Even the people selling business analytics (BA), business intelligence (BI), and financial planning and analysis (FP&A) software — jobs traditionally performed through Excel — sing Excel’s praises. And why not? In a 2011 study, accounting and tax advisory WeiserMazars found that 87% of the CFOs they surveyed relied heavily on Excel spreadsheets in their financial close and also in their FP&A activities, as well as for budgeting and reporting.
more http://www3.cfo.com/article/2012/1/analytics_excel-replacement-bi-fpampa
Despite all the hoopla around cloud computing, Microsoft’s SQL Azure cloud platform will likely co-exist with on-premises SQL Server installations for some time. The hybrid deployment scenario means integrating data will present challenges to developers, especially since much of the technology is still in flux.
Rather than flip the switch on a wholesale conversion to the cloud, most companies will move applications over to SQL Azure at a more measured pace, initially spinning up applications best positioned to reap the benefits of the cloud’s scalability and lower costs. Companies may choose to work through some of their cloud security and performance concerns by using SQL Azure to experiment with new applications or by adding features and data sets that live in the cloud to existing SQL Server systems. Both approaches demand a robust level of integration between the platforms.
more http://searchsqlserver.techtarget.com/news/2240114004/For-SQL-Server-shops-testing-Azure-cloud-its-all-about-integrating-data
Microsoft’s mobile business intelligence (BI) support strategy for the Apple iPad inched forward slightly for those using SharePoint 2010.
Microsoft announced this week that some scorecards and reports now can be viewed via iPads that use Apple iOS 5 and the Safari browser. To get that capability using SharePoint 2010, organizations have to apply a Cumulative Update to SharePoint 2010 that was last refreshed on Dec. 13.
more http://redmondmag.com/articles/2012/01/18/microsoft-improves-mobile-bi-reporting-for-the-ipad_0.aspx
The critical component in all these scenarios is being able to generate, track and harness a variety of data streams. For example, the aforementioned NEC digital signs demonstrated during NRF feature a corresponding Microsoft Tag for each featured retail item on display. Whenever a customer captures that tag with a Windows Phone 7 or other smartphone, it generates a piece of data that helps retailers track what products are attracting the most attention and monitor the preferences of customers that are enrolled in their customer loyalty program through applications such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Windows Embedded worked with Microsoft Gold Certified Partner,Extended Results, to create a third proof of concept for NRF around providing executives with better access to real-time data. The potential pitfall with any data stream is being able to glean the golden nuggets of business insight from the extraneous chaff. In March 2011, Microsoft released Windows Embedded Device Manager to help enterprises get the most out of their data.
more http://www.sys-con.com/node/2130139
Oracle held the top spot in the business analytics software market during the first half of 2011, with 20 percent global market share and 17.9 percent semiannual year-over-year growth, according to a new study from IDC.
The research firm’s newly launched Worldwide Semiannual Business Analytics Tracker shows that Oracle’s closest competitors (SAP, IBM, SAS Institute and Microsoft) also impressed with double-digit growth during the same period. In total, 14 vendors managed to surpass $100 million in global BA revenue during the first half of 2011. Among them, Informatica, MicroStrategy, Infor and QlikTech had the strongest growth.
more http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Enterprise-Networking/Oracle-IBM-Microsoft-Lead-Business-Analytics-Market-IDC-219615/
Microsoft on Tuesday announced the availability of all eight System Center 2012 solutions as release candidates available for testing.
In addition, Microsoft officials announced simplified licensing for System Center 2012 products, which now are sold as one suite. The 2012 products will not be sold individually as had been the previous practice with Microsoft’s earlier System Center 2007 product line. The news was announced as part of a private cloud discussion led by Satya Nadella, president of Microsoft Server and Tools Business, and Brad Anderson, corporate vice president of the Microsoft Management and Security Division. The two executives talked as part of a Tuesday Microsoft Webinar on System Center 2012. The Webinar is available on demand here.
more http://redmondmag.com/articles/2012/01/18/system-center-2012-hits-rc-status.aspx
With the expansion of Microsoft’s Kinect to Windows, the sensor is expected to start showing up first in commercial situations, such as retail stores and showrooms.
At the Consumer Electronics Show last week, the company demonstrated a virtual dressing room application by its partner, FaceCake, as part of a section of Microsoft’s CES booth providing a glimpse of the company’s design principles an plans for the future.
more http://www.geekwire.com/2012/virtual-dressing-rooms-microsoft-sees-kinect-fitting-retail-stores
OnLive made its mark with a streaming service that allows almost anyone with broadband access—whether they’re on a Mac, PC or other platform—to play a wide array of PC games. OnLive’s servers do all the heavy processing—3D rendering and such—then stream the resulting video to client apps via a broadband link.
If you can stream an interactive, high intensity PC game over the internet, why not stream productivity apps, too? That’s exactly what OnLive Desktop does
more http://www.macworld.com/article/164824/2012/01/first_look_onlive_desktop.html
Idera, a leading provider of solutions for Microsoft SQL Server administration, today announced a new webcast in the “Secrets of SQL Server” series titled “Putting a Better SQL Server in Production.” The webcast will air January 18, 2012 at 2 p.m. CT and will feature Robert L Davis, speaker, author, member of Idera ACE program and a senior database administrator and technical lead at Microsoft.
“Some issues in SQL Server are simply caused by configuration errors, which sounds easy to fix, but determining what to change and what the correct setting should be can be tricky,” said David Fargo, Director of Community Development at Idera. “As a member of the Microsoft team, Robert offers inside information on SQL Server default settings and what a DBA should do to prepare the server for production.”
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/549636#ixzz1lKbuR6N9
Load massive amounts of data from virtually any source, process in seconds and model with powerful analytical capabilities
more http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/bi/powerpivot.aspx
Even the people selling business analytics (BA), business intelligence (BI), and financial planning and analysis (FP&A) software — jobs traditionally performed through Excel — sing Excel’s praises. And why not? In a 2011 study, accounting and tax advisory WeiserMazars found that 87% of the CFOs they surveyed relied heavily on Excel spreadsheets in their financial close and also in their FP&A activities, as well as for budgeting and reporting.
