TM1 10.1 is this the end of EP ?

[JDLove]

having looked a the earlier Beta version of TM1 10.1 (Nov last year) its quite a pleasing leap on first glance, some nice improvements in the UI and would seem to be attractive to the EP followers.

If anyone has looked into the differences from TM1.10.1 and EP it would be interesting to know if there is a clear case for the two products in the FPM product mix ?

What bought this to my mind was I recently heard of a EP project that seemed to have have turned nasty (fairly large project)......

Its been many years since I left the EP world and have never regretted the move to TM1, I am sure there are many like me who wonder about EP's future.
When I browse on the IBM Website its not apparent its part of the IBM Software>Business Analytics>Cognos .... ?

[jim wood]

I think you will need ask IBM this. There are rumours floating around but I wouldn't like comment here.

[stephen waters]

it would be interesting to know if there is a clear case for the two products in the FPM product mix ?
....I am sure there are many like me who wonder about EP's future.
.... ?

My understanding from presentations and conferences is that EP is going to continue, both as a supported version and with customer requested enhancements,probably for some years to come. However, for several years TM1 has been the product around which IBM is building its current and future FPM portfolio, particularly budgeting and planning, and is the product in which they are investing the majority of their development and all of their marketing.

In the early days of the IBM\Cognos\Applix takeovers, EP was positioned as the fallback offering or, if there were a large number of concurrent users, as the lead offering. But since the release of Ver 9.5, TM1 is meant to have have been the offering for new customers, though many of the legacy Cognos community (salesman and partners) struggled to accept this.

My guess is that TM1 version 10.1 is the release where IBM will go to existing EP customers and say that they have transferred the familiar EP environment into the TM1 world so they should now migrate to TM1. In reality of course, the front-ends are just generating TM1 codes and objects and the skills needed will be TM1 skills not EP ones.

[skinners666]

The IBM website is pretty even handed about the two products. See here for an example:-

http://www-01.ibm.com/software/uk/analy ... eting.html

[stephen waters]

The IBM website is pretty even handed about the two products....

I recently came back from the IBM Vision conference in the US, aimed at the Financial Performance Management (TM1, Controller, EP, FSR) and Risk products. In the Planning, Analysis and Forecasting track there were 20 sessions broken down as
TM1: 14 (or maybe 15)
EP: 2 (or maybe 3)
Varicent: 1
Clarity 7: 1
General\Unsure: 2

I think this gives a good indication of the importance IBM is giving to the various products. In the 2 days of partner session I attended I think the emphasis was even more on TM1.

There is a large community of EP users out there who IBM need to keep happy. That is why I said EP is not dead. However, the future is based on TM1 and, as the user interface and capabilities of TM1 are further developed I expect EP users to be encouraged to migrate to TM1.

Is this the end of EP? No, but I think it is the beginning of the end!