Business Objects (logo of Business Objects – fig 1) is a enterprise software company in the field of BI and reporting which was founded in the year 1990 by Bernard Liautaud and Denis Payre. In the year 2007 It was acquired by German Company SAP AG and after the acquisition by SAP the original name was renamed as SAP Business Objects.

It originally started with the Skipper SQL 2.0.x in 1990 and continued its journey with Business Objects Tool from the year 1994 and the BO version is “Business Objects v3.0” (logo of Business Objects – fig 2) and it was the same year when Business Objects first French software company has got listed in NASDAQ.

-1995, Business Objects was the first to focus on enterprise-scale BI deployments.

-1996, Business Objects company entered into OLAP market and also launched Business Object v4.0

-1997, Introduces WebI thin client, which enables shared information across an extranet.

-1999, General Electric (GE), started working with the company as first customer. Also went public in France on the Premier Marché and also acquired Next Action Technologies. In the same year Business Objects V5.0 released (login screen of BO v5.0 – Fig 3).

-2000, First industry’s interactive mobile solution was delivered and Acquires OLAP@Work for approximately $15 million and announces MDX Connect from this acquisition.

-2001, Signs up its single largest global software licensing transaction with Three, formerly known as Hutchison 3G. SAP signs an OEM and reseller agreement to bundle Crystal Reports and also Acquired Blue Edge Software.

-2002, Acquired Acta Technologies. Bernard Liautaud was named to Business Week’s “Stars of Europe,” and the company was named one of the “100 Fastest Growing Tech Companies” by Business 2.0.

-2003, Released Dashboard Manager, Business Objects Enterprise 6 (login page of BO v6.x – Fig 4), and Business Objects Performance Manager and also Acquired Crystal Decisions.

2004, launched new combined company with the slogan, “Our Future is Clear, Crystal Clear.” Launched Crystal v10 and Business Objects v6.5

-2005, Launched Business Objects XI (logo & Company websites- fig 5)

Acquired SRC Software, Infommersion, and Medience and also end of the year 2005 launched Business Objects Enterprise XI Release 2 (login screen – Fig 6)

-2006, Business Objects acquired Firstlogic, Inc, ALG Software (formerly Armstrong Laing Group), Nsite Software, Inc and launched Crystal Xcelsius, which allows users to transform Microsoft Excel spreadsheet data into interactive Flash media files.

-2007, Business Objects announced their intention to buy Cartesis (a vendor of reporting and planning software), Konak and also intention to acquire Inxight Software, FUZZY! Informatik AG. Later Business Objects announced close of Cartesis acquisition and Inxight acquisition. In the same year, SAP’s Chief Executive Henning Kagermann announced a $6.8 billion deal to acquire Business Objects.

-2008, SAP absorbed all of Business Objects offices, and renaming the entity “Business Objects, an SAP company”(updated logo – Fig 7) and launched SAP Business Objects Enterprise XI3.0.

-2009, Business Objects became a division of SAP instead of a separate company. The portfolio brand “SAP Business Objects” was created. All employees now officially work for SAP (SAP BO Company logo – Fig 8).

-2011, SAP Business Objects BI4.0 launched.
-2013, SAP Business Objects BI4.1 launched.
-2016, latest SAP Business Objects BI 4.2 will be released.

Source: Wiki