Microsoft SQL 2014 Updates Keep End Users Happy

Do-It-Yourself BI

Many Microsoft SQL Server 2014 improvements are designed to speed up database queries as well as protect the integrity of the data even as it's backed up to the cloud; however, those moves alone wouldn't satisfy the needs of end users (likely not database admins or programmers), who must make sense of all the data.

To help those users, who are the majority in educational environments, Microsoft has more tightly integrated SQL server with Office 365. Excel is the main component in the new arsenal, although SharePoint also has many integrated features. The main programs tying it all together are Power Query, Power Pivot and Power View. When used with SQL Server 2014, there is a constant push and pull that happens, which gives authorized users access to the data without any risk that it will be overwritten or otherwise compromised by nonprogrammers. It also allows for deep data analysis and the creation of charts and interactive graphs that can be shared with users who are even more removed from the process of interacting with the database — all without the involvement of critical IT staff.

Power Query — formerly called Data Explorer in Excel — lets end users search and access data stored within SQL Server while using the standard Excel interface. Once data is located, Power Pivot takes it and enables the creation of some pretty amazing visual models that are well suited to the educational environment. Power Map is similar to Power Pivot, but allows for 3D visualization of data against a map for geographic analysis and comparisons over time.

Most of the reports that are generated formerly required Microsoft Silverlight for end users to view them, restricting the type of devices that could be used. These programs can now output data in HTML5, opening it up to being viewed and used on almost any mobile device, even those running Android or iOS.

All of these features point to do-it-yourself business intelligence. Many interesting and potentially game-changing information and correlations could be hidden in plain sight within databases. It just takes someone to ask the right questions and send the right queries to begin comparing that information to some other element such as geography, socioeconomic data or changes over time for such secrets to be revealed. The updates to SQL Server 2014, especially in the areas of in-memory processing and cloud integration, make such deep queries possible within a reasonable amount of time. The ease of use found in Office 365 and the ability to share information with any device make the new SQL Server even more functional than the 2012 release, regardless of an end user's overall skill set.