Data Warehouse Product

Comparison

Presented By:
Bouayad Mehdi & Bouzoubaa Marouane

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

Outline
Introduction
What is Business Intelligence
Selection Critieria Definition.
Products Comparison.
1. BI Platform Strategies.
Conclusion
BI platform / Partnerships / Packaging and Pricing
2. Comparing BI databases
3. Comparing OLAP
4. Comparing Data Mining
5. Comparing Interfaces
6. Comparing Build and Manage Capabilities
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

Goals
Evaluates and compares the business

intelligence platform strategies and business

intelligence platform components of:
Microsoft Corporation.
Hyperion Solutions, Inc.
IBM Corporation.
Oracle Corporation.

All four vendors have characteristic strengths

and limitations. Figure out them

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

Outline
Introduction
What is Business Intelligence
Selection Critieria Definition.
Products Comparison.
1. BI Platform Strategies.
Conclusion
BI platform / Partnerships / Packaging and Pricing
2. Comparing BI databases
3. Comparing OLAP
4. Comparing Data Mining
5. Comparing Interfaces
6. Comparing Build and Manage Capabilities
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

What is Business Intelligence ?

Business Intelligence is the process of transforming

data into information and through discovery

transforming that information into knowledge
- Gartner Group

Business Intelligence is a discipline of developing

information that is conclusive, fact-based and

actionable. Business Intelligence gives companies
ability to discover and utilize information they already
own, and turn it into the knowledge that directly
impacts corporate performance
- IBM
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

Business Intelligence STEPS

Gathering Data
Organizing and Storing Data
Analysis
Spreading Results
Decision Making and Action

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

Business Intelligence
Had been used synonymously with decision

support, analysis, and data warehousing.

Today business intelligence has a more

specific definition and a better understood

application.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

Business Intelligence Platform

Requirements
Data Warehouse Databases.
OLAP.
Data Mining.
Interfaces.
Build and Manage Capabilities.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

Outline
Introduction
What is Business Intelligence
Selection Critieria Definition.
Products Comparison.
1. BI Platform Strategies.
Conclusion
BI platform / Partnerships / Packaging and Pricing
2. Comparing BI databases
3. Comparing OLAP
4. Comparing Data Mining
5. Comparing Interfaces
6. Comparing Build and Manage Capabilities
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

Selection Criteria
BI Platform Strategies.

BI platform
Partnerships
Packaging & Pricing

BI databases
OLAP
Data Mining
Interfaces
Build and Manage Capabilities
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

10

Data Warehouse Databases

Should support both relational and

multidimensional data warehousing databases.

Storage models should support the distribution of
data across both.
Data models should support transparent or neartransparent access to data, wherever its stored.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

11

OLAP
Critical business intelligence platform component.
Most widely used approach to analysis.
Business intelligence platforms must provide:

OLAP support within their databases.

OLAP functionality, interfaces to OLAP
functionality.
OLAP build and manage capabilities.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

12

Data Mining.
Critical to business intelligence platform

capability.
Platforms should include data mining

functionality that offers a range of algorithms

that can operate on data warehouse data.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

13

Interfaces.
BI platforms should provide open interfaces to

data warehouse databases.

OLAP, and data mining interfaces should comply
with standards.
Open, standards-based interfaces make it easier
both to buy and to build applications that use the
facilities of a business intelligence platform.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

14

Build capabilities
Should include the implementation of:

data warehouse models, the extraction, movement,

transformation, and cleansing of data from operational
sources, and the initial loading and incremental updating
of data warehouses according to their models.

A wide range of data sources should be supported:

files, and the data of popular packaged software.

Transformation capabilities should be powerful and

flexible.
Predefined transformations should be packaged. ( &
extensible through programming languages.)
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

15

Manage capabilities
Should cover all platform resourcesusers,

data, and processes.

Strong and flexible prepackaged capabilities
are essential.
Good use should be made of visual tools.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

16

Outline
Introduction
What is Business Intelligence
Selection Critieria Definition.
Products Comparison.
1. BI Platform Strategies.
Conclusion
BI platform / Partnerships / Packaging and Pricing
2. Comparing BI databases
3. Comparing OLAP
4. Comparing Data Mining
5. Comparing Interfaces
6. Comparing Build and Manage Capabilities
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

17

Product Comparison
1. Microsoft SQL Server 2000
2. IBM DB2
3. Oracle 9iAS
4. Hyperion Essbase 6.5
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

18

Platform Strategy
Comparison
Platform
Partnerships
Packaging & Pricing
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

19

Microsoft
BI platform
Based on SQL Server 2000 and Office XP.
Deliver a comprehensive (all in one) business

intelligence platform :
Advanced data warehousing techniques
Great analytic functionality
Good performance and scalability across all
platform components.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

20

Microsoft

BI platform

Through Microsofts business intelligence

platform:
Push business intelligence to the edges of the
enterprise
Make business intelligence dominant within
the corporation
Make business intelligence more reachable for
more users and more types of users

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

21

Microsoft

BI platform

The Microsoft formula has these key

elements:
Fast implementation
Ease of learning and ease of use
Low cost and high value
Fast return on investment (ROI)

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

22

Microsoft

Partnerships
Ms BI Platform is built in Microsoft technology
Microsoft controls all aspects of it design,

development, product marketing, and support

This is essential in order to provide consistency,

integration, and timely technology delivery

Windows OS dependent
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

23

Microsoft

Partnerships

Partnerships are critical to Microsoft and to its

business intelligence platform.

The firm currently uses partnerships to create
a large base of specialized business
intelligence tools and applications that
supports its platform.
These partnerships simplify and accelerate
adoption of the platform and make the
platforms resources more easily accessible.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

24

Microsoft
Packaging and Pricing

Strong selling argument of Microsoft.

For the processor-based license fee of

$19,999 per processor for SQL Server

Enterprise Edition
You get the entire business intelligence
platform:

OLAP / data mining / build & manage

capabilities

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

25

Oracle

BI platform
Oracle 9i AS
Object/relational database management

system designed and positioned to support all

types of Internet-based applications.
Complete and integrated infrastructure for
building BI applications.
Oracle9i OLAP & Oracle9i Data Mining
Features of Oracle9i Enterprise Edition.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

26

Oracle

BI platform

Build and Manage functionality is provided by

two toolsets:

Oracle Enterprise Manager:

main management framework and DBA toolset as

well as the toolset for OLAP build and manage.

Oracle9i Warehouse Builder:

Component of Oracle Internet Developer Suite

Provides capabilities for:
Managing relational data warehousing resources
Designing relational data warehouse models
ETL (Extraction Transformation and load).

OS Independent

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

27

Oracle

Partnerships
Do not play a major role within Oracles

business intelligence platform.

The complete and integrated infrastructure

means that every platform component is

provided by Oracle and is based on Oracle9i.

Oracles R&D organization controls the

design, development, and support of the

entire platform.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

28

Oracle

Partnerships
Oracle uses partnerships for business platform
tools and applications.
Although the firm currently competes with these
partners with its own business intelligence tools
and applications.
Oracles BI platform does not include partner
technology Oracle has the important
advantage of control over the platforms
components, technology, and integration.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

29

Oracle

Packaging and Pricing

Oracle offers little bundling.

All the components
its business intelligence
Sum = $of95,000

platform are separately packaged and priced.

Build and manage components have separately
priced and packaged sub-components.
O9i Enterprise Edition : $40,000 / processor.
+ O9i OLAP: $20,000 / processor.
+ O9i Data Mining: $20,000 / processor.
+ O Warehouse Builder: $5,000 per named user.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

30

IBM

BI platform

Based on DB2
The DB2 Universal Database (UDB) provides

relational data warehousing capabilities.

The database also integrates basic relational
data warehousing build and manage
capabilities.
OLAP functionality and OLAP build and
manage functionality are provided by DB2
OLAP Server.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

31

IBM

BI platform

DB2 OLAP Server: feature of DB2 Enterprise

Server Edition that is OEMed from Hyperion

and re-branded.
Data mining functionality: provided by DB2
Intelligent Miner and DB2 OLAP Miner.
Warehouse Manager: enhance the integrated
relational build and manage functionality of
DB2.
DB2 OLAP Administrative Services provides
OLAP build and manage capabilities.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

32

IBM

Partnerships
IBM relies on a set of partners to assemble it

BI platform.
The most critical partnership : Hyperion
Solutions.
Partners also provide ETL and data cleansing
The partnership with Hyperion:
gave IBM OLAP capabilities instantly
allows IBM to compete in an important market
where it had no previous presence and where it
had made no investment in R&D.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

33

IBM

Partnerships
At long term: disadvantage to IBMs business

intelligence platform and to its BI customers and

partners.
Why? Because OLAP is more an add-on than an
integral component of IBMs BI platform.
IBM has no direct control over OLAP technology,
its development, and its integration within its BI
platform.
Given the importance of OLAP, IBM should either
acquire Hyperion or develop its own OLAP. Until
then, its BI platform will always be at a
disadvantage.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

34

IBM

Packaging and Pricing

Every component of IBMs BI platform is

separately packaged and priced

Individual components offer good value, but the
whole platform can be quite costly.
DB2 UDB (Enterprise Server Edition V8.1 ):
$25,000 per processor.
( provides the basic build and manage functionality of
Data Warehouse Center)

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

35

IBM

Packaging and Pricing

DB2 OLAP Server: $28,000 per server

+ additional $1,500 fee per named user.

(includes the build and manage capabilities of DB2
Administrative Services and the data mining functionality of DB2 OLAP
Miner).

Intelligent Miner: 3 components. $75,000 per processor

for the 3.
For advanced relational build and manage
capabilities:
DB2 Warehouse Manager : $10,600 per processor.
SUM = $138,600 without external ETL and data cleansing tools
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

36

Hyperion

BI Platform
The technology platform for Hyperions performance

management solutions is Essbase, its admired OLAP

Server.
The firm states its objective is to be the leading
global provider of business performance management
solutions. These solutions are designed to automate
the business performance management process of
strategy setting, modeling, planning, performance
monitoring, reporting and analysis.
Essbase is evolving away from a general purpose
OLAP facility and toward a platform for supporting a
very specific type of BI application.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

37

Hyperion

BI Platform
additional platform components not offered by

Hyperion are required, most significantly

relational databases, data mining tools and
analytic applications.
Hyperion does not provide a complete
business intelligence platform. Rather its
Essbase product can provide the OLAP
functionality within another leading
comprehensive BI platform.
Essbase integrates OLAP build and manage
functionality.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

38

Hyperion

Partnerships
Hyperion must partner in order to expand

from its OLAP niche and address all BI

platform requirements.
IBM is Hyperions most important business
intelligence platform partner.
Hyperion also has many BI tools and
applications partners that are empowered by
the OLAP capabilities of Essbase.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

39

Hyperion

Packaging and Pricing

Hyperion Essbase has a pricing model for with two

elements:

the per server fee is $28,000 / processor

the per named user fee is $1,500.

Essbase packaging includes:

OLAP server, administrative tools, and build and manage
tools.
Essbase installations most commonly use relational data

warehouses as the data sources for Essbase cubes.

This approach requires the purchase a complete data
warehousing infrastructure in addition to the Essbase,
which is worth another $28,000
SUM = $56,000
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

40

Product Comparison

Platform Strategy
Comparison

Comparing BI databases
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

41

Comparing BI databases

Microsoft
SQL Server 2000
All of the Microsofts BI platform technologies and products are

implemented as SQL Server 2000

No-charge features and are included in the box with this
relational databasebuild and manage facilities, OLAP, and
data mining.
Improved significantly from previous version
Scalability has been its limitation historically
Architectural improvements to its database engine,
Data warehousing features
A big boost from fast SMP hardware have enabled SQL
Server to compete with IBM and Oracle across most of the
scalability curve.
The SQL Server in BI ranges from the low-end, the middle and
touches the high end in terms of capacity and scalability.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

42

Comparing BI databases

Oracle9i
Object/relational database that has long packaged

excellent data warehousing features.

Wide range of index types, rich join capabilities, and
multiple approaches to partitioning.
Became a well-integrated business intelligence
platform.
Release 1: Oracle added OLAP capabilities within its
database as well as enhancing build and manage
capabilities to support multidimensional warehouses
and marts.
Release 2: OLAP capabilities were improved and
data mining capabilities were added.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

43

Comparing BI databases

Oracle9i

Oracle9i now has the advantages of

comprehensiveness and integration for all aspects of a

BI platform.
However, the database also has disadvantages as a BI
platform.
OLAP and data mining capabilities are newly
implemented in the database and neither is well proven
or widely used.
Even if the capabilities are offered as database features,
theyre separately packaged and priced, adding
considerably to the initial platform cost.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

44

Comparing BI databases

IBM DB2 (UDB)

IBMs strategic business intelligence database
Version for Windows, the leading Unix

platforms, IBM S/390 mainframe and AS/400

midrange platforms.
Provides good usability in its administrative
tools.
DB2 OLAP Server provides the business
intelligence database for OLAP.
DB2 OLAP Server is Hyperions Essbase,
OEMed, integrated, and re-branded by IBM.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

45

Comparing BI databases

IBM DB2 (UDB)

DB2 (UDB):
Not tightly integrated within the IBM business intelligence
platform.
Requires separate build and manage tools and Data
mining supported till last version.
July 2001, IBM acquired the database technology of

Informix Software (Informix RDBMS & Redbrick data

warehouse).

both viable BI databases.

To date functionalities of both remained separate from
DB2 and excluded from IBMs BI platform strategy)
Future ??

Bouayad
& Bouzoubaa
46
Customers are confused.
They
need direction from IBM.

Comparing BI databases

Hyperion
Hyperion does not include a BI database.
Hyperion should be embedded into a

complete BI solution product like IBM DB2

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

47

Product Comparison
Platform Strategy Comparison

Comparing BI databases

Comparing OLAP
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

48

Comparing OLAP

Microsoft
SQL Server Analysis Services OLAP functionality

includes:

The building and management of multidimensional

OLAP data models
Data Transformation Service: loading and updating of
the data models in easily configurable MOLAP, ROLAP,
and HOLAP stores
a large set of predefined data access and analytic
functionality

Quantitative analysis functions that include statistical

processing capabilities
In addition, user-defined functions are supported and
Analysis Services provides the documentation and
tools for developing them. Thats good power and
flexibility.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

49

Comparing OLAP

Oracle
Many innocations:
a multidimensional storage model through 9is Abstract
Data Type (ADT) object technology features
OLAP query and analytic processing functions within the
database provides access to those functions through
a set of programming interfaces.
OLAP resources integrated within its metadata and
management frameworks.
Oracle9i OLAPs storage management and interfaces
appear to be brand new.
OLAP resources can be managed with the same tools as
relational and object
resources.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa
50

Comparing OLAP

Oracle
Advantage: OLAP, relational, and object resources are

made scalable, reliable, secure, and manageable by

the same set of mechanisms.
Disadvantage: lack of maturity.
Oracles BI platform can implement MOLAP, ROLAP,
and HOLAP storage models.
Rich analytic processing capabilities
Handles the general OLAP aggregation, allocation, and
multidimensional navigation functionality.
+++ Also packages financial calculations and functions,
statistical functions and statistical forecasting, and
regression.
Microsoft and Hyperion:
also package good numeric51
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa
analytic functionality. Forecasting is unique to Oracle

Comparing OLAP

IBM and Hyperion

IBM business intelligence platform uses the OLAP

capabilities of the re-branded Hyperion Essbase.

Essbase is widely used, well proven, and has broad
support from applications and tools partners.
Essbase support many platforms:
Essbase has become less attractive as a dedicated
OLAP system as Microsoft and Oracle has integrated
OLAP capabilities into their relational databases,
creating comprehensive BI platforms.
It requires its own data store, separately managed
from the relational data warehousing data store, and
its own build and manage toolset.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

52

Comparing OLAP

IBM and Hyperion

Hybrid Analysis is the best new feature of DB2 OLAP

Server V8.1
Hybrid Analysis allows administrators to define a
multidimensional cube that stores its high-level
(aggregated or summary) members within a
multidimensional store and its low level (detail)
members within a relational store.
The OLAP Server accesses and prepares the relational
data and presents this data to the application as if it
were native multidimensional data.
It adds HOLAP (Hybrid OLAP) support to the OLAP
storage model of IBMs BI platform.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

53

Do You know?
The difference between
MOLAP

cubes
ROLAP cubes
HOLAP cubes
Aggregations

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

54

Product Comparison
Platform Strategy Comparison
Comparing BI databases

Comparing OLAP

Comparing Data Mining

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

55

Comparing Data Mining

Microsoft
Microsoft includes data mining capabilities to the

OLAP functionality packaged in SQL Server Analysis

Services.
The best features integration within Microsofts BI
platform, wizard-driven model building, and the
capability to mine relational, OLAP, or external OLE
DB data.
Analysis Services implements only two data mining
algorithms: decision trees and clustering.
These algorithms does not cover broad range of
problems, additional algorithms would add flexibility.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

56

Comparing Data Mining

Oracle
Delivered through Oracle 9i Data Mining, a

separately packaged and priced feature of

Oracle9i.
The best features are the integration within the
Oracle9i database, the use of the database for
input and metadata, and the broad range of
functions and algorithms.
Data visualization functionality is missing.
Theres no support for a data mining process.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

57

Comparing Data Mining

IBM
IBM has been active in data mining much

longer than Microsoft or Oracle.

IBM Intelligent Miner product has three
components:
DB2 Intelligent Miner Visualization
DB2 Intelligent Miner Modeling
DB2 Intelligent Miner Scoring
Each supports a key phase of the traditional
data mining process.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

58

Comparing Data Mining

IBM
All three are separately priced and packaged.
The strengths of DB2 Intelligent Miner are the

breadth and depth of its data mining

algorithms and its modular and
comprehensive coverage of the data mining
process.
Its limitations are complexitythe tradeoff for
its power and flexibility, and support only for
relational input.
Not many business intelligence tools and
applications suppliers have either.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

59

Comparing OLAP

IBM
uses a single statistical algorithm to discover

cells within an OLAP dimension that have

unexpected or outlying values and presents
them visually to analysts.
Analysts can then use traditional OLAP
approaches to determine and to understand
the causes for value differences. This is a
very useful data mining application.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

60

Comparing OLAP

IBM
OLAP Server Miner, unlike Intelligent Miner, does not

require skill and experience in data mining. OLAP

experience is all that you need to use it. This is the
right approach to data mining applications.
They offer broader and deeper data mining
functionality than either Microsoft or Oracle, but
theyd be stronger if they were integrated into a single
coherent offering.
Its a disadvantage that Intelligent Miner doesnt mine
OLAP data. Its also a disadvantage that DB2 OLAP
Miner has only a single data mining algorithm
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

61

Product Comparison
Platform Strategy Comparison
Comparing BI databases
Comparing OLAP

Comparing Data Mining

Comparing Interfaces
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

62

Interfaces
Microsoft

Oracle

Relational
Interfaces

SQL
Transact/SQL
ODBC & JDBC
OLE DB
ADO
ADO.NET

OLAP
Interfaces

MDX
OLAP DML
Essbase API
DSO
Java OLAP API
Pivot Table Service SQL and PL/SQL
XML for Analysis

Data
mining
Interfaces

SQL & PL/SQL

ODBC & JDBC

IBM

DSO
Oracle9i Data
Pivot Table Service
Mining API
Wizards
(Java)

SQL & DB2

SQL
ODBC & JDBC

Hyperion
NA

Essbase
API

Intelligent Miner NA
C++
SQL
Visual tools
DB2 OLAP
Miner
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa
63
Essbase API

Product Comparison
Platform Strategy Comparison
Comparing BI databases
Comparing OLAP

Comparing Interfaces

Comparing Data Mining

Comparing Build and

Manage Capabilities
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

64

Build and Manage Capabilities : Toolsets

Microsoft Analysis Manager provides comprehensive relational
and OLAP build and manage capabilities.
Oracle

Oracle9i Warehouse Builder provides relational build

and manage capabilities.
Oracle Enterprise Manager provides OLAP build and
manage capabilities.

IBM

DB2 UDB Data Warehouse Center (DWC) provides

basic relational basic build and manage capabilities.
DB2 Warehouse Manager adds additional relational
build and manage capabilities.
DB2 OLAP Administrative Services provides OLAP
build and manage capabilities.

Hyperion Essbase Administration Services provide OLAP build

and manage capabilities.
& Bouzoubaa
Integration ServerBouayad
provides
support for loading and65

Build and Manage Capabilities :

Extraction data sources

Microsoft Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, ODBC, Files,

Access 2000, Excel 2000, Microsoft Visual FoxPro
dBase, Paradox, Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Active Directory
Oracle

IBM DB2, Informix, Microsoft SQL Server ,Sybase

Oracle, ODBC, Files

IBM

DB2,Informix,Microsoft SQL Server,Oracle,Sybase

Files

Hyperion IBM DB2, Informix ,Microsoft SQL/Server Oracle

Sybase, ODBC
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

66

Build and Manage Capabilities :

Additional Extraction Data Sources

Microsoft Host Integration Server provides extraction from IBM

mainframe data sources.

Oracle

Oracle Pure Extract provides extraction from IBM

mainframe data sources.
Oracle Warehouse Builder Integrator for SAP provides
extraction from SAP R/3.

IBM

DB2 Warehouse Manager provides extraction from

SAP R/3, i2, and Web Server logs.
Tools from IBM partners ETI and Ascential integrate
within DWC to provide additional ETL capabilities.

Hyperion None
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

67

Build and Manage Capabilities :

ETL execution

Microsoft Process-oriented execution of tasks within packages.

Packaged may be versioned and/or password
protected.

Oracle

Process-oriented and execution of ETL steps controlled

by Enterprise Manager.

IBM

Individually executed ETL steps.

Hyperion Procedural sequences of declarative rules.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

68

Build and Manage Capabilities :

ETL implementation

Microsoft DTS is implemented as a COM framework accessed

programmatically or with packaged visual tools.

Oracle

PL/SQL stored procedures in Oracle9i database.

IBM

DB2 stored procedures and user defined functions

(UDF). 150 predefined transformations.

Hyperion ETL performed through rules. Rules perform field-level

operations on source data. A set of predefined rules is
packaged.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

69

Build and Manage Capabilities :

Data cleansing

Microsoft None packaged.

Oracle

Oracle Pure Name and Address provides name and

address data cleansing.

IBM

IBM partners Trillium Software Systems provides name

and address data cleansing.

Hyperion Via user-defined rules.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

70

Outline
Introduction
What is Business Intelligence
Selection Critieria Definition.
Products Comparison.
1. BI Platform Strategies.
Conclusion
BI platform / Partnerships / Packaging and Pricing
2. Comparing BI databases
3. Comparing OLAP
4. Comparing Data Mining
5. Comparing Interfaces
6. Comparing Build and Manage Capabilities
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

71

Conclusion
Microsoft provides a comprehensive business

intelligence platform.
Build and manage capabilities, OLAP
capabilities, and application interfaces are its
key strengths.
Data mining is very new, although data
mining integration and data mining tools are
quite good.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

72

Conclusion
Oracle provides a comprehensive business

intelligence platform.
This platform has a complete set of
components, OLAP and data mining
capabilities are unproven, but promising.
Data mining tools are low level, and build and
manage capabilities are not consistently
implemented for relational and OLAP data

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

73

Conclusion
IBM provides a comprehensive business intelligence

platform.
Relational data warehousing and data mining are key
strengths.
OLAP capabilities are very good
The platform is not well integrated because theyre
OEMed from Hyperion.
Build and Manage capabilities require too many
toolsets and theres a disconnect between managing
relational data and managing OLAP data.
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

74

Conclusion
Hyperion occupies a niche within business

intelligence platforms
its OLAP technology is a critical component of
IBMs business intelligence platform.

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

75

Conclusion
Price

What You Get

Microsoft

$19,999

SQL Server Enterprise Edition

OLAP / data mining / build & manage
capabilities

Oracle

$95,000

All BI Platform

IBM

$138,600 Without ETL & Data cleansing

Hyperion

$56,000

Not A complete BI solution

OLAP + Data Warehouse
Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

76

Grading
Microsoft

Oracle

IBM

Data Warehouse Databases

OLAP

Data Mining

Interfaces

Build and Manage Capabilities

Integration

Easy To learn

Support

Expected Lifetime

Quality/Price

39

41

34

Total

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

77

Q&A

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

78

References
Green Hill Analysis: A Comparison of Business Intelligence Strategies

and Platforms
Gartner Group
www.oracle.com
www.microsoft.com

Bouayad & Bouzoubaa

79