INDUSTRY

HP today introduced data warehouse reference configurations that help simplify deployment of the latest releases of Microsoft technologies targeted for business intelligence. The company additionally announced plans for a portfolio of services and solutions to help ensure customers experience a seamless transition to the next planned version of Microsoft SQL Server, code name “Katmai.” The new reference configurations bring together the key hardware, software and services components, as well as best practices, that are needed to expedite business intelligence projects. Moreover, the configurations provide customers with a choice of servers and storage systems based on their data warehouse requirements. The configurations are part of HP’s Business Intelligence portfolio, which helps companies make better business decisions, enhance business performance and improve productivity. The configurations help businesses reduce: the time spent determining what IT needs to purchase; configuration and deployment time through the use of best practices; and implementation risks, as the configurations have been sized and tested. Additionally, the configurations provide room for growth and allow resources to be allocated according to the changing demands of data warehouse environments. Overall, this gives businesses better access to data so they can make better business decisions, enhance business performance and improve productivity. “HP Integrity servers running Microsoft SQL Server 2005 are exceeding our business intelligence needs. We are now reaping the benefits of a 70 to over 100 percent performance improvement that enables us to make better business decisions faster and also gives us the headroom to sustain our 8 percent annual growth rate,” said Ron Van Zanten, managing officer, Business Intelligence, PREMIER Bankcard. “Not only did HP offer an exceptional systems and support solution with the business intelligence applications we needed, but also HP’s responsive, knowledgeable staff helped get us up and running quickly. It is clear that HP really cares about our success.” Said Ben Barnes, vice president and general manager, Business Intelligence, HP, “For organizations migrating from earlier applications or looking to leverage business intelligence benefits for the first time, the HP reference configurations for Microsoft Business Intelligence technologies can quickly and efficiently put them on the road to building a next-generation data warehouse. These configurations and architectures will help save customers money, mitigate deployment time and risk, and enable them to start realizing business outcomes faster.” HP data warehousing configurations for Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Integration Services will be of particular value to companies jumpstarting business intelligence proof-of-concept and implementation projects. These offerings are backed by services and support from HP Services and HP and Microsoft SQL Solution Elite partners and are available now from select partners. More information is available at its Web site. “We recognize HP as a key global partner who our customers can depend on,” said Tom Casey, general manager, SQL Server Business Intelligence, Microsoft Corp. “Together, Microsoft and HP are providing customers high-quality products and an unprecedented opportunity to deliver pervasive business insight throughout an organization. Getting the right information, in the right format, at the right time is key to building a People-Ready Business, leveraging an organization’s greatest asset – its people.” The reference configurations for Microsoft Business Intelligence technologies include the following components: * Servers – a choice of HP Integrity or HP ProLiant servers; * Storage – a choice of direct-attached storage, HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Arrays and HP StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Arrays; * Management software – HP System Insight Manager, HP Integrity Essentials, HP ProLiant Essentials and HP Business Technology Optimization software. HP has developed a set of sizing tools to assist customers in evaluating these configurations for other variations that may better fit their business and to quantify the server and storage resources necessary to deliver business intelligence solutions. Using the tools, customers can size HP Integrity and ProLiant servers running the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating environment and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 in combination with the appropriate HP servers and HP StorageWorks storage subsystem. The HP Business Intelligence Sizer for Microsoft SQL Server 2005, available now at its Web site, determines the appropriate hardware configuration for database servers used in a Relational Online Analytical Processing environment along with sizing the extract, transformation and load layer using SQL Server 2005 Integration Services. A SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services component will be added to the sizer this fall. Integrated products and support for Microsoft SQL Server “Katmai” launch HP technology is being used by Microsoft as a development and testing reference platform as well as a scalable data warehousing and business intelligence reference architecture for the upcoming Microsoft SQL Server “Katmai.” The reference architecture defines best practices and design rules for optimal performance, deployment experience and return on investment. HP engineers are working closely with Intel and Microsoft to ensure that its Business Technology infrastructure products smoothly and simply support and integrate the “Katmai” platform into enterprise IT environments. HP, Intel and Microsoft are working together to scale the “Katmai” business intelligence reference platform to meet demanding enterprise needs by combining mission-critical HP Integrity Superdome servers, HP storage and next-generation Microsoft SQL Server technologies. HP and Microsoft also plan to extend the data warehouse reference configurations announced today to Microsoft SQL Server “Katmai” upon its release. As worldwide prime integrator for Microsoft products and technologies, HP Services will offer planning, design, implementation and support of the upcoming Microsoft BI technologies and it has the ability to integrate them into heterogeneous IT environments as part of their joint solution set with Microsoft known as HP & Microsoft Solutions for the People-Ready Business. HP Services’ education team, a worldwide Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for learning solutions, will offer customized training to prepare businesses for the launch of Microsoft SQL Server “Katmai.” Services include traditional classroom or online training that enables businesses to stay up to date while minimizing the time away from core business activities.