Future Directions and Considerations

SQL Server 2005 has delivered new data processing and analysis capabilities and a new development environment based on Visual Studio, all of which could help developers more efficiently create sophisticated BI applications with less custom or third-party code. The focus now turns from Microsoft’s BI platform to its applications, with the release of new versions of SharePoint Server and Excel. A key future milestone will be the launch of PerformancePoint Server, Microsoft’s latest entry in business performance management and a new contender for budgeting and financial analytics. (See the illustration “Business Intelligence Product Roadmap“.) A further important development will be Microsoft’s adoption of its BI platform for use in its own applications. (See the sidebar “BI in Microsoft Applications“.)

In the meantime, however, customers and systems integrators evaluating Microsoft’s BI strategy need to look at the technical challenges posed by the latest version of the platform, while BI software vendors need to evaluate the competitive challenges posed by the platform and applications.