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pierfun
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Quote pierfun Replybullet Topic: Best way to offer report package to clients?
    Posted: 18 May 2009 at 12:25pm
Hi,

I just started to learn Crystal Reports 2008 and have a basic fundamental question.

My goal is to offer existing clients of a sales solution, additional and more advanced reports. Currently they buy the point of sales solution but get very basic reports with the product.

I would like to offer additional reporting features, graphs, interactive dashboards, etc. to these clients. All of these clients use the same Betrieve database.

Questions:

1. (Licenses) I plan on developing these reports with Crystal Reports 2008 and will have access to their Betrieve DB fields with sample data to create these at home. Does each client have to buy a Crystal Reports 2008 license along with the reports I offer them? Do they also need to each buy an Xcelsius Lic. for the dashboards I want to also create?

2. (Making a Custom Application) Is there a way for me to create say 20 30 reports in CR '08 and Xcelsius and then bundle it somehow so it is more like an application the client installs?
If this is possible does this bundled application allow the user to add additional fields to the predone reports? Is this something I can do within CR '08 and Xcelsuis and create via some type of tool, or do I also need to learn .net or some other programming language to create this?  I also heard about CR 2008 viewers that I can give each client and wanted to know if that is also something I should look into for my reports and Xcelsius dashboards?

3. (Tips) Any other ideas on how to best create an offering for small to medium size businesses with an existing POS application, using Crystal reports and Xcelsius?

I assume just selling the pre-done reports in Crystal Reports 2008 has some value since they have been created, tested, etc., and gives them reports to go with their existing POS data. It would also allow them to use CR 2008 and edit / update them. However if I came out with a new release I assume it would overwrite any edits they had made to my original reports.

Offering an application that uses there data I think has advantages because I can control more, offer updates and not worry about overwriting edits the client has made. However I am not sure if making an application is possible with CR 2008 and Xcelsius. Ideas on steps I should take?

What books to read / learn from in what order to accomplish this? A. Learn Crystal Report 2008, Then Learn Xcelsuis, then learn .net? Or focus one one area and have a flash developer make an application around my Crystal reports?

Thanks,
Steve
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debmac
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Quote debmac Replybullet Posted: 18 May 2009 at 8:37pm
I know that you can purchase a Crystal server license which will then allow all users to access the reports without needing crystal installed on their machine.

Why dont you use the Microsoft SQL server reporting services? it doesnt use Crystal, but the reporting tool they have is very similar. Any user can then access the reports via a web portal.
http://www.microsoft.com/Sqlserver/2005/en/us/reporting-services.aspx




Edited by debmac - 18 May 2009 at 8:38pm
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lockwelle
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Quote lockwelle Replybullet Posted: 19 May 2009 at 7:05am
If the reports are not embedded in an application, then it should be fairly easy locate them in a folder and build a link to them in the application.  in our application, we had the file name/path along with a display name in a table.  Not too familar with Betrieve, but I would assume something like that is doable.  If there are already existing Crystal reports in the POS, licensing shouldn't be an issue...but I will be honest, I don't know anything about licensing and its technicalities.
 
In general, if the user doesn't have Crystal, then they cannot change the fields on the report.  Even if they did, I would recommend that they don't unless they know the POS database design as they might get misleading results.  If they purchase Crystal, the licensing issue is gone as they own a license.
 
As for learning Crystal, I like Brian's book the best, and if you are going to be doing a lot calls from an app, the programming books might be an excellent choice. My company doesn't make too many calls into Crystal from the app, so I haven't had a need to get his programming for Crystal books, but I would without a second thought if I had the need.
 
That he also has this site helps all us is another plus.
 
Reporting services is very similar, but I don't know if it Betrieve compatible, I have only used it with SQL server (where it is a free package)
 
HTH
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