Microsoft acquires Dundas’s data visualization components, SQL 2008 news & download CTP3!

This morning @ TechEd, Microsoft announced that we’ve purchased Dundas’s data visualization components.

Here’s what’s available from PressPass:

https://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2007/jun07/06-04sqlserver.mspx

PressPass: Can you give me more information on the acquisition of the Dundas’ data visualization products and the potential benefits to developers?

Johnston: We are announcing an agreement with Microsoft Gold Partner Dundas Software that includes Microsoft acquiring the code base for the Data Visualization products from Dundas Software. Data Visualization is an integral component for building information centric applications and reports. Microsoft believes that there is long-term value in providing customers with powerful components, such as charts, gauges and maps.

Worsfold: Microsoft licensed our Dundas Chart for .NET technology for inclusion in SQL Server Reporting Services 2000 and 2005 (SSRS). However, at the time, only certain features were exposed. Although the native charts met the needs of most users of SSRS, there were still those that needed more out of the visualizations in Reporting Services. This opened the door for Dundas to offer an enhanced version of Dundas Chart to users of Reporting Services based on the features in the latest release of Dundas Chart for .NET. After the overwhelming success of Dundas Chart for Reporting Services, Dundas soon thereafter released other visualization options for SSRS, including Dundas Map and Gauge, further enhancing the visualization options available to users of SSRS.

PressPass: How do Dundas products benefit users of SQL Server 2008 and the reports they generate?

Worsfold: Dundas is focused on data visualization technology and our Data Visualization technology for SSRS lets users of SQL Server 2008 produce much richer, more functional and visually appealing reports. By putting our leading edge products into such a capable reporting system as Reporting Services, users benefit by getting both a leading edge report system and leading edge data visualization components. SQL Server 2008 now features three times the number of chart types that offer more functionality and are much more customizable. In addition, there are new visualization options available in the form of Gauges and Maps to add additional visualization options.

Here’s what I know, which isn’t everything:

· We have purchased the codebase for the Dundas chart, barcode, gauge, map, and calendar controls

· We have not acquired Dundas itself, nor their .NET and Sharepoint offerings

· We may see the “enhanced” charting components in SQL Reporting Services 2008: Not positive, but that’s the plan

· No word on when the other components will be integrated, although you can continue to buy them from Dundas in the short term

· I don’t know if the beautiful OLAP components are included in this deal – I hope so!

This is awesome, awesome news! Our stack is looking better all the time.

Oh yeah, we’ve also officially named Katmai “SQL Server 2008”, and you can download the first public CTP (CTP3) from here: https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/content/content.aspx?ContentID=5395

Update: 5-June: The OLAP compoenents are part of the deal, which is a good thing. Right now a roadmap is being developed on exactly how / when / where to expose the rest of the acquired technology above and beyond enhanced charting...this is like a cliffhanger on the Sopranos!