Blogging about all things SAS

So interesting articles over at the Microstrategy site, where they compare their software to other vendors, one being SAS.

First thing that tweaked my interest was the disclaimer you agree to before seeing the content:

“The recipient of this document agrees not to disclose its contents to any third party or otherwise to use this document for any purpose other than an evaluation of MicroStrategy’s business or its offerings. Reproduction or distribution of this document is prohibited without MicroStrategy’s advance written authorization. MicroStrategy does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented in this document, and there is no commitment, express or implied, on the part of MicroStrategy to update or otherwise amend this document.”

So wonder if I am in breach by posting the link? Well its guaranteed to not be accurate anyway (oops got those words round the wrong way

So they compare themselves to SAS, things I noted:

• They talk about integrated, but then only compare BI/Reporting tools, where is the ETL, Data Quality, Analytic’s and Solutions?
• Single web interface, what about users that need easy reporting or users that need advanced reporting, one tool to rule them all doesn’t do it for me
• Caching = Scalability, enough said
• Metadata, ok got SAS there, in 9.1 at least
• WSYWIG, again bring on SAS 9.2
• Security, does anybody care or need 128bit behind the firewall?
• Personalization, ok prompting in 9.1 is limited, but to me personalisation means more than prompting, no mention of a Microstrategy Portal (by the way we have built a mod that does this prompt based personalisation within WRS 9.1

I could go on, but I won’t. I do wonder if they are going to update it now SAS 9.2 is available.

As an aside one of the interesting things when working for a vendor was whether you should mention the enemy or not. Some say by mentioning the competiton validates therm as a competitor and keeps them in the customers mind.

Most vendors have a “slag sheet” but normally you only get to see it if you are their coach within the customer trying to discredit the competition in a sales cycle. Interesting approach to publish it online.

Me I think they should concentrate on what they do well, which looks like producing a BI Reporting tool.