Oracle's acquisition of Hyperion in March 2007 was by far the world's largest BI takeover. Now that the integration of Hyperion operations is underway, Nigel Pendse scrutinizes Oracle's strategy roadmap in this new market analysis.

Issues covered include:

Microsoft only entered the OLAP market at the end of 1998, and soon dominated it. It is now entering the performance management market — will history be repeated?

Nigel Pendse has scritinized Microsoft's every move in the OLAP space since its surprise entry in 1998. In this freshly updated report, he looks back at the reasons for Redmond's rise to prominence in this area and the effect that it continues to have on other key players in the market.

For more information, or to purchase, click here

Paying subscribers to The OLAP Report can access the full article here

The results of The OLAP Survey 6, which is the largest independent survey of customer satisfaction in the area of BI, show that difficulties involving people are one of the main factors causing delays and failure in BI projects.

Establishing a Business Intelligence Competency Center is one way to help avoid these issues.

Click here to read this commentary by OLAP Report analyst Barney Finucane.

NEW: PerformancePoint Preview released

Microsoft's hotly-anticipated Performance Management offering, PerformancePoint, is now close to full release. In this 32-page preview, Nigel Pendse examines its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the impact which it has already had on the marketplace. The preview includes over 20 screenshots.

For more information, click here

Paying OLAP Report subscribers can access the full preview here

The OLAP Report invites you to take part in a strictly-independent study examining business intelligence (BI), performance management and OLAP implementations around the world.

We are particularly interested in your use of products such as BusinessObjects, Cognos 8, PowerPlay or Planning, any Hyperion product, Microsoft Analysis Services or ProClarity, MicroStrategy, TM1, Oracle Express and OLAP Option, SAP BW, WebFocus, arcplan, OutlookSoft and similar products.

The large-scale Survey is again being conducted in conjunction with Nigel Pendse, a world-renowned expert in BI and lead author of The OLAP Report.

In return for your participation, you will receive a summary of the research findings and will be entered into a prize draw to win one of ten $50 Amazon vouchers.

The survey takes 15-20 minutes to complete and is being conducted by Survey.com in accordance with the Market Research Society Code of Conduct. All information provided will be used in an aggregate form only and will be kept strictly confidential.

To access the survey, please click here

Thank you for your participation.

Our SQL Server Analysis Services review now includes previews of SQL Server 2008 (aka Katmai) as well as PerformancePoint - the financial analytical application scheduled for release in late 2007.

The Katmai preview, which includes screenshots, highlights some of the improvements on the current version of SQL Server

OLAP Report customers can access the full review here

This 56-page in-depth review is also available for purchase to non-subscribers. Click here for details

As with all OLAP Report reviews, our coverage is detailed, critical where necessary, and 100% free of vendor bias. We do not get paid by vendors to cover their products.

With the Oracle purchase of Hyperion complete, this updated review now includes an introductory section on the acquisition as well as Nigel Pendse's take on the future prospects for Essbase under new ownership. As with all OLAP Report reviews, the technical capabilities of the product are also examined in detail, plus we reveal hard-to-find vendor pricing information.

OLAP Report subscribers can access the full review here

The review is also available for purchase to non-subscribers. Click here for more details

Microsoft SQL Server & Analysis Services review updated

OLAP Report subscribers can access the full review here

The review is also available for purchase to non-subscribers. Click here for details

Coming soon ... SQL Server 2008 (aka Katmai) preview

Click here to read the full article

Following last week's announcement that SAP has agreed to buy OutlookSoft, read Nigel Pendse's initial comments on the deal here.

This commentary is just a small section of The OLAP Report's comprehensive review of the history of consolidations in the BI industry over the last 13 years.

Cartesis Performance Suite 10 Review

From its roots in financial reporting and consolidation, Cartesis has positioned itself as an integrated BPM vendor with the introduction of Cartesis Planning and Cartesis Analytics to the suite.

For more information on this new 29-page review by Nigel Pendse, click here

OLAP Report subscribers can access the full review here

Business Objects yesterday announced its intention to acquire Cartesis in a EUR 225M (USD 300M) deal. Nigel Pendse offers his observations on this news, and on Business Objects' recent acquisition strategy in general. Click here to read the commentary.

There are no changes from the provisional report findings announced last month. The OLAP market growth rate of 16.4% in 2006 has increased the market size to $5.7bn USD. However, as in 2005, there are no movers in the top 6 positions.

Click here to read the summary of our findings.

OLAP Report subscribers can click here to access an additional top ten vendor-by-vendor market performance commentary for 2006 by Nigel Pendse.

Changing requirements and technologies can turn any IT project into a multi-million dollar money pit. Using supporting evidence from The OLAP Survey 6, Dr Carsten Bange argues that the success of each project ultimately depends on the speed of implementation.

Click here to read the full article

Faster Than Expected market growth in 2006

Click here to read the summary of our findings.

OLAP Report subscribers can click here to access an additional top ten vendor-by-vendor market performance commentary for 2006 by Nigel Pendse.

The OLAP Survey 6 - now available

The OLAP Survey 6, the world's largest independent survey of business intelligence/OLAP users, is now available for purchase.

The findings of the survey, based on the results of 1679 responses, are presented and analyzed by Nigel Pendse in this revealing 381-page report.

Discover from real-world evidence why organizations select OLAP products, what they do with them, and with what success.

Areas such as query performance, implementation issues and web deployment are examined closely. The report also contains individual and detailed analysis on 13 market-leading OLAP products including Microsoft Analysis Services, Essbase, Cognos Analysis (Cognos 8 or PowerPlay), BusinessObjects and SAP BW.

For more information, and to download a free 26-page preview of the findings from The OLAP Survey 6, click here

Nigel Pendse believes this could signal a rough ride for both Oracle’s products and their users.

Click here to read Pendse's initial comments on the acquisition, included here in The OLAP Report's comprehensive market analysis, 'Consolidations in The BI Industry'.

Vendors regularly announce new products, or features in existing products, as 'breakthrough' achievements in product functionality that are supposed to fundamentally change the way business intelligence software works. But many of those announcements never live up to the expectations that are hyped up by overly-bold marketing statements.

In this sideways look at the BI market, Nigel Pendse and Dr Carsten Bange identify a dozen "next big things" in Business Intelligence that did not happen.

To read the full commentary, click here

Apologies for the lack of news on our feed recently. We will now be issuing regular updates on new reviews, commentaries and news from The OLAP Report.

This newly released commentary can be accessed here

It's been a little quiet on the RSS front over the last month. The OLAP Report has been undergoing some changes and can now announce that BARC, a respected independent German BI industry analyst and consulting firm now owns The OLAP Report.

This will increase the resources available, while continuing The OLAP Report’s consistent policy of strict independence.

Carsten Bange, founder and CEO of BARC highlights the common vision: “BARC and The OLAP Report share the same principles: strict vendor neutrality, no sponsored reviews, in-depth evaluations and a focus on the end user, not the vendor. Together we are able to bring in-depth analysis to a worldwide audience and grow to be the most influential analyst in the BI industry.”

Nigel Pendse, lead analyst for The OLAP Report, will continue with his current role whilst overseeing new and exciting content development. The OLAP Report has always aimed to offer wide ranging clear and unbiased research and this will be strengthened by a much-enlarged team of analysts from BARC, headed by Dr. Carsten Bange.

More information on what this means for The OLAP Report can be found in the full press release here

Regular RSS updates will resume shortly.]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:02:43 +0100 Latest News the-olap-report-is-now-part-of-business-applicatio http://www.survey.com/olap6sur13.html The OLAP Survey 6

The 2006 edition of The OLAP Survey, the world's largest BI user survey, is now underway. This strictly independent Survey is unique in not being vendor sponsored, and seeks to incorporate real-world user experiences from large numbers of users and implementers around the world.

Participants in The OLAP Survey 6 will receive a summary of the findings and will be entered into a prize draw to win one of ten $50 Amazon vouchers.

To participate in The OLAP Survey 6, click here
]]> Wed, 31 May 2006 15:33:36 +0100 News be-part-of-the-olap-survey-6 http://olapreport.com/purchase/Reviews/TM1.htm Applix TM1 9 TM1 (Applix) - an underrated high performer

TM1 continues to build a growing following in the planning and financial applications market, and, with the launch of Version 9, offers new functionality and features. Although Applix is a fraction of the size of its main competitors, its product compares well in many key areas while outperforming the competition in some.

This 36-page review covers the latest release, including the .NET web architecture and revised user interface, along with a detailed look at all the other features of the product.

The review explains what factors could make TM1 worthy of inclusion on a short-list. Among other things, these include:

• A write-back capability that outperform products such as MS Analysis Services
• Ease of moving to and from a spreadsheet environment.
• A true multi-cube calculation capability
• TM1's RAM-based approach, making it suitable for portable use.

You will also discover its relative weaknesses, ranging from the absence of automatic exception detection or built-in time-series intelligence, to the lack of special support for currency conversion. Despite these limitations, TM1 emerges as a highly competitive product in a market dominated by well-established players such as Hyperion and Cognos. Use this review to find out exactly:

• Where Applix outperforms even the biggest players
• Its comparative advantages in relation to comparable products
• The background to Applix's current success in the financial OLAP market

Subscribers can access the review here

Non subscribers click here for further information


]]> Tue, 09 May 2006 15:13:20 +0100 applix-tm1-9-review-released http://www.olapreport.com/products/MicrosoftOLAP.htm Microsoft Analysis Services review has been updated
A short section has been added to the Microsoft Analysis Services review in light of today's announcement that Microsoft has agreed to acquire ProClarity.

The review will further be updated once more information is available about the new Microsoft ProClarity offering and road map.

Subscribers can access the review here
]]> Mon, 03 Apr 2006 19:22:04 +0100 Updates microsoft-review-updated http://www.olapreport.com/consolidations.htm#ProClarity Microsoft agrees to aquire ProClarity
On April 3, 2006, Microsoft announced that it had agreed to acquire the privately held ProClarity. The price was not disclosed. Subject to regulatory approval, the deal is expected to close in May 2006. The OLAP Survey 5 showed that ProClarity was the most widely used third party front-end for Analysis Services, which may be one of the reasons for this acquisition.

Unlike Microsoft’s three previous BI acquisitions, where Microsoft acquired just the technology from very young companies, and not the companies themselves, this time Microsoft emphasizes that it is buying the entire ProClarity organization and business. It says it intends to build on all ProClarity’s strengths, including its technology, sales and marketing, partner networks and future plans.

Unlike those previous acquisition, ProClarity has a relatively mature product line, now on its sixth major release, and some 1200 established customers. Microsoft will therefore be keeping most of ProClarity’s products unchanged in the short term. The one exception is the ProClarity Live Server, which will be withdrawn from the market, though its capabilities are likely to surface in future Microsoft BI products.

As part of this continuity, the ProClarity organization will become a Microsoft subsidiary and continue to be based in Boise, Idaho, and most of the management and employees are expected to be retained. The ProClarity sales force is likely to be integrated into (or form the nucleus of) Microsoft’s own growing BI sales and marketing organization. Microsoft wants to be seen as a fully fledged BI vendor, not just a large software co.

Read more...
]]> Mon, 03 Apr 2006 19:09:57 +0100 microsoft-gets-more-aggressive-with-bi-frontend-tools-by-acquiring-proclarity http://www.olapreport.com/products/ProClarity.htm Microsoft makes a bold statement of its BI ambitions by acquiring ProClarity
The ProClarity review has been updated with the announcement that Microsoft has agreed to acquire the privately held vendor.

Subscribers can access the review here
]]> Mon, 03 Apr 2006 19:06:11 +0100 Updates proclarity-review-updated-1 http://www.olapreport.com/podcast/MarketsharesPodcast.mp3 The second in a series of podcasts from The OLAP Report.

In this podcast, Nigel Pendse examines the 2005 market shares and talks about the relative rise and fall in individual vendor fortunes.
]]> Mon, 03 Apr 2006 12:39:18 +0100 Podcast podcast-the-2005-olap-market-shares http://www.olapreport.com/products/bo.htm First impressions of BusinessObjects XI Release 2
Subscribers can access the review here
]]> Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:59:36 +0000 New releases Updates businessobjects-review-updated http://www.olapreport.com/market.htm As predicted, the OLAP market growth slowed slightly in 2005
The provisional 2005 OLAP market shares are now available, and show a small drop in growth rates but no changes in the top six positions in the table.

The summary article is available here


]]> Tue, 07 Mar 2006 20:16:57 +0000 New releases the-provisional-2005-olap-market-shares http://olapreport.com/purchase/Analyses/opensource.htm FAQ: Open Source OLAP
Open source software (OSS) is beginning to have a big impact on some markets, but not so far on the business intelligence market. But that may be beginning to change. This article looks at the issues in the form of an FAQ..

Subscribers can access the analysis here

Non subscribers click here for further information


]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2006 13:25:13 +0000 New releases faq-open-source-olap http://www.olapreport.com/How_not_to_buy.htm Analysis: How not to buy an OLAP product!
Practical advice to avoid the numerous pitfalls when buying OLAP products

One that the salesmen really don’t want you to read! This penetrating analysis gives you plenty of examples of the mistakes people make when buying OLAP products and provides solid, practical advice for doing it quicker and more reliably.

Read more...
]]> Mon, 13 Feb 2006 12:22:27 +0000 Updates analysis-how-not-to-buy-an-olap-product http://www.olapreport.com/Comment_FiringDuds.htm Commentary: Is your BI system firing duds?
If you want useful answers, you need to ask the right questions. It's no good blaming the software.

This newly released commentary can be accessed here
]]> Mon, 13 Feb 2006 12:18:10 +0000 New releases commentary-is-your-bi-system-firing-duds http://www.olapreport.com/podcast/Visualization.mp3 The first in a series of podcasts from The OLAP Report.

Despite all the apparent advances in visualization, Nigel Pendse bemoans the lack of real progress in how people display their business data.
]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2006 16:06:17 +0000 Podcast visualization http://www.olapreport.com/Comment_CALM.htm Commentary: Beyond collaboration
“Would you trust a computer enough to put your life in its hands?”

Most of us would promptly answer “No” to this question, whether or not it is based on personal work/life experience or simply an intuitive reaction. Yet every day, most of us drive cars where computers compensate for human failures during emergency braking in the form of the Anti-lock Brake System, ABS. Also, few of us doubt the abilities of the flight-control computers used in commercial airliners, which in some cases don’t even allow direct pilot access to control input without going through a computer.

Having worked in the business intelligence industry for more than a decade and in the computer industry for two decades, I have experienced my share of un-trustworthy systems where human judgment was needed to over-ride a computer’s analytical findings. However, looking at many of the business intelligence implementations in organizations I see today, I can’t help but wonder if this is the right time to take computing to a new level in organizations where we start trusting computers to achieve synergy rather than just simple efficiency.

Read more...
]]> Sun, 22 Jan 2006 22:00:49 +0000 New releases commentary-beyond-collaboration http://olapreport.com/purchase/Reviews/Tableau.htm Tableau 1.5
An innovative, multi-pane multidimensional visual analysis tool for both OLAP and relational data sources.

Find out how effectively Tableau’s ‘visual analysis’ capabilities enable people of all levels of technical ability to visually investigate performance data. Tableau, incorporating many innovative features, is designed for use with other BI tools. Its purpose is to makes it easier for key insights to be achieved by ‘seeing’ trends, relationships, anomalies, and outliers - a process that leads to better decision support. How effectively it does so is revealed in this 21-page review.

The review is extensively illustrated with examples of the wide range of charts that can be selected from a ‘show-me’ menu to allow the user to rapidly switch from one chart type to another. Overall, the conclusion is that the product is flexible, easy to learn and delightfully forgiving, even for novices, with drag-and-drop functionality that allows charts to be created from multidimensional data and simple formating tools to customise on-screen presentation.

The review evaluates its suitability for:

* Ad-hoc analysis
* Different sizes of databases
* Multidimensional and relational data
* Inexperienced as well as power users.

It also looks at some of Tableau’s limitations, for example, its unsuitability for presentation graphics, its Windows-only architecture, absence of sophisticated statistical analysis, the fact that it is not an application building tool and needs to be used in conjunction with other analytical tools.

Subscribers can access the review here

Non subscribers click here for further information

]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2006 16:19:22 +0000 New releases tableau-15-review-released http://www.olapreport.com/Comment_Culture.htm Commentary: Take the ‘C’ word seriously
Why those responsible for OLAP and business intelligence initiatives should take full account of culture and change management issues.

If you think that delivering OLAP, business intelligence and performance management solutions is just about delivering superior tools and smarter applications, think again. "Build it and people are bound to use it" is not a wise assumption to work on. The implications for corporate politics, the internal balance of power and self-interest are issues on which success can tip one way or the other. Get all the specifications and process issues right and you can still come unstuck if you neglect the human factor.

This newly released commentary can be accessed here
]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2006 10:28:29 +0000 New releases commentary-take-the-c-word-seriously http://www.olapreport.com/Comment_Microsoft.htm Commentary: The Microsoft Effect
Microsoft has already had a major impact on the OLAP market, and there is more to come. This article provides some of the background, to complement the review of Analysis Services

This updated commentary can be accessed here
]]> Tue, 03 Jan 2006 10:14:43 +0000 Updates commentary-the-microsoft-effect http://www.olapreport.com/Comment_Synchronicity.htm Commentary: Synchronicity
New launches from major vendors bring the integration of multidimensional and relational reporting that much closer. Although there is some way to go, they promise to greatly improve the user experience.

This newly released commentary can be accessed here
]]> Fri, 09 Dec 2005 12:13:52 +0000 New releases commentary-synchronicity http://www.olapreport.com/products/CSIBM.htm IBM/arcplan Finance Case Study
A finance portal provides a highly cost-effective global solution to analysis, reporting and performance management applications.

Subscribers can access the case study here
]]> Mon, 05 Dec 2005 10:57:14 +0000 New releases ibm-finance-case-study-released-subscriber-only http://spaces.msn.com/members/cwebbbi/ Nigel Pendse Podcast
For his first podcast, Chris Webb, a prominent BI blogger, invited Nigel Pendse to chat with him about the impact that SQL2005/AS2005 will have on the BI market.

You can catch the podcast at Chris Webb's blog here
]]> Thu, 01 Dec 2005 11:02:37 +0000 News nigel-pendse-podcast http://olapreport.com/purchase/Reviews/Analysis%20Services.htm Microsoft Analysis Services 2000 with Preview of 2005 Release
The 2000 and 2005 releases of Microsoft's mass market OLAP server plus coverage of the Cube Analysis Excel add-in

Find out how SQL Server 2005 differs from the previous version of Microsoft's product, its new features and the implications for the OLAP market - in particular for Microsoft's rapidly growing acceptance by large enterprises.

Although more than two years later to market than Microsoft originally had originally announced, SQL Server 2005 along with Analysis Services, represent a significant advance in many areas. For example, it represents a significant advance over the 2000 release in terms of data access, including from relational sources.

The review evaluates the extended scope of Analysis Services including:

Its closer integration with SQL Server 2005

Improved security features

Extended time-series intelligence