Self-service Business Intelligence, Creating Value from Data - Getting Started with SQL Server 2012 Cube Development - page 13

cessary knowledge to extract the data from the source systems and build the model
themselves.
In the case where IT maintains the semantic model, the users only need the know-
ledge to connect an end user tool such as Microsoft Excel to query the model.
The users are, in this case, limited to the data that is available in the predefined
model, but on the other hand, it is much simpler to do their own reporting. This is
something that can be seen in the preceding figure that shows Microsoft Excel 2013
connected to a semantic model.
SQL Server Analysis Services is available in the Standard edition with limited func-
tionality,andintheBI andEnterprise edition withfullfunctionality.Forsmallerdepart-
mental solutions the Standard edition can be used, but in many cases you will find
that you need either the BI or the Enterprise edition of SQL Server. If you would like
to create in-memory models as described in Chapter 9 , In-memory, the Future , then
you definitely cannot run the Standard edition of the software since this functionality
is not available in the Standard edition of SQL Server.