The innovation center will localize the company's BI services for 50 customers in Australia and New Zealand. Cognos opened its first innovation center in Stockholm in 2004 and opened another last year in Minnesota.

Prior to the opening customers accessed the centers via lengthy access points and multiple time zones.

The research facility will employ one full-time member and provide a forum for enterprise customers to access industry peers, analysts and 'performance blueprints', which are specific process and policy enhancement models sourced from clients.

Suncorp group budgeting and forecasting manager John Herrmann said it will use the center's network of peers and analysts to develop its own BI models.

"We will use the [center] to develop best practice concepts by working with other organizations with similar issues and challenges," Herrmann said. "This will lead to the development of processes and models to help fast-track our vision for a totally integrated strategic planning and budget model."