NEW YORK Dec. 4, 1995 - Microsoft Corp. this week will outline key data-warehousing directions that will let customers easily build warehousing solutions that take advantage of the scalability, openness and cost-effectiveness of the Microsoft® Windows NT™ Server platform. These directions build on the already strong foundation introduced with the Microsoft SQL Server™ client-server database management system version 6.0, which is currently being used extensively by customers in data-warehousing applications.

"With its parallel processing architecture, advanced query optimization, open interoperability and built-in data-replication capabilities, Microsoft SQL Server already offers an impressive array of features for data warehousing that won't lock users into proprietary solutions," said Gary Voth, group product manager of the business systems division at Microsoft. "Given the industry trend toward distributed computing, Microsoft SQL Server's ease of installation, tuning and management make it an ideal distributed warehouse database. Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 will take those advantages even further."

In a series of customer and partner briefings held here at the DB/Expo industry conference, Microsoft stated that it plans additional data-warehousing enhancements to the next release of Microsoft SQL Server, version 6.5, previously code-named "Hydra." These enhancements include online analytical processing (OLAP) query extensions, heterogeneous data replication to non-Microsoft databases, and support for programmable materialized views and aggregations across servers. In addition, Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 provides even greater scalability and performance for applications at the enterprise level, as shown by new record-setting TPC-C™ benchmark results with Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 published by Digital Equipment Corp.

Customers Already Gaining Benefits of Data Warehousing on Microsoft Platforms

In a customer survey conducted in November 1995, 25 percent of Microsoft SQL Server customers stated they are already using Microsoft SQL Server for data-warehousing applications, and 51 percent stated they are using Microsoft SQL Server for a combination of data warehousing, decision-support or executive information systems (EIS). One customer is AIM Management Group Inc., which ranks among the nation's top 20 mutual-fund companies, with approximately $40 billion under management.

"We're relying on Microsoft SQL Server 6.0 to drive our business-critical data-warehousing environment," said Ray Walther, director of technology and automation services at AIM. "Microsoft SQL Server efficiently handles our large volume of daily trade transactions and will help us meet the increasing demands of both our customers and fund managers."

AIM's data-warehousing application is used to store shareholder-account data and mutual-fund transactional information in support of its marketing and account servicing efforts. Approximately 350 to 500 MB of operational data is moved daily into AIM's data warehouse from the mainframe, all within one and one-half to two hours. The data warehouse is based on a 20+GB Microsoft SQL Server database that is sized to support an increase to 50 GB in the near future.

Another customer benefiting is the traffic-law-enforcement (TLE) division of the state of Texas Department of Public Safety, which has more than 100 offices throughout Texas.

"Microsoft SQL Server 6.0. is proving to be an effective, scalable platform to build a rapidly expanding, easily maintained and large distributed data-warehouse infrastructure," said Larry Joseph, CEO of strategic database systems for the TLE division. "After evaluating other major SQL database products, we found that Microsoft SQL Server 6.0 offers a huge price/performance advantage."

TLE's first distributed data warehouse, with more than 10 million accident reports and traffic-ticket records, replicates 20,000 records a day among 22 Microsoft SQL Server databases ranging from 20 to 60 GB in size. TLE is already planning to implement another data-warehouse project consisting of a 100+GB document-management database with more than 100 million vehicle-inspection records.

Key Enhancements in Microsoft SQL Server 6.5

Microsoft outlined several key enhancements that address data-warehousing requirements planned to be available in Microsoft SQL Server 6.5. These include the following:

• CUBE and ROLLUP extensions to Microsoft SQL Server's query processor that are designed to make it easier for tool vendors and customers to build rich data-analysis solutions for data stored in Microsoft SQL Server. These extensions allow applications to express complex queries that aggregate data across multiple dimensions in a single step, a process that is difficult to do using only ANSI SQL.
• Heterogeneous data replication to non-Microsoft databases via ODBC, which will make it easier to interchange data across the enterprise. Initial target platforms include DB2®, Oracle®, and Sybase®. Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 will also support replication to Microsoft Access databases on the desktop.
• Several new extensions that support programmable materialized views across distributed Microsoft SQL Servers. These will allow developers to maintain summarized and aggregated local views of data stored in remote Microsoft SQL Servers. These extensions include the ability to "pipe" data from one server to another via server-to-server remote procedure calls.

An Open Platform for Warehousing Solutions

Microsoft is working with leading industry vendors to help ensure that customers have a wide range of data-warehousing offerings for Windows NT Server and Microsoft SQL Server. Dozens of companies already offer tools, gateways and data-integration solutions that support Microsoft's platform.

For example, Information Builders Inc. (IBI) provides client-server, business-intelligence and data-warehousing solutions designed specifically to support the Windows NT and Microsoft SQL Server platforms. Among these products is the EDA/SQL™ family of middleware products including the EDA/Open Database Gateway for Microsoft SQL Server.

"Microsoft SQL Server and other Microsoft technologies, when combined with Information Builder's offerings, provide a robust infrastructure for data warehouses," said John Senor, vice president of enterprise data access division at Information Builders. "By closely integrating our products with Microsoft SQL Server, as in IBI's Open Database Gateway and Enterprise Copy Manager for Microsoft SQL Server, we bring enterprise-level solutions to customers in this rapidly growing market."

Pilot Software's scalable advanced client-server tools, included in its LightShip family of products, use multidimensional online analytical processing technology to enable organizations to interactively explore and analyze vast amounts of complex data, giving them the insights needed to create a competitive advantage.

"Many of our customers who are implementing LightShip solutions for data-warehousing applications are also adopting Microsoft SQL Server for ever-larger databases," noted John Fleming, vice president of worldwide marketing at Pilot Software. "The combination of Microsoft SQL Server and LightShip's industry-leading OLAP product suite provides customers with enhanced performance for difficult analytical tasks involved in category management, financial analysis, sales analysis and critical success factor analysis."

Pricing and Availability

Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 is planned to enter beta release in the first quarter of 1996. Pricing and licensing details will be announced at a later date.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

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EDA/SQL is a trademark of Information Builders Inc.