Database Reference
In-Depth Information
FIguR e 3-1
A timeline of the Microsoft backend tools
Development of the front-end toolset started much later, and it has a much
more diverse path. Figure 3-2 shows the introduction timelines and evolution
of each tool currently available from Microsoft.
FIguRe 3-2
A timeline of the Microsoft front-end toolsets currently in use.
CrysTAl r e PorTs
Although you might be thinking that Crystal Reports has been omitted, it is
not truly a Microsoft BI product. It did come bundled with Visual Studio for
several versions, but Crystal Reports was always a non-Microsoft reporting
solution. It is currently owned by SAP/Business Objects.
Excel introduced pivot charts in Office 2000. Pivot charts are hardly true BI,
yet they are quite likely the single most prevalent subset of BI. With the ability
to connect to cubes in Analysis Services, this combination of tools was truly
the first Microsoft BI stack.
The next entrant to the BI field was Reporting Services. Released as an add-on
to SQL 2000 in 2004, Reporting Services was aimed squarely at the developer
