Microsoft South Africa launched SQL Server 2016 locally, which is the data platform built with advanced predictive analytics capabilities. 

SQL Server 2016 allows organisations of all sizes to tap into the power of the cloud, data and intelligence to ultimately, enables businesses to convert big data into actionable insights. This will provide for a strong competitive advantage through intelligence-based decision-making.

Changing business environment leads to different software needs

The operating environment for companies in every business and virtually every industry is undergoing tremendous change and disruption, driven largely by various technology trends including big data, cloud computing and advanced analytics coupled with intelligence from machine learning.

“Data is the new currency for businesses operating in the mobile-first, cloud-first era. Amongst others, data provides companies with the opportunity to boost their growth, become more responsive to customer needs and disruption, plus market as well as industry changes. Microsoft’s SQL Server 2016 is built for this data-driven world,” says Kelly Husband, Data Platform product marketing manager at Microsoft South Africa.

Mobile BI and security part & partial of the SQL feature set

SQL Server 2016 delivers end-to-end mobile business intelligence to help make the most of big data, enabling companies to transform data into actionable insights and provide visual reports on any device - online or offline - at one-fifth the cost of other self-service solutions.

Intelligence, however, does not count for much if it cannot be kept secure, and luckily, SQL Server 2016 boasts a host of innovative security features that have been built for a world where a majority of data is accessible over the Internet. These includes support for 24×7 high-availability, efficient management and database administration across platforms.

“SQL 2016 supports encrypted query processing capabilities for advanced analytics, machine learning, mobile business intelligence, and data integration that addresses the security concerns of customers,” concludes Husband.

Today, databases like SQL 2016 power nearly every aspect of business, whilst data has become increasingly critical to success for businesses. This means that it is more important than ever for every organisation to be utilising a modern data platform that drives innovation, delivers business value and provides quick insight.