Microsoft showcases SQL Server 2012 in Nigeria

SOFTWARE

By Lukas Ajanaku, Lagos, Nigeria

Microsoft has launched the latest version of the world’s most widely deployed data platform, Microsoft SQL Server 2012, in Nigeria in a move the technology firm says will control data explosion. 

Expanding on Microsoft’s commitment to help customers manage any data, regardless of size, both on-premises and in the cloud, SQL Server 2012 helps address the challenges of increasing data volumes by rapidly turning data into actionable business insights.

Speaking at the launch, Olufemi George, Solutions Specialist, Microsoft Nigeria said: “According to Worldwide Regional Public IT Cloud Services (2011 – 2015) forecast, digital data will grow 44 times over the next decade.  So, whatever the type or size of data, SQL Server 2012 delivers the platform and familiar tools to manage data, generate actionable insights and help drive business impact.”

According to Femi Oyenuga, Senior Manager, Enterprise Information Management at MTN Nigeria: “Microsoft’s data platform has continued to advance and help us keep up with the evolving world of data.”

The highlight of the occasion was a panel comprising speakers from companies such as Interswitch, Oando, MTN and a host of others.

Reports by Forrester Consulting on the total economic impact and potential Return on Investment (ROI) organisations might realise by upgrading to the Microsoft SQL Server 2012, said servers can deliver an anticipated ROI of between 149% and 189% with a projected 12-month payback period.

According to Microsoft, SQL Server 2012 has already been deployed for production use by hundreds of global, industry-leading customers, such as Volvo Car Corp., Revlon, the HSN, Sanofi Pasteur, Klout and LG Chemical. Customers choosing SQL Server 2012 enjoy the benefit of a rich hardware and software partner ecosystem that can create solutions for the most unique and demanding data management needs.

IT research firm Gartner estimates that the volume of global data is growing at a rate of 59% per year, with 70 to 85% in unstructured form.* Furthering its commitment to connect SQL Server and rich business intelligence tools, such as Microsoft Excel, PowerPivot for Excel 2010 and Power View, with unstructured data, Microsoft announced plans to release an additional limited preview of an Apache Hadoop-based service for Windows Azure in the first half of 2012.

The company also disclosed additional details regarding its plans to release an Apache Hadoop-based service for Windows Azure.

Since the first limited preview released in December, customers such as Webtrends and the University of Dundee are using the Hadoop-based service to glean simple, actionable insights from complex data sets hosted in the cloud. Customers interested in signing up for the latest preview should visit http://www.hadooponazure.com.

To help customers more cost-effectively manage their enterprise-scale workloads, Microsoft says it will release several new data warehousing solutions in conjunction with the general availability of SQL Server 2012.

This includes a major software update and new half-rack form factors for Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse appliances, as well as availability of SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehouse reference architectures for SQL Server 2012.

Microsoft and partners also announced that SQL Server 2012 has demonstrated new record-breaking performance benchmarks through partner- and Microsoft-led testing that underscores SQL Server’s ability to scale across the enterprise.