Wednesday, November 19, 2008

BI Reporting - Dundas for Microsoft Products

Dear Friends,
Today I will try to explain which Dundas components is included with the “new version” of SQL 2008 Katmai. I used new version in commas because Microsoft is preparing another new version for 2010 with the name Killimanjaro.

Dundas makes our job easier with a complete line of data visualization tools for Microsoft technologies. These award-winning products includes charts, gauges, maps and calendars for Microsoft .NET, SQL Reporting Services and SharePoint

I always avoided 3rd party components, not only because is needed extra payment but also because in the companies I worked they doesn’t accept 3rd party installations. But Dundas has a big potencial in data visualization with hundreds of components, and for that reason Microsoft include it in the new 2008 products. But I was a little disappointed because only a few components are included with these Microsoft 2008 products… Only the gauges… that is very useful for balanced scorecards and other type of reports that has KPI’s… but if you want to add some dundas charts, maps or calendars, you must pay! Bbbbrrr…

For SQL Reporting Services 2008, I made a simple’s screenshots to make you more familiar with Dundas AddIn. (left image the free features and the right image the payed features)
If you need to do some specific and complex charts or gauges and have some budget, Dundas is a very good solution. Go to www.dundas.com and download a trial version that comes with a lot of examples.

I will try to write some words about other excellent 3rd party components that I heard for the first time in the ‘SQLBits’ conference last September in London, the XLCubed that acquires BonaVista Systems, the developer of MicroCharts.
Regards!
Pedro

3 comments:

Miky Schreiber said...

It's a very interesting feature that can affect the future of many BI-viewers products such as Panorama, Proclarity, etc. Once we have good visualizers that comes free with Sql Server, should the companies still buy 3rd party viewers?
Another point is that Microsoft also shipped a new charts framework which is based on Dundas charts. Working with it, you can code and change any chart you'd like. Will it be possible to change with code the Sql Server charts? Only time will tell...

Pedro said...

Hi Miky,
Thanks for your visit... your comments make sense, and could be a good subject for a new post... Is Microsoft reactive or proactive? Microsoft create innovation or buy it? Do you see differences between Microsoft and for example Apple? I see... innovation...


Microsoft react and buy all the companies that has good probability to growth a lot... Examples... ProClarity, DataAlegro, zoomix, Mobicomp (Portugal :-)), ......

Well... a new to add a post about this!!
Thanks for your visit!!!
regards!
pedro

Amin said...

Hi Pedro,

Nice Post,
It will be very helpful if they incorporate more third party components into SQL Server. Unfortunately, we are not allowd to use third party components in our project too.

Cheers My Friend,
Amin

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