For Release 6 a.m. PDT

Sept. 18, 2001

Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services Trounces the Competition

REDMOND, Wash. — Sept. 18, 2001 — Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2000 came out a winner in the recently published 2001 Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) Survey conducted by Survey.com and published by The OLAP Report. OLAP is one of the hottest areas of data management, and SQL Server 2000 has confirmed its leadership in business intelligence with its integrated Analysis Services component.

In the largest survey of its kind, more than 644 OLAP users from 46 countries were asked to rate 11 vendors on implementation, performance and overall satisfaction of integrated analysis services. SQL Server 2000 scored these decisive wins:

The 2001 OLAP Survey finds Microsoft Corp. winning on all fronts. SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services was the first database product with integrated business intelligence and data warehousing capabilities, including OLAP and data mining functionality. OLAP Survey respondents gave SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services high marks for its scalability, performance, interoperability, security, manageability and fast time to market, placing SQL Server 2000 well ahead of the competition.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software —
any time, any place and on any device.

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For more information, press only:

Eleanor Davis, Waggener Edstrom, (503) 412-3663, eleanord@wagged.com

Rapid Response Team, Waggener Edstrom, (503) 443-7070, rrt@wagged.com

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