Business Objects Launches New Authorized Consulting Partner Program to Meet Growing Customer Demand

Business Objects (Nasdaq:BOBJ) (Euronext Paris ISIN code: FR0004026250 - BOB), the world’s leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, today announced the launch of its new Authorized Consulting Partner (ACP) Program. This program, designed for resellers and solution providers, provides a framework that develops and identifies consulting opportunities for partners to work together with Business Objects Global Services in enterprise accounts. As Business Objects continues to grow its business, customer demand for consulting services has never been greater. To supplement its own Global Services organization, Business Objects has developed the Authorized Consulting Partner Program to provide a common, globally applied but locally implemented, consulting framework to ensure certain levels of customer satisfaction are met on a consistent basis. "The program is not just important to Business Objects partners, it is also important to our customers,” said Graham Baird, director of Global Services partnerships at Business Objects. "Business Objects customers have come to expect a certain level of service quality when it comes to consulting engagements. However, in the wider marketplace, the skills of individuals and the approach to implementation can be highly variable. This program helps to provide a level of standardization that offers an additional layer of reassurance of success in the implementation of their Business Objects solutions.” "The ACP Program allows Business Objects to rapidly expand the reach of our services organization through authorized partners that meet our exacting standards,” said Janet Wood, senior vice president of global partnerships and sales enablement at Business Objects. "These authorized partners will be trained on our world-class business intelligence implementation methodology and also gain access to additional tools to help ensure their success. Our goal is to implement a program that provides benefits to both our partners and our customers.” Through the Business Objects ACP Program, partners can: Gain access to Business Objects intellectual property that will help to enhance their service offerings Leverage the Business Objects Business Intelligence Solution Accelerator (BISA) which includes best practices and methodologies developed from over 35,000 implementations Participate in developing more services business in the enterprise space Differentiate themselves in a competitive marketplace, therefore driving additional business opportunities "By introducing the Authorized Consulting Partner Program, Business Objects is demonstrating its commitment to working with authorized partners in the enterprise marketplace,” commented David Whitehead, managing director at Contemporary, a Business Objects Platinum Partner. "The program has strong benefits for partner organizations, which is why we are following its implementation with real interest. It also has significant benefits for customers through the standardization of implementation methodology and delivery quality to improve choice and reduce risk. I’m not aware of any other provider in the business intelligence space that has taken this approach.” For additional information or to apply for the Business Objects ACP Program, please visit http://www.businessobjects.com/partners/authorized_consulting/. About Business Objects Business Objects has been a pioneer in business intelligence (BI) since the dawn of the category. Today, as the world’s leading BI software company, Business Objects transforms the way the world works through intelligent information. The company helps illuminate understanding and decision-making at more than 44,000 organizations around the globe. Through a combination of innovative technology, global consulting and education services, and the industry’s strongest and most diverse partner network, Business Objects enables companies of all sizes to make transformative business decisions based on intelligent, accurate, and timely information. Business Objects has dual headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and Paris, France. The company’s stock is traded on both the Nasdaq (BOBJ) and Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0004026250 - BOB) stock exchanges. More information about Business Objects can be found at www.businessobjects.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties concerning the training of authorized partners and the benefits to customers and partners of our Authorized Consulting Partner program. Actual events or results may differ materially from those described in this release due to a number of risks and uncertainties. These potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, our ability to provide appropriate authorized partner training on our business intelligence implementation methodology and our ability to facilitate the anticipated benefits to customers and partners of our Authorized Consulting Partner program. More information about potential factors that could affect Business Objects is included in Business Objects’ Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2007, which are on file with the SEC and available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Business Objects is not obligated to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release. The Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports, Crystal Decisions, Web Intelligence, and Xcelsius are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects in the United States and/or other countries. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.