Microsoft bypassed all in the rating of BI vendors

According to data of the new research InformationWeek, the most popular BI solution is a system from Microsoft: survey conducted by analysts of the edition showed that it is used by 49% of the companies.

In the rating made by InformationWeek on the basis of poll of 410 respondents who already use BI solutions or are only going them to implement, the second place is taken by BI solutions from Oracle (they are used by 38% of the companies). On the third place – solutions SAP - 37%. With a small gap vendors close the five IBM and SAS. It is obvious that a position of Microsoft in the market dominating: if to consider that another 6% of the companies are going to implement BI solutions of corporation.

So impressive statistics can be explained with that circumstance that the packet of Microsoft BI differs from all other solutions presented at the market and is partially free. So, if the company has licenses for the Microsoft SQL Server, SharePoint (Enterprise) and Microsoft Office, it already has some components of the Microsoft BI platform.

Product Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 provides the built-in service of reports, analytical services, integration services and an analytical plug-in for Excel (PowerPivot). SharePoint (Enterprise Edition) gives the chance to work with PerformancePoint Services for drawing up dashboards, systems of indicators and other analytical opportunities. And Microsoft Office, in turn, contains Excel representing BI interface number one operated by both Microsoft, and other vendors.

The fact that the company can purchase licenses complicates this circumstance and use SQL Server, SharePoint and Office for the purposes which are not connected with the business analysis in any way. Thus, many participants of a research using these systems for other tasks could specify as the main BI vendor other company – for example, SAP or MicroStrategy. Therefore, authors of the report warn, you should not perceive data retrieveds as a direct indicator of a share of the company in the market.

For example, IDC bases the research of shares of vendors of BI on the market based on that revenue which they receive from this software direction. And as the bundle of Microsoft BI technologies is provided free of charge, IDC receives the corresponding result in the researches.

In the last report of IDC (Worldwide Business Intelligence Tools 2009 Vendor Share) which appeared in June of this year, Microsoft became the fifth after SAP, IBM, SAS and Oracle. But following a long-term trend, Microsoft showed the maximum growth rate in comparison with other vendors in 2009 - 8, 1% in comparison with-1.1%, 6.9%, SAP, IBM, SAS and Oracle have 4.5% and 2, 6% respectively.

Difference in the research InformationWeek which main issue was "what system you use", and the report of IDC concerning a position of Microsoft in the market gives the chance to understand all essence of an awkward position of the Microsoft BI platform.

However, the following big release of the Microsoft SQL Server which will include some web functions, data visualization and an environment for the presentations will strengthen positions of the company in the market. Certainly, Microsoft has also problems in BI, but is paradoxical that they are available in consumer segment, traditionally strong for the company: for example, it is insufficient support of smartphones and social media. But in a corporate segment experts designate to vendor consolidation of BI positions.