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Welcome to the 3rd issue of the Microsoft Business Intelligence Newsletter! We are excited to feature an article by Bill Baker, Microsoft General Manager and Distinguished Engineer, called "The Next Big Thing in BI." The issue also includes new resources, event and product updates, and information about a new book on performance management titled Drive Business Performance, which is now available for pre-order. We hope that you find the newsletter to be a valuable resource and we encourage you to share it with your colleagues!
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The Next Big Thing in BI
By: Bill Baker, Microsoft General Manager and Distinguished Engineer
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The next big thing in business intelligence (BI) is...Return on Investment. The common conversation around BI today is about driving BI deeper and wider into organizations. Customers question how to get from 200 BI users to 2,000 users or from 2,000 to 20,000. Baker believes this comes from two angles. First, companies and organizations have had good practical experiences with BI in recent years. They truly believe in the power of Business Intelligence to improve their companies. Second, they are sensitive to the ROI of BI projects. Read the full article.
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Product News
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Microsoft Office PerformancePoint 2007 Management Reporter, a part of Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007, is a new report writer designed to help finance groups create and generate financial reports that can be distributed across the organization. Management Reporter works directly with PerformancePoint Server 2007, and it can be integrated to a general ledger system by using the PerformancePoint Data Integration Toolkit ensuring real-time, accurate data directly from the source. Customers with active Software Assurance on Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 as of or after February 1, 2008 are granted the right to use Management Reporter as additional software for that product. For more information on Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 and Management Reporter, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/PerformancePoint.
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Customer Success
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The information on which Potbelly Sandwich Works personnel made business decisions was limited in scope and available only to some of the people who needed it. To address the problem, Potbelly adopted a Microsoft® Business Intelligence solution that enables executives, managers, and store operators to make better, more profitable decisions based on information and insight.
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Partners
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Coming in May: Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 Implementation Web Series
This three-part webcast series will introduce partners to the Microsoft Consulting Services' Performance Management Center of Excellence (PM-CoE).
The PM-CoE is responsible for documenting implementation methodology and best practices for Performance Point Server 2007. The first two presentations will take partners through the suggested phases of a generic PerformancePoint Server M&A implementation; what to look out for—and the "do's" and the "don'ts". In addition, a webcast detailing Microsoft's internal implementation of PerformancePoint Server 2007 is also planned. Register today. |
Events
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Microsoft is a Platinum Sponsor of the Gartner Business Intelligence Summit taking place in Chicago from April 1-3rd. Stop by the Microsoft Booth #1 to learn more about Microsoft Business Intelligence and to speak with our product experts. Join us and Maricopa County for our Solution Provider Session on Wednesday, April 2nd at 2:00 pm. Party like a Rock Star at the Microsoft Hospitality Suite on Wednesday, April 2nd from 5:30 - 8:30 pm—we'll be giving away a XBox 360, Rock Band and Guitar Hero, Zunes and more! Visit the Gartner BI Summit website for more information.
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Are you interested in sharing your experiences deploying Microsoft Business Intelligence with other attendees at the 2nd Annual Microsoft Business Intelligence Conference being held from October 6-8, 2008 in Seattle? If so, we are currently accepting session proposals. This is your chance to be a part of this exciting conference by submitting a proposal to speak in one of the technical or business-focused BI tracks at the event. Nominations are due by Friday, April 11, 2008. For more information and to submit your session proposal, visit the Microsoft Business Intelligence Conference website.
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We will be recognizing our customers for their outstanding solutions built on the Microsoft Business Intelligence product family and the benefits their company has realized as a result at the 2nd Annual Microsoft Business Intelligence Conference. We are now accepting customer award entries on the Conference website. Why submit an application? Finalists will receive a free pass to the Conference along with other winning rewards! Nominations are due Friday, August 1, 2008. For more information about the Awards Program and to submit a nomination, visit the Microsoft Business Intelligence Conference website.
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Resources
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SQL Server 2008 launches 4 new BI Virtual Labs
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Learn about creating dashboards using Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007. With these three new labs, you'll learn how to connect to various data sources, including Excel 2007, create scorecards, and SharePoint lists for inclusion in the dashboard. Scroll to the 'Business Intelligence' section and select the Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server labs. Click here to get started.
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Starting with a Foreword by Drs. Kaplan & Norton, Drive Business Performance has received top praise from industry thought leaders and executives: "a pragmatic guide for world-class decision making," "a ground-breaking book that executives and managers alike should read," "provides specific and easy-to-follow guidance to deliver results. A must read for any organization seeking to win." Pre-order now & get a 40% discount!
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The new version of the Microsoft Business Intelligence website is now available. The latest version contains new content as well as several new pages including case studies, training, and THE BI Blog. Visit the site today to learn more about Microsoft Business Intelligence!
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Subscribe to the Microsoft Business Intelligence Newsletter!
The Microsoft Business Intelligence Newsletter is full of the latest news, resources, product information and events related to Microsoft BI. If you would like to receive the free Microsoft Business Intelligence Newsletter bimonthly, click here to subscribe.
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April 2008  Issue 3 |
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Resources
Make your decision a whole lot easier. Get tools that can help you gain insight into creating an integrated, cost-effective Microsoft Business Intelligence (BI) solution.
Learn more about SQL Server 2008 with learning resources that include Academy Live Webcasts, Data Sheets, Product Overviews, Technologies, White Papers, Webcasts and more. Partners click here for more information. Customers click here for the latest information.
Visit the Microsoft Business Intelligence website to learn more about our solutions, products, learning opportunities and other great resources.
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