Kilimanjaro: Microsoft's BI power-user play

Publication Date	December 2008
Publisher	Ovum
Product Type	Report
Pages	8
ISBN Number	not applicable
Product Code	OVM00669

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Summary

At its recent BI conference in Seattle, Microsoft announced details of the next release of SQL Server, code-named 'Kilimanjaro', which will include Project Gemini for self-service analysis, collaboration and management.

Content

Executive summary
- In a nutshell
- Ovum view
  - Gemini within Excel
  - Microsoft's plans for Project Gemini
  - Gemini in the market
Understanding Kilimanjaro's remit
- An uphill challenge
Gemini is Microsoft's BI power-user play
- Gemini's three core components
- Clarification around metadata is still needed
Microsoft plays catch-up
- Bringing in-memory analysis to Excel
Gemini unshackles BI power users, but at what cost?
- Self-service is the key feature
- Does Gemini's self-service functionality impede data governance?
- SharePoint provides a pragmatic approach to management
- Report Builder updates
Gemini requires commitment to the Microsoft stack
- An all-in-one approach
- Gemini mandates the latest version of Excel
Microsoft must buck the trend for late releases
- Reclaiming the BI spotlight