The Big Microsoft BI Shake Up - Performance Point Server (PPS) is Dead - Microsoft now bringing BI to the Masses in SharePoint Enterprise for Free

Microsoft just announced in its "Bringing BI to the Masses" announcement on 27th January that a new component of SharePoint .vNext will be created - PerformancePoint Services for SharePoint - http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2009/jan09/01-27KurtDelbeneQA.mspx.

It has also announced on 8th January in it's "BI - Just do it in Excel" statement that it is increasing Excel BI capabilities with an Excel Add-in Pack code-named Gemini - http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Microsoft-BI-Just-Do-It-in-Excel-65595.html

The official word on Performance Point:
"Based on customer feedback, we have decided to consolidate the scorecard, dashboard and analytical capabilities from Office PerformancePoint Server into Microsoft Office SharePoint Server Enterprise and rebrand them as PerformancePoint Services for SharePoint.

In addition, in mid-2009, we will release Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 Service Pack 3 (SP3), which will include updates to the current product’s planning module. Thereafter, we will no longer continue with a stand-alone version of Office PerformancePoint Server 2007."

When Microsoft purchased ProClarity in 2006, there was a big hubub around how Microsoft was becoming serious about the BI space - and how it would finally get the graphical analysis tools it needed to compete. In reaction, Oracle bought Hyperion and IBM bought Cognos.

However, as shown in the announcements above, the market response for this dedicated product in the intervening period has been less than favourable and Microsoft has announced on January 23rd that it will discontinue the separate PerformancePoint 2007 product per se. Other components of PPS will live on in the next version of SharePoint - rumoured to be released in 2010.

With all this activity, looks like I won't be doing any PerformancePoint exams anytime soon!