France needs to find something that makes it stand out. It's not enough for it to do almost as well as its neighbors.

In Europe, countries like Finland, Sweden and Ireland are doing better than larger neighbors like Britain, France and Germany.

France needs to find something that makes it stand out. It's not enough for it to do almost as well as its neighbors.

We have the means to boost our customers and the financial resources to make the necessary acquisitions.

I believe Business Objects is on the cusp of becoming a multi-billion-dollar sales company. There is tremendous growth potential for business intelligence.

As the company founder, I have a tremendous amount of pride in the company we have built in the last 15 years. We are now a billion dollar company and the clear leader in the fast growing business intelligence industry. Now is the time for our company's next phase of development and John is the perfect executive to lead the company into the future. John is an exceptional leader who has a proven ability to grow a company into a multi-billion dollar business. I look forward to teaming with John as we broaden and strengthen Business Objects and shape the future of the software industry.