

First, it is both an application and a platform.

Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 is a concept with a bit of a split personality. Variances in performance from the plan can be easily analyzed in detail to determine the source of any variances. The budgeting and forecasting data can become part of the process, so that actual performance is compared to the forecasts and so that the health of the business can be monitored. Two of the pillars of PerformancePoint Server provide tools that support different types of users, such as analysts and business decision makers, while the third pillar moves beyond delivering data to the organization to supporting the planning, budgeting, and forecasting efforts of the organization. PerformancePoint Server 2007 represents an attempt by Microsoft to bring together tools that provide companies with greatly enhanced business intelligence capabilities. PerformancePoint Server 2007 is a tool designed to support the cycle of monitoring the health of the organization, analyzing the organization's data at a detailed level, and planning for the future so that monitoring can continue as the future slides into the present and then the past.įor more information about Business Intelligence with Microsoft PerformancePoint Server 2007 or to purchase the book, visit the McGraw-Hill website. However, in reality, it is three products in one, and only one of the products is truly new. PerformancePoint Server 2007 is a brand new project from Microsoft.
