Business Objects today showed its customers the way it intends to merge its products with that of newly acquired Crystal Decisions.

The two business intelligence software lines will be as one sometime in 2005. Business Objects will take three steps to get to technology merger heaven.

Step Two: "significant platform-level integration", supporting core products from both product lines running on a common infrastructure with common administration. This should go live at the end of the year.

Step Three: complete integration. Expected in 2005, this delivers a "superset of all current product functionality on an enhanced, integrated platform.

Business Objects says its product integration roadmap (pdf) was developed following six months consultation with customers and analysts. A joint taskforce of Business Objects and Crystal Decisions staffers spent 20-man years assembling the roadmap. Put into practice, the result will be lower total cost of ownership and a clear upgrade path, according to Business Objects. ®