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PerformancePoint merging with SharePoint

  As of April 1, 2009, this server will no longer be available for purchase. When the next version of Microsoft Office is released, the Monitoring and Analytics capabilities will be included with SharePoint Server Enterprise. Microsoft will continue to support PerformancePoint, including “Service Pack 3” later this year.

Microsoft has unveiled changes to the company’s business intelligence strategy, including the consolidation of capabilities found within Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 into Microsoft Office SharePoint Server Enterprise and now branding them as PerformancePoint Services for SharePoint.

Basically, what this means is that Performance Point is becoming a part of Office SharePoint Server (Enterprise Edition).  All SharePoint users that access that functionality will need enterprise CALs.  Also, noting that this will be imminent in the next release of Office, you may now think of the the Office SharePoint Server being the Office Server counterpart to your familiar Office desktop applications.

Here's a nice little article on some Microsoft Business Intelligence choices from a CRM perspective, but which could be applied more generally too.

SharePoint RS

Reporting Services - SharePoint Integrated Mode is a great way to deploy your SQL Server Reporting Services reports.  Once the environment is configured, running the reports couldn't be much easier.  Basically, users can launch reports with a single-left-mouse-click from a Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Document Library.  If parameters are included in the report, the user would then have to select the date range, for example, of the report, and then the report rendors in the report view.  From there, you can export to Excel or .pdf.

Setting up the whole thing can be tricky, though; especially if you've got separate servers for your Database and SharePoint site.  Hint: you'll need to put on your Kerberos / Set SPN hat.  (Easy when you know how.)  You can also make the SharePoint site Web-accessible if you add SSL certificates to both the database server and the SharePoint server.

One of our clients found that deploying and running reports using Dynamics SL 6.5 with Business Portal 3.0 was rather difficult.  Well, the running of the reports was problematic at least because the Dynamics SL Application Server (separate machine used exclusively to run user reports) kept hicupping and that basically stopped the report service.  Meanwhile, when users do run reports, they don't get any feedback for about one minute in a best case scenario.  Then, when the report doesn't show up after a minute they don't know whether to wait a little longer, or call I.T. to check to make sure the report server is still running.  Not a great scenario.

When deploying a reporting solution, or any I.T. solution, you will want it to be one that users will readily adopt.  And they will adopt it if it is easy to use and gives them the information they need.  All signs are positive that SharePoint RS will accomplish those two goals.

Oh yeah, you'll also love how easy it is to deploy reports from within the Business Intelligence Development Studio.  How about right-mouse-click -- deploy.  Nice.