Channel programs News
2016 Annual Report Card Winners: Channel Partners Give Top Marks To Key Vendors
Jimmy Sheridan
Business Analytics: Microsoft
Channel Chief: Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Partner Group
With its business analytics software portfolio, including Power BI and the analytical capabilities built into its SQL Server database, Microsoft has becom a major player in the competitive market for business analytics software. This year, for the third year in a row, Microsoft topped the Annual Report Card in this product category.
Microsoft won with an overall score of 69.3, coming out ahead of rival Oracle and its overall score of 64.0. Microsoft's win was impressive: It outscored Oracle in average scores for product innovation, support and partnership and in every subcategory except revenue and profit potential, where Oracle won by four points.
But Microsoft shouldn't get too cocky. While it has won every year for three years in this category, its overall score has declined each year. In fact, the Redmond, Wash.-based vendor saw its score fall in all but three of the 17 subcategories.
