WINNER: Oracle
Robust product features and a partnership approach that gives VARs significant potential for profit and revenue helped drive Oracle to victory in the Business Intelligence/Data Analytics category of CRN's Annual Report Card survey.
Oracle topped runner-up Microsoft by a score of 71.6 to 70.4 in the category, with IBM placing a distant third with a score of 64.8. In the product innovation subcategory, Oracle prevailed in four of six criteria, garnering its highest marks in product features and marketability.
However, Microsoft edged out Oracle in product quality and reliability, while IBM earned the highest scores in compatibility and ease of integration.
Similar results were seen in the support subcategory, where Oracle captured four of five criteria and beat Microsoft by 3.7 points in presales support. However, in postsales support, Microsoft had its largest margin of victory, beating Oracle 67.1 points to 59.8 points. Ultimately, it came down to partnership criteria, and while Microsoft topped Oracle in the partner portal and managing channel conflict criteria, Oracle dusted Microsoft in revenue and profit potential (9.9-point margin of victory) and return on investment (4.9-point margin of victory).
Oracle's Business Intelligence Foundation Suite version 11g, which was updated in May, includes a number of innovations not found in previous releases, said Paul Rodwick, vice president of business intelligence product management at Oracle.
"There has been a lot of customer adoption, both from customers that are new to BI and existing Oracle customers," Rodwick said. "Companies can detect what's going on inside their businesses by putting BI on auto and have it analyze root causes of issues."
Oracle's high partnership scores reflect the fact that Oracle has boosted its partner base around the Business Intelligence and Application Performance Management products by 60 percent over the past four months, according to Rodwick. "We've seen a real pickup in the channel program, and partners are thrilled with the profit potential."
Oracle's high partnership scores reflect the fact that Oracle has boosted its partner base around the Business Intelligence and Application Performance Management products by 60 percent over the past four months, according to Rodwick. "We've' seen a real pickup in the channel program, and partners are thrilled with the profit potential."
