report layout schemes, including the flow design scheme, whereby data objects are laid out on a page similar to how Web pages are designed, and the new tabular layout scheme, where data is presented in cells within tables. These new schemes complement the existing banded report layout scheme. Multimedia objects, such as applets, Flash, Real Media, and Windows Media objects, can also now be embedded into reports.

The new version also introduces the concept of report sets, in which multiple reports are combined into a single container. The benefits are faster report generation and simplified management, the company says. Security has also been improved thanks to integration with LDAP authentication servers, and a new security cache system to temporarily store security objects such as users, roles, groups, and access control lists. A new HTML preview function has also been added with the new version.

On the integration front, JReport 8 brings the capability to start the report execution process when a trigger event in its host Java application takes place. The new release also brings support for standard HTML form objects, allowing users to incorporate form functionality into their reports, the company says.

"JReport has long been known for having advanced and innovative Java-based enterprise reporting technology," says Dr. S. Bing Yao, chief executive of the Rockville, Maryland, company. "JReport 8 raises the bar once again by now also embedding ad hoc analysis to improve operational decision-making."

For more information on the new release of JReport, see www.jinfonet.com.