Monday, December 6, 2010

Webcast Update: Using OLAP to Optimize and Maintain Predictive Analytics Models


This Friday, PASS DW/BI Virtual Chapter Presents:
Using OLAP to Optimize and Maintain Predictive Analytics Models
Presenter: Eugene Asahara
Fri 12/10/2010 12pm EST

Topic Description:
In complex Predictive Analytics (PA) scenarios where it is being applied to a complex system or the players involved are actually trying to undermine the predictions (ex: credit card fraud), the sophistication of the PA must be taken up a notch or two. In this Webcast I will describe techniques for building sophisticated PA systems on the Microsoft BI Stack by using OLAP to:
• Analyze, validate, and optimize PA models.
• Manage and Monitor the performance of the PA models in a Performance Management style.
• Surface PA results to end users in a manner that allows them to work through the ambiguity that remains around predictions.

Join the meeting.
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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Webcast Update: Collaborative Disclosure Management is all about filling the gap!


Next Tuesday (11/23), Tagetik will showcase their Disclosure Management tool for external reporting of financial statements (10K, 10Q, XBRL, multi-GAAP/management/regulatory/sustainability reports). 

Tuesday, Nov 23
11am (EST)
Click
here for more info

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Monday, November 15, 2010

Webcast Update - Offering PowerPivot as a Service - Best Practices from Microsoft IT

 

MICROSOFT TECH ED DEMO VIDEO:
Offering PowerPivot as a Service - Best Practices from Microsoft IT :: 2010 :: Europe :: Microsoft Tech·Ed

Recorded:
Sanjay Soni, Microsoft
Thomas Pagel, Avanade

Length: 58 min

Agenda:
See how Microsoft IT is deploying PowerPivot as a service for Microsoft, and how it is being used to enable self-service BI from EDW. We will share best practices, in collaboration with SQLCAT, for technical architecture, configurations, on-boarding, training and evangelizing across the enterprise. We will also provide in-depth technical details surrounding some complex case studies surrounding PowerPivot, specifically: providing PowerPivot as an Online Service, and PowerPivot High Availability and Scalability.

Content:
00:00 – 05:30   Opening Slides
- Microsoft IT EDW Architecture and BI Engineering Platform Slide (01:30)
- “Business power users encouraged to create reports and were provided capability to publish their reports”

05:31 – 9:30   CBI Demo
- Logging In (05:31)
- Enterprise Report Catalog – metadata (07:00)
- Open PowerPivot report (08:30)

09:30 – 16:00   CBI Slides
- Building the Enterprise Data Warehouse (09:30)
- Using Excel for Data Warehouse reporting (11:45)
- Introducing PowerPivot (13:30)

16:00 – 23:30   PowerPivot in 10 minutes
- Selecting Data from multiple sources (16:30)
- Create Linked Table (17:30)
- Create Relationships (18:45)
- Create Cube (19:45)
- PowerPivot Slicers (20:30)
- Publish to SharePoint (22:00)

23:30 – 26:00   Questions & Answers

26:00 – 40:00   EDW PowerPivot Sandbox and Data Services Layer
Architecture Slide (26:50)
Architecting the EDW PowerPivot Sandbox Environment Slide (30:00)
EDW PowerPivot Sandbox Onboarding Process (32:30)
CBI Onboarding Demo (34:00)
CBI Video Channel – Academy Live (36:45)

40:00 – 44:00   PowerPivot Service Architecture
IT Got Out of the Box BI Dashboards (40:50)
The Result (41:45)
Today, and In the future (42:10)
Data as a Service – Enterprise Data Distribution Platform (43:10)

44:00 – 46:00   Data as a Service (DSL) Demo

46:00 – 47:30   PowerPivot - SAP Integration Experience

47:30 – 54:30   Top 10 Lessons learned
- Build your BI reporting infrastructure in parallel with (or even before) the enterprise data warehouse
- Architect with the enterprise vision in mind (security, scalability,…)
- Evangelize to achieve enterprise adoption
- Support users to find relevant data
- Empower users to create their own business intelligence
- PowerPivot is no Enterprise Data Warehouse replacement
- Remember that PowerPivot has “digital” security: “Access” or “No Access”
- PowerPivot supports flat organizations: There are no hierarchies!
- Effective performance with 64bit version of Excel client
- Start using PowerPivot now….

55:00 -  Resources, Questions & Answers

Refer to CapstoneBI for Metadata and PowerPivot solutions
www.CapstoneBI.com

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Tech Days: Deploying & Managing PowerPivot for SharePoint


For my friends in Canada…

Derek Comingore will be presenting at Tech Days, a training conference for Canadian IT Professionals and Developers…

http://www.techdays.ca/

Montreal: Nov 23-24
Winnipeg: Dec 7-8
Calgary: Dec 14-15

Deploying and Managing PowerPivot For SharePoint sessions will be held on Day 2, but if you live in the area, I suggest you check out all the technical tracks to see if there are other topics of interest.  Looks like there is some great SharePoint content in the Collaboration track

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

User Group: Predictive Analytics with PowerPivot and SharePoint 2010

 

Bay Area Microsoft Business Intelligence User Group
Thursday, November 4
6:30 pm, San Francisco

Click here to RSVP

According to a recent article by Forbes.com, leading companies are increasingly turning to a new management discipline called Predictive Analytics to compete and thrive. In this session, you'll learn what Predictive Analytics means and how to use it to create effective marketing campaigns.

You may be surprised how easy it is to implement data mining and share the results interactively without buying new servers and expensive software licenses.

This San Francisco meeting is free and includes dinner.

Regards, Mark Ginnebaugh


Predictive Analytics with PowerPivot and SharePoint 2010

You'll learn about:

  • Data Mining
  • What’s possible using Microsoft Technology tools
  • How to apply data mining in the business world
  • Predictive Analytics project phases – a step by step approach
  • Using PowerPivot,Microsoft Excel 2010, SharePoint 2010, and Predixion Insight

Case Study: You'll learn how Diamond Foods uses Predictive Analytics to accurately predict customer buying behavior, develop effective promotional strategies, and improve operational efficiencies.

Location
Microsoft Office
835 Market Street #700
San Francisco, CA 94103

Time
Pizza or sandwiches at 6:30 pm, meeting begins around 7:00 pm

Cost: No charge

RSVP
Click here to RSVP

Speakers
Jamie MacLennan is CTO at
Predixion Software. Previously, Jamie directed the development of the current generation of Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS).

Irit Eizips is the Corporate Performance Management Practice Director for CapstoneBI.

BI-logo-for-web-large 2

LinkedIn

November 2010 v.39 – Business Intelligence Update


HOT TOPICS

Predictive Analytics with PowerPivot and SharePoint 2010
Microsoft Office
San Francisco, CA
Nov 4, 6:30PM
Click here for more info

PASS Summit
Seattle, WA
Nov 8-11
Click here for more info

*** PASS Summit is the world's largest, most-focused, and most-intensive conference for Microsoft SQL Server and BI professionals.

Collaborative Disclosure Management is all about filling the gap!
Hosted by Tagetik
Nov 23, 11am
Click here for more info

Notes From the Field – CapstoneBI Blog
Database Mirroring monitor for ETL
SSIS Package Configurations
Predictive Analytics in the Cloud
Getting Started with SQL Server Data Mining for Retail/Finance
Standardize Your MDX Parameter Queries
Interpreting Causation in Time Series Forecast Models


WEBCASTS

All webcast times are in Eastern Time Zone unless otherwise specified

Effective Presentation of Analytical Results
Hosted by Tableau Software
Nov 3, 1pm
Click here for more info

Moving to deFacto
Nov 4, 2pm
Nov 11, 2pm
Nov 18, 12pm
Nov 25, 2pm
Click here for more info

Empower Your Microsoft Dynamics Users With Excel for Reporting and Budgeting
Hosted by Solver
Nov 10, 1pm
Click here for more info

Enhance your SharePoint BI Portal
Hosted by Strategy Companion
Nov 11, 2pm
Click here for more info

Customer Success: Kleberg Bank – Improving Decision Making and Growing More Profitably
Hosted by swiftknowledge
Nov 18, 2pm
Click here for more info

XBRL and Automated External Reporting
Hosted by Clarity Systems
Nov 23, 2pm
Click here for more info

The End of BI as We Know It: A fresh look at what business analytics means for today’s organizations
Hosted by Tableau Software
Dec 1, 12pm
Click here for more info


EVENTS

Tableau 6.0 Tour
Hosted by Tableau Software
Nov 1–Dec 2, Multiple Locations
Click here for more info

Techniques & Technologies for Enterprise-wide Business Intelligence
Hosted by SoCal BI User Group
Nov 4, Mission Viejo, CA
Click here for more info

PASS Summit
Hosted by Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS)
Nov 8-11, Seattle, WA
Click here for more info
Click here to stream keynote sessions live

TDWI World Conference
Hosted by TDWI
Nov 7-12, Orlando, FL
Click here for more info

Successful XBRL Filters own their XBRL Process-CLARITY FSR Case Study
Hosted by Clarity Systems
Nov 17, New York, NY
Click here for more info

Houston SQL User Group Meeting
Hosted by PASS
Nov 9, Houston TX
Click here for more info


NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES

Microsoft PowerPivot: Five Things You Need To Know
Microsoft updates SQL Server 2008 with new SharePoint integrations
Q&A: Microsoft’s Bob Muglia details cloud strategy
Kevin Turner on Predictive Simulation & Analytics
What I’m Looking Forward to at PASS Summit 2010

Predixion Software Introduces New Product to Run SAS and SPSS Predictive Models in the Cloud
Tableau Software Shows Growth in BI Market

The top 10 IT skills for 2011

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Monday, August 23, 2010

Webcast Reminder: Self-Service BI with Microsoft PowerPivot


This Thursday, Andrew Brust of twentysix New York will be providing a 60 min webcast on the newly released PowerPivot.  Find out what this “in-memory” operational model is all about.

Thursday, Aug 26
10-11am (PST)
Click here for more info

 

Contact Us to learn more about PowerPivot and our BI QuickStart packages

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