INDUSTRIAL-STRENGTH BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE FOR ORACLE

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1 TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP MICROSTRATEGY AND ORACLE INDUSTRIAL-STRENGTH BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE FOR ORACLE MicroStrategy and Oracle have a long history of working together to deliver solutions to meet the most demanding business intelligence requirements. As demand for business intelligence has grown, so too have the challenges faced by system designers and administrators. Managing large data volumes, accommodating high user concurrency and delivering acceptable query performance are among the common, difficult challenges faced by data warehousing professionals today. These challenges are compounded by the ever-evolving needs of business users who demand interactive, Web-based data mining, ad-hoc query, data analysis and formatted reporting capabilities. At the same time, user populations are expanding beyond corporate boundaries to include suppliers, partners and customers. IT must meet these increasing demands while adhering to regulatory policy, budget constraints and increased project ROI expectations. To address these challenges, business intelligence professionals have turned to MicroStrategy and Oracle. Oracle is dedicated to providing the scalability and performance expected by database administrators. MicroStrategy, with nearly two thousand organizations already using its award-winning business intelligence platform, has a track record of delivering the insight business users need. Unlike other business intelligence vendors, MicroStrategy has partnered with Oracle to technically integrate, not just interoperate. MicroStrategy has invested in dozens of Oracle-specific features to ensure you get maximum leverage from your Oracle investment. As a result, business users get the full range of reporting, analysis and information delivery features they desire, and data warehouse professionals get the performance and maintainability they demand. MICROSTRATEGY DELIVERS ADVANCED REPORTING TO ORACLE USERS Statistical Export to PDF Scheduled Alerts Web-based reporting OLAP Ad hoc query Enterprise reporting ORACLE Export to Excel Info delivery Threshold-based reporting Dashboards & Scorecards Data Mining The MicroStrategy Business Intelligence Platform leverages your Oracle investment delivering answers to end users how and when they need them.

2 MICROSTRATEGY IS UNIQUELY OPTIMIZED FOR ORACLE Together, the MicroStrategy Business Intelligence Platform and Oracle s relational database management system (RDBMS) deliver an infrastructure for high performance, reliable and scalable business intelligence applications. Companies are able to securely deploy BI applications over the Web to meet the simplest or the most demanding user analytical and reporting requirements. MicroStrategy is Oracle Certified The MicroStrategy Business Intelligence platform has been certified to work with the latest Oracle releases. As a Certified Partner of the Oracle PartnerNetwork, MicroStrategy tests its platform at Oracle s Enterprise Technology Center in order to optimize performance and stability for our joint customers. Through rigorous pre-release testing, MicroStrategy has consistently supported each new Oracle release before it reached the market. In addition, MicroStrategy completed the Real Application Cluster (RAC) certification process in Using Oracle RAC, the MicroStrategy platform and its embedded analytical engines work out of the box with no application or code changes. Integration with Oracle Portals Enterprise portals are redefining the way information is accessed and disseminated. They are becoming increasingly common because of their ability to allow users to interact with a number of information sources through internal and external applications using a single Web interface. Users of Oracle Portals (a central component of Oracle Application Server) are able to access the powerful MicroStrategy business intelligence platform using the MicroStrategy Portal Integration Kit. This kit is available as a component of the MicroStrategy SDK. Currently, the Portal Integration Kit includes generic calls to the portlet API that can be easily customized to work with any portal product. MicroStrategy has joined the Oracle9iAS Portal Partner Initiative, and will be adding customized Oracle portlets to the Portal Integration Kit in the near future. This development will enable MicroStrategy to have out-of-the-box integration with Oracle Portal Server, and provide an integrated platform that is a secure and scalable foundation for all portal deployments. Foundation for the Future MicroStrategy BI applications deployed on Oracle RDBMS have become some of the most scalable and powerful solutions on the market. In the future, MicroStrategy is committed to support every Oracle release as they continue to improve their SQL syntax, costbased optimizers and OLAP capabilities. In addition to our work to optimize the MicroStrategy Business Intelligence Platform for Oracle databases and portals, MicroStrategy and Oracle are extending the partnership by working toward tighter integration between the MicroStrategy platform and Oracle s Web Application Server and e-business Suite. Technical Optimizations for Oracle Throughout the development of the MicroStrategy platform, the technology has been optimized for Oracle. Unlike our competitors, only MicroStrategy's BI Platform uses a dynamic multi-pass SQL design to leverage the processing power of the database and return the smallest datasets for middle-tier processing. By automatically generating optimized SQL for Oracle and iterating queries between the BI Platform and the database, MicroStrategy supports much more sophisticated analytics and combines rapid performance with transactionlevel data access. In addition, pushing processing down to the database enables companies to reduce network traffic by returning the smallest relevant data sets and get more ROI from their investment in Oracle and the underlying, generally more powerful hardware. Full Control to Tune Oracle for Your Business Only MicroStrategy s patented technology enables developers and administrators to set VLDB properties to gain full control over SQL generation. Through continuous consultation with Oracle, MicroStrategy has designed its engine to generate Oracle-specific syntax instead of generic ANSI SQL. Using Oracle-specific syntax, MicroStrategy is able to take advantage of optimizations Oracle has made in its RDBMS for faster BI query performance. For example, Oracle is optimized to use the multi-column IN statement to retrieve specific data faster than an EXISTS command. Oracle is one of only a few databases to support the multi-column IN statement, and MicroStrategy takes advantage of this feature to choose IN over EXISTS automatically. EXISTS clauses are very costly because they require a full table scan to complete. As such, IN allows MicroStrategy to execute queries much more quickly for the end user.

3 A sample of the SQL optimizations that may be set through the MicroStrategy platform include: Option to place a SQL hint within a MicroStrategy issued SQL statement in order to force the database optimizer to choose the optimal plan Automatic use of Oracle s star-query optimization algorithm by MicroStrategy s architecture VLDB settings to allow users to select the most appropriate syntax - temporary tables, derived tables or global tables - to suit the needs of individual systems. MicroStrategy also supports Oracle 9i s new common table syntax. Materialized views (automatic summary tables) in your schema are automatically leveraged by the MicroStrategy analytical engine Customization of index creation as desired using VLDB properties, including index creation for intermediate tables Use of native Oracle syntax for faster execution of OLAP (e.g., ranking, running aggregates), statistical (e.g., correlation, covariance) and other functions Caching on the MicroStrategy middle tier to allow iterative analysis without re-executing queries Use of MicroStrategy's Intelligent Cubes to optimize performance for analysis of smaller data sets UNIQUE OPTIMIZATIONS FOR ORACLE Multi-column IN Statements Oracle-specific SQL Table Selection Options Customized Index Creation Star-Query Optimization Intelligent Cube Technology Object-specific Hints Middle Tier Caching Materialized Views "Best Buy originally chose MicroStrategy as a reporting standard because of its robust enterprise-class infrastructure that allows us to run over 100,000 reports a morning. We are excited about MicroStrategy 7i, because the dramatic interface and usability enhancements will increase acceptance by our business customers. As a result of MicroStrategy s ability to deliver the fastest performance times for both simple and highly complex queries, Oracle and MicroStrategy customers are successfully deploying all five styles of BI: Ad Hod Query &, Statistics & Data Mining, Enterprise Reporting, Cube, and Report Delivery & Alerting. Randy Mattran, IS Leader of Business Intelligence Best Buy Jeff Bedell, Vice President & Chief Technology Officer MicroStrategy

4 MICROSTRATEGY: THE INDUSTRIAL-STRENGTH PLATFORM FOR EVERY BUSINESS MicroStrategy's Business Intelligence Platform stands alone in providing industrial-strength reporting, analysis and information delivery. In contrast to first and second generation reporting products, MicroStrategy's product line is server-centric and has specifically been architected to provide high performance against the largest databases, support very high Web user concurrency, and provide completely centralized control and administration. As businesses strive to harness more value from their data assets, this unique server-centric architecture, similar to that employed by relational database management system (RDBMS) vendors, becomes as important as the functionality of the end-user interface. Because this architecture scales effortlessly with minimum additional hardware, features centralized control and administration, and supports all five styles of business intelligence, it has a significantly lower total cost of ownership than traditional reporting solutions. Scalable Today s business intelligence software must support large user concurrency as well as fast query performance across many terabytes of data. MicroStrategy is the singular choice to meet these scalability challenges. Our unique server-centric architecture, multi-pass SQL generation against the data warehouse, and intelligent cube integration all come together as an integrated platform servicing large user populations demanding access to all of the enterprise s data from quick summary reports to transaction-level analysis and trend identification. Our Oracle-certified clustered architecture and middle-tier caching enable us to serve more users than any other business intelligence product. Pure Web As deployments grow, business intelligence platforms perform the critical task of keeping administration centralized and data secure while providing full reporting and analytical power over the Web. MicroStrategy provides the complete reporting and analysis capability of the platform over the Web while supporting multi-firewall security architectures, LDAP integration and data protection down to the cell level. Our zero-footprint architecture means no client downloads deployment is as simple as publishing a URL. Our completely open XML API provides ready integration of BI applications into Web portals allowing users to access, subscribe to and maintain their reporting and analysis applications through a single portal interface. All 5 Styles of BI As IT departments struggle to do more with less, they are increasingly asking for a single BI platform with the infrastructure to deliver the right reporting and analysis for every user. The analytical engines within MicroStrategy share a single metadata for consistently defining business metrics and maintaining the information integrity of the data warehouse. From simple ad hoc query and relational reporting to advanced statistical analysis and data mining to fast cube analysis applications to , Excel, and wireless information delivery to pixel-perfect enterprise reporting, MicroStrategy is the only comprehensive business intelligence platform capable of servicing all of your end users' requirements. U N I F I E D W E B I N T E R F A C E Ad Hoc Query & Statistics & Data Mining Enterprise Reporting Cube Report Delivery & Alerting The five styles of business intelligence meet all of an organization s information MicroStrategy Intelligence Server MicroStrategy OLAP Services MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server management needs, from simple report Relational OLAP Analytical Engine Project Gutenberg (Coming Soon) Intelligent Cubes consumption to extreme analytics. INDUSTRIAL-STRENGTH BI PLATFORM Scalable Pure Web Security Centralized Administration Performance Management Fault Tolerance

5 Unique MicroStrategy for Common Core Functions Customer Reporting & Financial Reporting & Sales Reporting & Web Traffic Reporting & Dynamically segment top 3rd customers that spent below a threshold amount on a specific product category for current quarter Monitor aging trend of A/R by tracking gross amounts of Accounts Receivables versus the aging for multiple time periods Model contribution of categories to total sales and profit using custom statistical models for use in vendor price negotiation Dynamically segment visitors into buckets based on any selection criteria such as demographics and profitability using custom groups Correlate product affinities and profiles of all married customers to high value married customers to identify cross-sell products Calculate the percent variance between various forecasts and against actual amounts of all account types Determine the probability of products selling together using market basket analysis to optimally design store layouts to maximize sales Correlate navigation paths to conversion rates to determine the most popular routes to checkout with a path analysis tree Develop a profile of lost customers to identify which profitable customers might be at risk of leaving in the next quarter Create aggregated custom groups to present financial information at a higher level and drill down to see transactional level details Proactively monitor inventory levels and sales to be notified when levels are low and automatically place order with supplier Drill anywhere to click level data to identify at which points visitors are entering and leaving a website Calculate profit contribution of medium income customers in VA to overall profitability in the North East region Dynamically define exceptions on KPI s to monitor and catch financial anomalies, thereby reducing financial risk Forecast effectiveness of a campaign combining historical data with market share analysis using time series analysis to optimally allocate resources by region Calculate profit contribution visitors from different referring sites using custom statistical models to correctly allocate advertising budgets Derive migration patterns of customers between high RFM bands to lower ones for any two given time periods Create boardroom quality financial documents and incorporate multiple reports into single view, allowing analysts to make decisions on complete information Create executive dashboards by combining multiple grids, graphs and other information on one document using advanced formatting features Measure stickiness of your website by analyzing visitor loyalty and frequency scores over time and correlating to traffic patterns Forecast campaign ROI by measuring and extrapolating campaign results in real- time of previous similar campaigns and similar target group Perform Time-based Comparisons of the Balance Sheet for a specific corporation between two given time periods Drill across to transaction data to correlate leads with opportunity age to identify accounts that need escalation Forecast demand for online products based on historical data and time series analysis to ensure correct inventory level Managing customer interactions, financial transactions, Web traffic and sales efforts are common challenges facing organizations in every industry. By unlocking anomalies or trends in data, every employee from the front line to the executive suite is able to make better decisions. MicroStrategy delivers business intelligence to meet customers common core challenges, as well as industry-specific needs. INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC CHALLENGES Manufacturing Health care Retail Financial Services Telecom Pharmaceuticals Supplier Scorecards Protocol Development Inventory Turnover Government Reporting Sales & Billing Cash Flow Contracts Demographic Seasonal Buying Up- Sell Network Optimization Key Profit Contributors Commissioning & Quotas Customer Scorecards Market Basket Trade Floor Reporting Customer Churn New Product Launches Warranty Customer Trouble Ticket Resolution Loss Prevention Transfer Alerts Fraud Management & Call Center Quality Control Promotional Lift Underwriting Requirements Category Scorecards Advisory Services Marketing Regulatory Management Forecast Capacity & Staffing Call Center Operations Customer Loyalty Programs Risk & Fraud Assessment Price Point Formulary Tracking Every industry has its own unique challenges. MicroStrategy has helped customers in almost every industry build applications to answer their most difficult business questions. This table highlights examples of MicroStrategy applications in use across many industries.

6 The Most Successful Companies Choose MicroStrategy and Oracle Our commitment to our customers success is unequivocal building great customer relationships has been our trademark for more than 12 years. An estimated 60% of MicroStrategy customers operate on Oracle. MicroStrategy s software gives leading companies and businesses the power to analyze today s growing multi-terabyte data warehouses and distribute information to millions of users via Web, wireless and voice. MicroStrategy customers include: 8 of the top 10 global retailers 7 of the top 10 diversified financial services companies 3 of the top 5 insurance companies 4 of the top 5 U.S. retail banks 9 of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies 6 of the top 10 automotive companies 9 of the top 10 telecom companies A sample of MicroStrategy/Oracle joint customers includes: 1. Ahold 2. Allstate Investment Systems 3. Atraxis AG 4. AstraZeneca 5. Aventis Pasteur 6. Avnet 7. Best Buy 8. Consors Discount-Broker AG 9. Deutsche Börse AG 10. Eddie Bauer 11. Export-Import Bank of Korea 12. FleetBoston Financial 13. GlaxoSmithKline 14. Lufthansa Cargo AG 15. Ohio Department of Education 16. Reinsurance Group of America 17. Telecom Italia 18. Wind Telecomunicazioni SpA 19. Wachovia 20. Yahoo!, Inc. Snapshot of MicroStrategy Technology at Work BEST BUY Business Performance at its Best AVNET Accurate Trend Forecasting and Targeted Sales APPLICATIONS Store Operations, Merchandise Management, Marketing, Market Basket, Supply Chain Management APPLICATIONS Sales Force Automation, Sales Alerts, Inventory Management, Customer Relationship Management DEPLOYMENT Database: Oracle 8i DB Size: 7 Terabytes Users: 15,000 Web; 5,000 E- mail Interface: Web, Architecture: Intranet, Proactive Information Delivery & Virtual Private Network DEPLOYMENT Database: Oracle DB Size: 2+ Terabytes Users: 1,700 sales representatives Interface: Web, Architecture: Intranet, Proactive Information Delivery Best Buy runs over 100,000 reports per day for more than 15,000 active users over its virtual private network. Reduced worldwide inventory by 7% through intelligent management of excess supply and demand. Try MicroStrategy MicroStrategy Incorporated 1861 International Drive McLean, VA COLL-0517B