Re: Oracle vs. Microsoft in analysis languages

I have looked at Oracle's solution not long ago, including OLAP option in db, OWB in developer, Discoverer application server, etc.. I can't remember all of them. I will not try to answer why not, I will try why yes.

We have been using Cognos' Power Play 6.5 and Impromptu 5.0, and IBM DB2 Intelligent Miner, all of them quite expensive, and as BI is overlooked in the past at our enterprise level, we can't, as a medium-sized local market, offord to pay the MA for them. I am attracted by good features of SQL Server 2005, for example, custom rollup and semi-additive measures. You know what? It really makes BIG difference with / without OLAP flexibitiy. Reporting service is also interesting, plus data mining, it's of very low cost indeed. A SQL Server server + 25 CAL license is about one fourth (2XCPU) to one eighth (4XCPU) that of IBM DB2 IM per-processor license, and with a lot more overall functions.

Of course, I don't mean SQL Server 2005's BI is perfect, (I am still verifying by studying) the issue is it has limited front-end tools, but the trend looks promising. Received on Tue Dec 20 2005 - 00:43:32 CST