MicroStrategy

MicroStrategy's business intelligence (BI) technology provides integrated reporting, analysis, and monitoring. It claims companies choose MicroStrategy for its "advanced technical capabilities, sophisticated analytics, and superior data and user scalability" and to be the "Leading Independent Provider of Open Systems Business Intelligence Software".

Following recent announcements of the acquisitions of Cognos by IBM and Business Objects by SAP, MicroStrategy's made the following comment regarding the consolidation in the BI industry:

"Business intelligence consumers require financially strong, independent BI software providers. The acquisition of independent BI vendors by conglomerate software vendors will have the effect of creating 'closed stacks' of proprietary software that work best only when used together. In contrast, independent vendors work with one another to create an “open systems stack” of software that has several important advantages for BI consumers."

Open Systems Solutions

MicroStrategys open system solution provides CIO's with the freedom to deploy multiple vendor hardware or software platforms. This provides total freedom of choice between operating systems, hardware, ERP systems, database management systems and BI platforms.

Open systems BI vendors provide BI software that is optimized to work in conjunction with a wide range of potential complementary DBMS, ETL, Operating Systems, Directory Services, ERP, and Web software.

Proprietary or closed stack BI software, such as Oracle Discoverer or SAP’s Business Explorer do not provide CIOs the flexibility to change hardware, databases, or ERP systems as their needs change.

Apart from this freedom of choice, the key benefits of Open Systems Solutions include:

1. Can Be Optimized for Heterogeneous Technology Stacks - optimize for interoperation with other component vendors’ technology, often through the synchronization of development priorities
2. Dynamic Innovation - can innovate quickly without multiple stakeholder decision loops. And since many more years of technical innovation are required before the full vision of pervasive enterprise BI is realized, this ability to rapidly adapt and evolve is critical
3. Predictable Stability - reduced risk of obsolescence or future incompatability
4. Improved Customer Service - survival totally based on superior technology and service

Ultimate BI Technology Vision

The ultimate vision in BI technology includes:

1. Delivering sub-second query performance for all common queries
2. Instant access by thousands of users
3. Embedding intelligence automatically in every operational application
4. Making advanced analytics easily accessible by all business users
5. New user interface paradigms - replacing report design with Internet-style search
6. New visualization techniques such as 3D virtual reality, to help business decision-makers better understand their data
7. New ways to explore the entire data warehouse
8. Intelligent alerting functions - proactive and automatic
9. 24x7 fault-tolerant operation
10. Total user platform independence - mobile and stationary user interfaces

MicroStrategy's goal is "the relentless pursuit of the perfect BI platform and the realization of pervasive enterprise BI,” said Sanju Bansal, MicroStrategy COO; claiming the their customers are continually teaching them what the perfect BI platform must do.

Like Cognos, Microstrategys BI platform has been developed entirely organically, rather than through acquisition.

Strategic Partners

MicroStrategy also has relationships with over 400 systems integrators and application development and platform partners, including:

• Teradata
• IBM
• PeopleSoft
• Compaq
• Informatica
• JD Edwards.
  

More information about MicroStrategy

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