Hi BI experts,

With due to apologies to all, I'm posting a non-technical query though
related to the same subject. In this forum, I've seem many OLAP/DWH
gurus with a lot of related experience. So, please do post your
suggestions.

Mr. Arnold has around (7-8 yrs) IT background in Database (Oracle and
MS SQL Server) and Microsoft programming stuff (VB, ASP etc). Now, he
is willing to move towards BI stuff as career. Which product/package
should he learn and get into? BO or Brio or COGNOS or MS Analysis
Services? How are these products doing? From an IT professional's veiw
point, which would be a safer bet?

Thanks (in advance) for your time and suggestions.

bi_explorer9 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com (bi_explorer) wrote in message news:<583d31f5.0404240141.2f0bccea (AT) posting (DOT) google.com>...
To see how the products are doing in terms of market share check
here...
http://www.olapreport.com/market.htm

If Mr. A is looking for a job doing BI, the most ubiquitous tool is
MSAS for cubes, followed by Business Objects/Crystal Reports for
ROLAP. However, it is my understanding that Business Objects will be
focusing on their recently acquired Cyrstal Reports technology in the
next 2-3 years as a "go forward" strategy. I'm a long-time, lowly
MicroStrategy ROLAP BI developer/architect, so I too, am going to have
to transition to another platform. Brio provides an excellent ad-hoc
query tool. However, I have not used anything remotely considered to
be
"BI" from Brio. COGNOS is quite popular among the financial set, but
IMHO, should be put quietly out to pasture. However, it works quite
well on small to medium sized cubes.

The dominant OLAP product now & for the foreseeable future is
Microsofts Analysis Services.
I suggest learn this.
I think the best book is Step by Step Analysis Services by Reed
Jacobson.





bi_explorer9 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com (bi_explorer) wrote in message news:<583d31f5.0404240141.2f0bccea (AT) posting (DOT) google.com>...

Thanks all for your suggestions.

Yeah, MSAS looks promising. Yukon should be more powerful OLAP tool.
Did anyone of you have experienced the new OLAP features in Yukon?

Thanks John...Step-by-Step is an excellent book for starters. Have you
ever seen 'Developers Guide for SQL SERVER with OLAP Services' from
Sybex (I dont remember the exact name though)?

Good Luck,


duvinrouge (AT) servihoo (DOT) com (John Keeley) wrote in message news:<542fe31c.0404290044.383248cf (AT) posting (DOT) google.com>...