(SP38) Q: What is so special about OutBoard?

"OutBoard for SAP® BW" provides near-line NLS storage functionality with reporting capabilities without the need for any additional database or software, thus keeping the system landscape simpler and easier to maintain. OutBoard uses compression technology which is not only very fast but can easily compete with external near-line systems in terms of compression ratio - OutBoard can provide a ratio of up to 20:1! Finally, the OutBoard Cockpit offers analytic functions to give transparency as to the data volume (both gross and net) and the compression ratio for the data, which is stored in the OutBoard NLS tables.