BI will be a hot priority throughout 2007 in the local market, according to both Hewlett-Packard and Oracle.

However, Gartner analyst Ian Bertram is warning customers to be wary of how the generic solutions by the larger players compare to best of breed providers such as Cognos, Business Objects, Hyperion and SAS Institute.

Bertram said the term BI is over-used by vendors trying to capitalize on high demand.

While last year saw Microsoft undertake a serious BI push, last week HP announced the establishment of a Business Intelligence Optimization unit (BIO) within its new software division.

Tapping the BI and information management market will allow HP to boost revenue by expanding its foothold in existing accounts, newly appointed VP of the BI group, Ben Barnes, said.