Microsoft continues to demonstrate its leadership in the business intelligence industry with its record-breaking achievement last year in online analytical processing (OLAP).
According to the 2001 OLAP Report (http://www.olapreport.com/Market.htm), an independent source of information dealing with OLAP products, applications, case studies and the industry, Microsoft`s percentage of the $3.3 billion industry almost doubled in 2001, growing from 11.7% to 21.3%.
This was the fastest growth by any major OLAP vendor since publication of the first report in 1995. Led by Microsoft SQL Server 2000, Microsoft moved from its third-place standing in 2000 to tie with the 2000 winner for joint first place in 2001. Microsoft is expected to become the leader in 2002.
"Microsoft OLAP deployments grew rapidly in 2001, while several other major vendors were shrinking," said Nigel Pendse, lead author of The OLAP Report and The OLAP Survey. "In OLAP licence fee terms (which is the best indication of new sales), Microsoft was the clear leader in 2001, and this generated rapid growth of associated tools, applications and services for both Microsoft and its industry partners."
The rapid growth of SQL Server 2000 is driven in part by the large number of organisations deploying its analysis services component for business intelligence (BI) applications. Customers deploy SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services for its advanced scalability, security and administrative functionality, which allows customers to benefit from BI solutions quickly and at a low total cost of ownership. SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services provides the BI that organisations need to stay strategic in today`s marketplace.
"As BI becomes more prevalent throughout an organisation, users at all levels need to be able to use the tools available. Microsoft has produced such significant growth in BI because it focused on making SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services easy to use," says Neil Isserow, product marketing manager at Microsoft South Africa. "When knowledge workers in an enterprise can use BI every day, they can make faster, smarter decisions that improve the bottom line."
More information on Microsoft SQL Server and business intelligence can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/sql/techinfo/bi/.
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