Analytic Services is a multidimensional database application that enables you to analyze multiple aspects of your business continually in comparison to one another. The Essbase database has the following characteristics:
Works with multidimensional data and roll-up hierarchies in dimensions.
Retrieves information from other systems.
Handles some level of summarized data, not transaction.
Adaptable to multiple reporting and analysis environments.
Additionally the Essbase database uniquely blends an innovative technical design with an open, client-server architecture. Essbase can be used for a broad range of online analytical processing (OLAP) applications, including:
Budgeting
Forecasting and seasonal planning
Financial consolidations and reporting
Customer and product profitability analysis
Price, volume and mix analysis
Executive information systems