SQL Server 2008 R2

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 delivers several breakthrough capabilities that enable customers to scale database operations with confidence and improve IT and developer efficiency, as well as enabling highly scalable and well-managed business intelligence on a self-service basis for their users.

Opportunity

Helping organisations manage any data, any place, any time, SQL Server 2008 R2 stores structured, semi-structured, and unstructured documents directly within the database; while enabling customers to search, synchronise, and analyse this data. Here are a few of the types of customers you should be talking to about SQL Server 2008 R2:

Customers looking for a scalable platform to host mission-critical applications
As companies centralise operations or grow and acquire more assets, they need a platform that delivers ultimate scalability. SQL Server boasts enhanced data compression which improves performance and reduces storage requirements, as well as support for between 64 and 256 logical processors
Customers trying to reduce risk and gain agility
Customers are doing business in an increasing number of regions, which means they need to be complaint with more regulations. Master Data Services from SQL Server 2008 R2 guarantee single, trusted versions of critical data assets over the full lifecycle of data from birth to archive
Customers who want to empower their users
With users demanding access to information and the ability to combine data across multiple sources; customers need a solution that enables them to do more, with less dependency on their IT departments. PowerPivot for Excel enables customers to combine data from internal and external sources directly in Excel, allowing users to get the answers they need and compress decision cycles.

Business benefits

SQL Server 2008 R2 delivers on the Microsoft data platform vision by enabling organisations to run their most mission-critical applications, while lowering the cost of managing data infrastructure and delivering insights and information to all users. It enables customers to:

Build flexible and effective reports
Through new Tablix data structure and rich formatting capabilities
Control and allocate CPU and memory resources
Resource Governor allows customers’ high priority, mission critical applications to receive exactly what they need
Improve developer productivity
Microsoft’s Language Integrated Query (LINQ) – a .NET Framework feature provides a common syntax to query any data source from client applications. This enables developers to manipulate SQL Server databases using a variety of languages, not just Transact-SQL
Enhance Business Intelligence capabilities
Additional reporting capabilities integrated with Office applications and a new report designer application allows the creation of enterprise reports without the need for Developer Studio.

Expand your sales with...

SQL Server 2008 R2 is just one part of the Microsoft solution allowing you to expand every sale by adding a variety of other Microsoft offerings:

1. SharePoint 2010 & Office 2010
SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services offer deep integration with SharePoint Server, enabling customer to capitalise on standard SharePoint features and benefits, such as role-based security, workflows, and versioning. Through the data analysis tool, PowerPivot, SQL Server 2008 R2 delivers unmatched computational power directly within Microsoft Excel; enabling users to share analysis, collaborate with colleagues, and quickly transform huge quantities of data into meaningful information.

2. Forefront
Together Forefront Client Security, Threat Management Gateway and Unified Access Gateway delivers complete protection for SQL Server 2008 R2. They provide real-time protection against advanced web-based threats and attacks for both managed and unmanaged endpoints, and improve security enforcement through multiple detection technologies such as URL filtering, antimalware, intrusion prevention, and more.