MICROSOFT BIG DATA

Unlock actionable insights from data of all types and sizes.

Democratize Big Data

HDInsight is Microsoft’s 100% Apache compatible Hadoop distribution, supported by Microsoft. HDInsight, available both on Windows Server or as an Windows Azure service, empowers organizations with new insights on previously untouched unstructured data, while connecting to the most widely used Business Intelligence (BI) tools on the planet.

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When it comes to business intelligence, Microsoft SQL Server 2012 demonstrates that the platform has continued to advance and keep up with the innovations that are happening in big data."

David Mariani, Vice President of Engineering, Klout

Manage data of any type or size

To gain the full value of Big Data you need a modern data platform that manages data of any type, whether structured or unstructured, and of any size – from gigabytes to petabytes. Your Big Data solution should also manage data at rest or in motion. Leverage the power of HDInsight on Windows Server or as a Windows Azure Service. HDInsight provides simplicity, ease of management, and an open Enterprise-ready Hadoop service that runs on premise or in the cloud. Combine your relational and non-relational data with the new PolyBase available in SQL Server 2012 Parallel Data Warehouse.

Enrich your data with the worlds data

HDInsights enables you to realize new value in the data you have and can combine these new insights with 3rd party datasets simply and elegantly. The time spent by your data analysts trying to surface the right data and source for your precise needs is costly. By connecting to external data sources you can begin to answer new types of questions and deliver new value in ways that previously were not possible.

Gain insight from any data

You cannot begin to realize the value of Big Data until you can deliver new insights from all types of data- structured, unstructured, previously archived or discarded. The benefits of Big Data are not limited only to business intelligence experts or data scientists. Nearly everyone in your organization can analyze and make more informed decisions with the right tools including Microsoft Office Excel.

Get an early look at upcoming self-service BI capabilities

"Data Explorer" Preview for Excel - This preview gives you an early look into upcoming features that simplify access to public and corporate data. Now you can easily discover, combine, and refine data for better analysis in Excel.

Watch the Video | Download the Preview | Learn More

Project codename "GeoFlow" Preview for Excel - This preview gives you an early look into the new feature that provides 3D data visualization. Now you can plot geographic and temporal data visually, analyze that data in 3D, and create visual tours to share with others.

Watch the Video | Download the Preview | Learn More

Webcast: From Data to Insights

Learn more about the social and economic benefits of mining data, followed by a moderated discussion featuring two Microsoft data experts for an insider's view of the trends and technologies driving the business of big data, as well as Microsoft's big data strategy.

Strata 2013 Keynote Speech by Dave Campbell

Self-Service BI Technology Previews

Get an early look into the new self-service BI capabilities with these technology previews.

Key Capabilities

  • Analyzing Big Data with PowerPivot

    Any Data, Any Size, Anywhere

    Microsoft Big Data offers an integrated platform for managing data of any type or size, whether it is structured data from a relational data warehouse such as SQL Server 2012 Parallel Data Warehouse, unstructured data on Hadoop or streaming data.

    • Enterprise-ready Hadoop
      • Seamlessly extend access privileges across HDInsight with Active Directory.
      • Manage your HDInsight clusters easily with System Center 2012.
      • Enjoy the reliability and high availability of 100% Apache Hadoop compatible HDInsight.
    • Gain Windows Simplicity and Manageability for Hadoop
      • Simplicity on premise with a virtualized deployment model.
      • Consistent platform on Windows or on Windows Azure with shared codebase.
      • Deploy Hadoop easily thanks to smart packaging and Cloud optimization from Microsoft.
    • Scale on Demand in the Cloud
      • Benefit from deployment options for Big Data on both Windows Server and Windows Azure.
      • Enjoy elastic scalability in the cloud.
      • Gain better control of your data and costs.
    • Open Big Data Platform
      • Gain from the strategic Microsoft and Hortonworks partnership.
      • Leverage the benefits of Microsoft HDInsight that offers 100% compatibility with Apache Hadoop.
    • Analyzing Big Data with PowerPivot

      Connecting with the World’s Data

      Microsoft offers unparalleled opportunities for discovery and enrichment by enabling end users to connect to the world’s data and services.

      • Connect Hadoop to the World via Windows Azure Marketplace
        • Access a wide variety of data from reliable providers such as the U.S. Census Bureau, United Nations, Dunn and Bradstreet, to name a few.
        • Take advantage of hundreds of applications built on the Windows Azure platform.
        • Integrate smart data mining algorithms, such as Microsoft Translator, which uses machine learning for automated text translation.
      • Enrich Your Data with External Information Services
        • Convert raw data into useful information through data transformation and advanced analytics, and mashups with external data.
        • Utilize out-of-the-box tools, such as SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) and Data Quality Services for data transformation and cleansing.
        • Enrich your raw data using smart analytical algorithms. (For instance, you can use a segmentation model to enhance targeting.)
      • Access Predictive Analytics on Hadoop
        • Gain new insights through predictive analytics, the process of inferring relationships and predictions from huge quantities of data.
        • Unlock new insights from all of your data using smart data-mining tools in SQL Server Analysis Services.
        • Simplifies the data mining process using the Data Mining Add-in for Excel.
        • Integrate a range of data mining tools from the Open Source Community, such as Mahout and R.
      • Analyzing Big Data with PowerPivot

        Immersive Insights, Wherever You Are

        Microsoft Big Data empowers end users to gain insights from any data, whether structured or unstructured, with the familiar tools they use every day. Developers can build Big Data applications with tools for simplified Hadoop programming.

        • Gain Insights from Any Data
          • Gain insights from both structured and unstructured data using the Hive ODBC Driver that connects Hadoop data sets to SQL Server BI tools.
          • Integrate Hadoop connectors and Hadoop data sets with SQL Server 2012 data warehouses and Parallel Data Warehouse (PDW) appliances.
        • Analyze Big Data with Familiar Tools
          • Unlock insights from any data using the familiar tools that you use every day.
          • Analyze Hadoop data sets with Microsoft Excel, using a Hive add-in for Excel.
          • Visualize and analyze Hadoop data sets with Microsoft BI tools, such as the award-winning PowerPivot and Power View in SQL Server 2012.
        • Develop Big Data Applications with Ease
          • Simplify Hadoop programming with Microsoft’s new JavaScript library.
          • Write MapReduce jobs using JavaScript instead of Java.
          • Deploy MapReduce jobs from any browser that supports HTML 5.
          • Deploy JavaScript applications from any device that has an HTML 5 browser installed—including tablets.

        Why Microsoft HDInsight?

        • 100% Apache Hadoop compatible Big Data implementation.
        • Microsoft support of HDInsight on Windows Server and Windows Azure.
        • Simplified deployment and ease of manageability with System Center 2012 or Windows Azure.
        • Elegant connectivity to Microsoft Office Excel 2013 and Business Intelligence tools.
        Big Data Solution Brief

        Learn how SQL Server 2012 provides customers with large-scale data warehousing and analytical solutions backed by IT management & insights.

        Download the Data Sheet

        Get answers to technical questions about SQL Server for implementation and development.