Microsoft and Data Warehousing
Richard Rist, Vice President of Education and Research, The Data Warehousing Institute, Microsoft, Users and Partners of Microsoft
 

Will Microsoft's move into the data warehousing market help move things forward, or will it cause chaos in a market that is already easily put into whirlpools? The data warehousing market has successfully survived, adopted, and exploited the Web to gain a broader acceptance and use of data warehousing. Will Microsoft's initiatives help move this market further into mass adoption? Is this the force that can move data warehousing across the chasm? 

In order for Microsoft to be a positive force, it will require success in some very difficult areas. SQL Server V7.0 has to be taken seriously and provide the basic performance and scalability requirements required by most data mart and lower end data warehousing solutions. Will the data transformation services be robust enough to gain credibility from the IT world and skeptics? Will the new OLAP server and associated OLE database interfaces be accepted and gain acceptance in the access tool market? Will Microsoft continue to enhance and drive performance and scalability? One of the biggest challenges that remains for data warehousing is also a major challenge for Microsoft — meta data. Will Microsoft's efforts with the Microsoft Repository and the underlying OIM be fleshed out and accepted? TDWI felt that these questions, and the potential impact of the answers, were important enough to spend some time and focus on them. 

This session will explore the benefits and potential pitfalls of Microsoft's data warehousing initiatives. It will examine how these initiatives will impact the data warehousing market, data warehouse implementations, and other data warehousing tool providers. 

If you are considering these new initiatives by Microsoft for your data warehousing environment, then this session is a must in order to make the correct decisions in a very complex environment. Attendees will hear from practitioners in the field, as well as from their peers in other companies that have developed and deployed Microsoft data warehousing solutions including for example Arla, CTP, Intentia, Sparbanken and WM-Data. The session will provide an in-depth analysis of critical issues using lectures from leading practitioners in the field, case study presentations by pioneering users, product demos given to demonstrate the new Microsoft offerings, and an assortment of panel discussions and debates. 

• Data warehouse managers 
• Anyone considering Microsoft data warehouse and data marts 
• Decision support specialists 
• IT manager supporting the Microsoft environments 

AGENDA:

The Microsoft Strategy — Presented by Microsoft
Let's start with hearing from the makers of the strategy. What is available? What is coming? What is the plan, and what support will there be? 

The Microsoft Strategy — Lessons From the Pioneers
You will hear from some that have gone ahead with Microsoft as a strategic solution for their data warehousing needs. This session will examine the challenges, lessons learned, pitfalls and benefits that others have already seen. 

Microsoft's Move Into the Warehouse — Trends and Issues
This session will help you understand the impact of Microsoft's entry into data warehousing for your current and future technology selection process. If you are a DW Manager, can you afford not to at least look at what is happening?