Microsoft business intelligence is delivered through a trusted and familiar environment that solves the business needs of organizations of all sizes around the world. Powered by the flexibility and horsepower of Microsoft SQL Server and delivered through the trusted and familiar 2007 Microsoft Office system, Microsoft business intelligence solutions work together to provide value to all users across your organization.
Because Microsoft business intelligence solutions are delivered in environments that you already work in today—Microsoft Office Excel, Office Outlook, and Office SharePoint Server 2007—there’s no need for week-long training courses or complicated books and manuals. And the products are integrated and interoperable from top to bottom, so you don’t need to get used to different user interfaces for all the different product versions in production. You’ll require less support time from IT and less training time for everyone to get started using the tools.
Total cost of ownership issues are at the top of everyone’s list today, and business intelligence investments are no exception. And while every project starts with the ultimate vision of connecting everyone on every desktop and every mobile device, the software, training, maintenance and upgrade costs add up quickly. But a Microsoft business intelligence project delivers unparalleled economic value.
You can leverage your existing investments in the 2007 Microsoft Office system, SQL Server, and Office SharePoint Server 2007 to extend out the capabilities and add new functionality and new users. Business intelligence projects don’t have to break the bank, and with a solution based upon Microsoft technologies, a pervasive “business intelligence for everyone” reality is closer than you might think.

HOW DOES MICROSOFT BI WORK?
An effective, integrated business intelligence solution can improve business performance by driving better decision making across your organization. But for a business intelligence solution to live up to its promise, it must be designed with the needs of every user in mind and must have the flexibility to accommodate all the structured and unstructured information your organization uses day to day.
The foundation of a solid business intelligence solution is the very data that people rely on to make decisions. SQL Server can bring together all your data, wherever it resides. Known for its power and scalability, SQL Server offers an enterprise-ready engine that can store massive amounts of data and support high query loads and clustering.
And with the new features in SQL Server 2008 combined with recent acquisitions to improve data quality and data warehousing, there’s never been a better time to consider SQL Server to drive your business intelligence projects.
Next, you need to provide a way for people to bring together and organize all the information they use—whether it’s from e-mail, the Internet, a corporate data source, a conversation, or anywhere else. The 2007 Microsoft Office system, anchored by the collaboration and team capabilities of SharePoint Server 2007, contains all the tools you need to collect, analyze, and share the information seamlessly. With these features on top of SQL Server, you’ll have a full range of capabilities, including advanced reporting, integration, and analysis tools that enable you to take an even deeper look at your business.
To support informed decision making at a broader level, you need a solid performance management monitoring strategy. Office Performance Point Server 2007 was built to support corporate and line-of-business scenarios by providing a direct view of the key drivers of your business. At a glance, users across your organization can understand what is working and what is not, which opportunities to take advantage of, and where to take immediate action.