Microsoft announced a new SQL Server version, SQL Server 2008 R2 with realy great upgrades for BI. And you can register for the CTP.
Some very interesting new features are:
- Self Service Analysis with “Project Gemini”
Build Robust Analytical Applications
Combines native Excel 2010 functionality with an in-memory, column oriented processing engine to allow users to interactively explore and perform calculations on millions of rows of data at lightening speeds
Streamlines the process of integrating data from multiple sources – including corporate databases, spreadsheets and external sources
Access PivotTables, slicers, and other familiar analysis features in Excel to create reports and perform advanced analysis
More Powerful Ad-hoc Reporting with Enhanced Data Models
Report with Ease
Decrease time and costs developing reports
Enable timely access to information to help make better decisions by empowering end users to easily design queries, reports and charts through a highly intuitive, drag and drop interface
Powerful and intuitive authoring and ad hoc reporting capabilities with enhanced data models
“Grab & Go” Reporting
Collaborate with Confidence
Central, secure location for IT administrators and users to publish content objects that can be broadly reused and easily customized to meet the users’ needs
Ensure consistency by creating and maintaining departmental content that can be accessed by the rest of the organization for building comprehensive business reports
Accelerate report creation by allowing end users to reuse existing components (queries, tables, charts, maps, gauges, logos) as building blocks for creating new reports
It even includes the new MDM with Master Data Services (MDS).
Read more and register for the CTP here : http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/R2.aspx