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The company introduced new managed self-service analysis capabilities code-named "Project Gemini," and self-service reporting upcoming in the next release of Microsoft SQL Server focused on BI -- code-named "Kilimanjaro." Alongside this Microsoft will also deliver advanced data warehousing functionality being developed under the project code-named "Madison." These new tools will empower companies to extend the benefits of BI across their ranks to information workers with minimal reliance on IT to help drive smarter, quicker decision-making, free up IT staff for more valuable activities, and dramatically drive down deployment costs.

"Microsoft's goal is to transform the way companies think of BI through familiar and intuitive business-friendly tools that help them unlock the power of BI across their organizations," Stephen Elop, president of the Microsoft Business Division told the more than 2,500 conference attendees. "If you know how to use Word and Excel, then you'll be able to use our BI -- that's our commitment to customers."

Managed Self-Service BI

Ted Kummert, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Data and Platform Storage Division, showcased "Kilimanjaro," which will further enrich SQL Server's BI capabilities while providing a robust and scalable data platform capable of supporting the largest BI deployments. "Kilimanjaro" will include a set of new, easy-to-use analysis tools for managed self-service, project-code-named "Gemini," that will enable information workers to slice and dice data and create their own BI applications and assets to share and collaborate on from within the familiar, everyday Microsoft Office productivity tools they already use. Customers and partners will be able to gain early access to "Kilimanjaro" within the next 12 months via a community technology preview (CTP) with full product availability slated for the first half of calendar year 2010.

"To capitalize on the real value and potential of BI, organizations are turning more traditional approaches upside down -- providing BI and performance management capabilities to a broader set of knowledge workers and managers," said Bill Hostmann, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner.