Recent articles by
Cindi Howson
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Cindi Howson is the president of ASK, an independent consulting firm, and the author of BIScorecard. She has been using, implementing and evaluating business intelligence tools for more than 15 years. She teaches "Evaluating BI Toolsets" for The Data Warehouse Institute (TDWI) and she's author of TDWI's "Ten Mistakes to Avoid When Selecting and Deploying BI Tools". Write her at cindihowson@biscorecard.com.
Also See Cindi's Blog: Cindi Howson's BI Scorecard
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Take Advantage of In-Memory Analytics
Fast analysis, better insight and rapid deployment with minimal IT involvement: these are among the benefits of in-memory analytics, but different products are appropriate for different environments. Read our in-depth report on in-memory technologies.
April 20, 2009
Four Business Intelligence Resolutions for 2009
In times of recession, business intelligence is more important than ever. In the year ahead, make commitments to use BI to beat the downturn, standardize tools, train users and invest in your own career.
January 26, 2009
Cool BI: Rating the Latest Innovations
Rich, interactive reporting interfaces, in-memory analytics and social networking may be cool, but how much value do they add to business intelligence. This article examines the maturity, value and mainstream appeal of leading innovations.
November 10, 2008
The Road To Pervasive BI
If you're not using business intelligence tools throughout your workforce, it's time to start--or get left behind in your competitors' dust
February 22, 2008
How Buying Changes in the New BI Landscape
This year's business intelligence mega deals have altered the complexion of strategic and tactical decisions. Successful practitioners will be unfazed by shifting vendor ownership, but dissatisfied customers are up for grabs.
November 21, 2007
Business Intelligence and Excel: Happily Married?
Are spreadsheets a good match with business intelligence systems entrusted with providing consistent, reliable insight? The latest BI-Excel integrations let you have your spreadsheet-based analysis and always-validated, up-to-date data, too. Which add-in, plug-in or native link is right for you?
October 1, 2007
Put to the Test: Oracle BI Enterprise Edition
Built on the federated data access and Web-based architecture of Siebel Analytics, Oracle's latest BI offering is competitive, but the admin and query interfaces could stand a few usability improvements.
April 23, 2007
Put to the Test: Microsoft Report Builder
This ad hoc query tool is a free component of SQL Server 2005 and part of Microsoft's evolution from providing infrastructure to offering a complete BI platform.
January 1, 2007
The Seven Pillars of BI Success
Business intelligence tools may be getting better, but technology is only part of the story. To succeed you must develop measures, set a strategy, manage effectively, ensure executive support, choose the right tools, standardize on a platform and align the BI strategy with business. Here's how to make it happen.
September 1, 2006
The Seven Pillars of BI Success
Business intelligence tools may be getting better, but technology is only part of the story. To succeed you must develop measures, set a strategy, manage effectively, ensure executive support, choose the right tools, standardize on a platform and align the BI strategy with business. Here's how to make it happen.
September 1, 2006
What Microsoft Buying ProClarity Means for BI
Microsoft sweetens its BI portfolio.
April 4, 2006
What Microsoft Buying ProClarity Means For BI
Microsoft sweetens customer's BI portfolios by acquiring ProClarity.
April 4, 2006
BI Parts Become a Platform
Cognos 8 transforms separate tools into a Web-based BI platform.
April 1, 2006
Beyond Statistics: SAS Takes On Mainstream BI
SAS Enterprise BI Server and Web Report Studio make business intellience accessible to all.
November 1, 2005
Review: SAS Takes On Mainstream BI
SAS Enterprise BI Server and Web Report Studio make business intellience accessible to all. Here we take a closer look at the components specifically targeted at mainstream business users.
November 1, 2005
Flying High With BI
With business intelligence suites finally getting in sync with broad user needs, the software is poised to enter the mainstream and elevate operational decision-making.
September 1, 2005
Flying High With BI
With business intelligence suites finally getting in sync with broad user needs, the software is poised to enter the mainstream and elevate operational decision-making.
September 1, 2005
Review: Hyperion Gets Enterprise Reporting
Hyperion beefs up reporting and dashboarding for Hyperion Performance Suite, which has been the company's fastest-growing product line since the Brio acquisition.
June 1, 2005
Now With Enterprise Reporting: Hyperion Performance Suite
Hyperion beefs up reporting and dashboarding.
June 1, 2005
Enhancing the User Experience
MicroStrategy 8 adds user appeal to an IT favorite.
May 1, 2005
Enhancing the User Experience
MicroStrategy 8 adds user appeal to an IT favorite. Added innovations make the software easier to use, give it access to a broader range of data, and enhance it with predictive analytics.
May 1, 2005
Extreme Makeover
BusinessObjects XI is the company's most distinct release in a long time, a fusion under one server architecture of the best that two product lines had to offer
March 1, 2005
Here's The Deal
Strategic software acquisition should mark the beginning of a beautiful relationship. But in today's BI market, contract negotiations involve sorting through complex pricing options, maintenance fees, and more. Sage advice will help you become a smarter BI buyer.
September 4, 2004
BI Scorecard: The Best BI Tool
Vendor demos often obscure architectural differences between BI suites. Yet, as our BI Scorecard series concludes, you dare not overlook them.
June 12, 2004
BI Scorecard: Administration
Glamorous they are not, but strong administrative features merit close analysis as you evaluate BI suites. Our Scorecard series continues.
June 1, 2004
BI Scorecard: OLAP
Architecture is the most important criterion when evaluating OLAP functionality. Our series continues with a look at six leading products.
May 15, 2004
BI Scorecard: Excel Integration
When choosing a business intelligence product, it's easy to skip over what many users care about most: Microsoft Excel integration.
May 1, 2004
BI Scorecard: Information Delivery
The BI Scorecard series continues with an evaluation of information delivery capabilities in six products.
April 17, 2004
BI Scorecard: Reporting Capabilities
Reporting used to be boring, but no more. Our BI Scorecard series takes a comparative look at reporting features.
April 3, 2004
BI Scorecard: Evaluating the Suites One Functional Area at a Time
Our new series focuses on BI feature differences that matter most in your product selection.
March 20, 2004
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