News
Microsoft Outlines Business Internet Analytics
- By Scott Bekker
- November 15, 1999
LAS VEGAS -- Microsoft Corp. outlined its vision for Business Internet Analytics (BIA), an initiative aimed at improving the customer satisfaction, operational efficiency and profitability of Web businesses through a combination of data analysis and data warehousing.
BIA can help businesses create more powerful and profitable Web sites by providing insight into the effectiveness of their Web content as well as product positioning and advertising.
It will also offer closed-loop personalization to help Web businesses discover cross-selling opportunities, identify hidden trends, and offer users a customized experience. Additionally, BIA can provide such information in near real-time, thus accelerating the customer feedback loop.
According to Microsoft, the ability to turn data around in a matter of hours is a significant improvement over other technology on the market, which require days or even weeks to consolidate this type of data.
As part of the initiative, Microsoft also announced the Business Internet Analytics Provider Program. The program will enable leading systems integrators and solution providers -- charter participants include PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwcglobal.com) and STEP Technology Inc. (www.steptech.com) -- to deliver best-of-breed BIA solutions to their customers.
Larry Gosselin, director, PricewaterhouseCoopers' global data warehousing practice, says that companies are rapidly discovering the benefits of data warehousing as an enabling technology for E-Business and related customer relationship management initiatives.
"Business Internet Analytics can offer benefits for customers trying to grow and evolve their businesses in the dynamic and highly competitive world of e-business," he says. – Thomas Sullivan
About the Author
Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.