While it is easy to fall into the trap of dismissing Business (BI) as semantically-based Madison Avenue "buzz words," they are in effect a very real part of a much larger picture. A picture "where the traditional lines associated with functional silos are ceding to a more holistic or enterprise-wide understanding of operational areas that were previously off limits." Specifically, and much like the hard lines that once defined departmental responsibilities and focus, data or intelligence was compartmentalized into neat packages of limited enterprise-wide understanding. With the advent of Software-as-a Service (SaaS) and Bi-Portal architectures, organizational divides of compartmentalized intelligence have been bridged to meet the complex needs of dynamic, globally engaged corporations. In a world that is becoming increasingly competitive, BI represents the difference between profit and loss, success or closure, jobs or unemployment. How does your company make the decisions that affect your livelihood? Joining me today to discuss the emergence of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) based Business

Intelligence platforms is Viador's Vice President, Services Thomas Abbott.