Microsoft Partners with Teradata, Plans BI Conference

Published: January 17, 2007

by Alex Woodie

Microsoft and Teradata this week unveiled a plan to interconnect their business intelligence software products. Microsoft also announced its first annual business intelligence conference will be held this May in Seattle, Washington.

Among the products that will be integrated are Teradata's Enterprise Data Warehouse solution, used by some of the largest retailers in the world, and Microsoft's online analytical processing (OLAP) tool, SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services, among various other SQL Server and Office 2007 components, the companies announced. The partnership also includes joint sales and marketing activities across multiple industries, beginning with the retail sector.

Customers will be the beneficiaries of the integration work, which is supposed to be completed before the end of March. "The combination . . . will enable our joint customers to make better, faster decisions . . . " says Randy Lea, vice president of products and services for Teradata, which is a subsidiary of NCR.

One large retailer looking forward to the new tools is Meijer, which operates 170 grocery and thrift stores across the Midwest. "To get the most out of our data, we need to be able to analyze every bit of it as quickly as possible," says Bill Noakes, Meijer's CIO and an executive vice president. "The improved, real-time intersection between the Microsoft and Teradata environments will help us improve this process and enable us to provide a solution that will better serve our customers."

Business Intelligence Conference

Last week, Microsoft also announced it will sponsor the first annual "Microsoft Business Intelligence Conference" May 9 through 11 at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in downtown Seattle.

The conference will feature technical tracks and sessions, customer and partner presentations, executive keynotes, presentations by industry analysts, a customer awards presentation, and an exhibit hall showcasing Microsoft partners, Microsoft says. The company estimates 2,000 people will attend the show.

Keynote addresses will be given by Jeff Raikes, president of the Microsoft Business Division, Ted Kummert, corporate vice president of the Data and Storage Platforms Division, and CEO Steve Ballmer.

Also making its debut will be the Microsoft Business Intelligence Awards. Customers have until April 1 to submit their entries for the most innovative or largest business intelligence solution built using Microsoft products.

Registration for the conference opens in mid-February. People who register before March 15 will pay $895, while people who register after will pay the full $1,095 rate. For more information, see www.microsoftbiconference.com.

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