How Does Microsoft BI Work?

An effective, integrated business intelligence solution can improve business performance by driving better decision making across your organization. But for a business intelligence solution to live up to its promise, it must be designed with the needs of every user in mind and must have the flexibility to accommodate all the structured and unstructured information your organization uses day to day.

The foundation of a solid business intelligence solution is the very data that people rely on to make decisions. SQL Server can bring together all your data, wherever it resides. Known for its power and scalability, SQL Server offers an enterprise-ready engine that can store massive amounts of data and support high query loads and clustering.

And with the new features in SQL Server 2008 combined with recent acquisitions to improve data quality and data warehousing, there’s never been a better time to consider SQL Server to drive your business intelligence projects.

Next, you need to provide a way for people to bring together and organize all the information they use—whether it’s from e-mail, the Internet, a corporate data source, a conversation, or anywhere else. The 2007 Microsoft Office system, anchored by the collaboration and team capabilities of SharePoint Server 2007, contains all the tools you need to collect, analyze, and share the information seamlessly. With these features on top of SQL Server, you’ll have a full range of capabilities, including advanced reporting, integration, and analysis tools that enable you to take an even deeper look at your business.

To support informed decision making at a broader level, you need a solid performance management monitoring strategy. Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 was built to support corporate and line-of-business scenarios by providing a direct view of the key drivers of your business. At a glance, users across your organization can understand what is working and what is not, which opportunities to take advantage of, and where to take immediate action.

Microsoft offers a full range of business intelligence solutions that work together to form a comprehensive, end-to-end solution with the scalability and vision to help you drive your business forward.

Learn how organizations like yours are benefiting from Microsoft business intelligence solutions today.