MS releases BI to the masses

Microsoft has released Office PerformancePoint Server 2007, the company's new flagship business intelligence (BI) product, reports IT Jungle.

The delivery of PerformancePoint is significant for Microsoft, as the company intends it to herald a new era of reporting and analytics tools that are intuitive enough to be used by regular workers, not only programmers and highly trained analysts.

John Hagerty, a VP for AMR Group, said the launch made BI and performance management (BI/PM) strategy "formidable". "Because of Microsoft's ubiquitous presence within enterprises of all sizes, its BI/PM products will certainly have long-term impact on how buyers perceive and purchase information-based products across all areas of their companies."

Business advisory firm FTI Consulting has made acquisitions in Australia and China, and opened an office in Mexico, according to CNNMoney.

The office in Mexico City does forensic and litigation consulting to provide investigative, business intelligence, forensic accounting and litigation support services.

The company's strategic communications arm, FD, acquired Third Person Communications, a financial communications firm in Sydney. It also acquired Occasions Corporate and Financial Communications and Occasions Marketing Communications, a consultancy in Hong Kong and China.

Dell will offer preconfigured, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB data warehouse versions of Microsoft's SQL Server database, reports Information Week.

A 1TB configuration would consist of two Dell PowerEdge 6950 servers to host the SQL Server Database Server and Analysis Server, along with a PowerEdge 2970 server to host Microsoft's Reporting Server.

The configuration also includes three Dell PowerVault 1000 storage arrays. The 2TB and 5TB configurations include the same hardware and software but add more Dell storage arrays.