Hyperion and Microsoft to Link BI Wares

Published: May 3, 2006

by Alex Woodie

Software makers Microsoft and Hyperion announced plans last week to build more integration between their respective business intelligence offerings. The arrangement calls for better connections between Hyperion's flagship business intelligence platform, called Hyperion System 9 BI+, with Microsoft's SQL Server 2005 technology.

Hyperion is one of the largest developers of business intelligence products, and its flagship multidimensional database, called Essbase, has been ported to many platforms, including Windows, Unix, Linux, and OS/400. Microsoft's business intelligence offerings only run on Windows, but it is eager to build more connections to the established leaders in this segment of the market, to bolster the case for SQL Server 2005 and Windows Server.

The agreement between Microsoft and Hyperion calls for four separate initiatives involving SQL Server 2005and the versions of Reporting Services, Analysis Services, and Integration Services that work with that database, and Hyperion's System 9BI+, which includes Essbase.

Specifically, Hyperion customers will be able to use SQL Server Reporting Services to access Hyperion System 9 BI+ Essbase Analytics, and also will be able to display Microsoft reports in the Hyperion System 9 Workspace environment, the companies say. Likewise, Microsoft customers will be able to access SQL Server Analysis Services data using Hyperion System 9 BI+. Hyperion System 9 will "leverage" SQL Server Integration Services for data access, according to the companies' announcement.

Microsoft gave kudos to Hyperion as one of the leaders in the business intelligence software market, which is increasingly being referred to as "Business Performance Management." "Hyperion is a leader in BPM, and we're looking forward to the opportunities this collaboration will bring to enterprise customers," says Robert Bernard, general manager of the global ISV group at Microsoft.