MicroStrategy: provider of Enterprise BI Solutions
MicroStrategy is a solution that is mainly used in large (Enterprise) organizations with a lot of data and a large number of users. Interestingly, the users are very satisfied with both the product and the implementations. The MicroStrategy BI implementations are often described as very successful. In our view, success is determined by the (very good) performance of the product in large volumes of data. A disadvantage is that implementations can turn out to be relatively expensive compared to other Enterprise BI vendors.
The extraction of data with MicroStrategy (MSTR)
MicroStrategy (MSTR) itself indicates that its focus is on the extraction of large amounts of data, which is then stored safely. This data can be real-time. The software company has been offering mobile BI solutions since 2010 and is therefore one of the pioneers in the field of mobile BI.
The strong growth in sales and profits in recent years is attributed to the simplicity of the product (single platform for reporting, dashboarding, analysis, big data and predictive analytics) and the high degree of satisfaction of end users with the product. MicroStrategy should, as a challenger of the established Enterprise BI suppliers, now take steps to fulfill its role.
What are the pros of MicroStrategy BI?
The most notable advantages of MicroStrategy BI are:
Excellent performance in an environment with a lot of data and users.
- The package itself is highly valued and the implementations are (almost) always successful.
- The product has a very sophisticated multi-source input area with possibilities for data manipulation.
- The licensing model has been greatly simplified since version 10, and the company pays great attention to the (online) community.
- The product is ahead of the competition when it comes to secure data storage, data warehouse solutions, real-time data processing and reporting, as well as mobile BI.
What could be improved in MicroStrategy BI?
There are many advantages, but organizations that use MicroStrategy (MSTR) have to take the following into account:
The product is rated very highly, but not so much in the sales process and customer service. MicroStrategy is now working to improve these points.
- Although the product is relatively easy to use, the learning curve is still higher than that of comparable players like Cognos and Tableau Analytics (Watson).
- They score below average in the area of Social performance management and BI in our Business Intelligence Tools Survey 2018.
- The implementation of this package is relatively expensive, especially with respect to the comparable players in the market.
- The MicroStrategy environment is much less suitable for medium-sized organizations. Implementations are actually reserved only for large organizations.
MicroStrategy as a supplier
MicroStrategy (MSTR) was founded in 1989 by some MIT students who were working on data discovery solutions. Since the late 90s, they have been listed on the US stock exchange and have experienced strong growth.
MicroStrategy was not only a provider of BI solutions, but they also provided voice solutions within the contact center. The voice solution Angel was sold in 2013 to Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories and since then the organizational focus is on the BI domain once again.
MicroStrategy is strong in mobile and Cloud
Soon, MicroStrategy recognized that mobile access would play a major role within the BI domain. In 2010 they became one of the first with the product MicroStrategy Mobile. For some time now, it has also been possible to completely operate within the MicroStrategy Cloud environment so you will no longer be dependent on a (personal) data center. This gives customers the flexibility to choose between different solutions.
There is a close cooperation in the hardware field with major vendors like HP and Fujitsu. We think it’s not inconceivable that in the long term, cooperation will increase further, or that MicroStrategy will be acquired in its entirety.
Review of MicroStrategy BI in our survey (partial results)
- Infrastructure & architecture
- Cloud architecture
- Core Functionality
- Usability and visualization
- Mobile Business Intelligence
Summary
"The revenue growth in the last few years has been impressive, probably because MicroStrategy actually provides a single platform which is capable of replacing all the existing products that large companies traditionally have, the question remains if MicroStrategy will be able to compete with the large companies (Oracle, Microsoft and SAP)". Read more in our Business Intelligence Tools Survey.
MicroStrategy compared to other solutions
MicroStrategy is at its best with large data-driven organizations with a lot of (big) data and many users. The solution provides a lot of knobs for data governance. The solution also differs in data security and mobile solutions. The business-driven data definitions in particular, which may be used by the organization as a whole, are very distinctive compared to other solutions.
Both on-premise as well as cloud solutions are offered. To learn more about MicroStrategy and to compare it with other solutions, you can consult our independent survey.
Strategic positioning of MicroStrategy
MicroStrategy is mainly positioned in large data-oriented organizations with (very) many users. It is often the only solution that is used in such an organization. This is because the degree of acceptance in (business) users is large and another (point) solutions will then be unnecessary.
If you’re a big data-driven organization and you have (a lot) money available for deployment, then MicroStrategy is definitely a good choice. Otherwise, other suppliers might be a better match.
MicroStrategy is the challenger in the BI market
MicroStrategy is a real challenger to the already established names in the Enterprise BI market. You can see this immediately in the Parabola for BI & Analytics, where competitors such as SAS and Business Objects are and what other players may be eligible.
With the latest version (10) MicroStrategy took a big step forward and it has become a player that definitely should be taken into account!
MicroStrategy BI and other BI tools
MicroStrategy is relatively expensive, but when it is implemented in organizations it’s also very successful. The solution is often presented as the one central solution offered by the (IT) organization.
MicroStrategy focuses on organizations with large amounts of data. So if you need a large number of (big) data solutions, then this may be the solution. With the latest release, major steps have been taken in the fields of data integration, enrichment and clean-ups. But perhaps other aspects of your organizations are equally important.
The fully independent research from Passionned Group compares suppliers in many aspects. The Business Intelligence Tools Survey 2018 will help you make the right decision. That way you can quickly choose the right solution for you. Because the question is: which solution offers the best options when it comes to big data, data governance and data security?
Expertise in MicroStrategy BI field
MicroStrategy is used by many employees in an organization as soon as it is implemented. However, these implementations are relatively expensive. With the knowledge and expertise of our MicroStrategy BI experts you will be able to finalize your implementation project faster.
Our experts are the right people to help you. Feel free to contact us to talk further about our MicroStrategy expertise.
Business Analytics and MicroStrategy are not isolated
Passionned Group has, in addition to specific knowledge about MicroStrategy, also a wide range of services available for your organization. You will be able to access our extensive knowledge base and overall business intelligence programs. We also offer support in selecting the right interim BI specialists.
Passionned Group is the independent party, where you can ask all your questions when it comes to making data-driven decisions within your organization. Want to know more or do you want to present a specific problem to us? No problem! Please fill out the contact form below with your question. We will contact you shortly.
