Microsoft and Oracle Application Platform Comparison Published: March 2008 Applies To: Microsoft Application Platform Summary: The purpose of this whitepaper is to compare Microsoft Application Platform capabilities and benefits with the Oracle Application Platform. Copyright The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. This White Paper is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. 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Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 1 The Microsoft Advantage ................................................................................................................................................ 2 Business Process and Service Oriented Architecture ........................................................................... 2 The .NET Framework ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 Microsoft BizTalk® Server ................................................................................................................................................ 5 Featured Case Study: Siemens .............................................................................................................................. 5 Data Management ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Security ................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Performance and Scalability ........................................................................................................................................... 7 Developer Productivity ..................................................................................................................................................... 8 Total Cost of Ownership .................................................................................................................................................. 8 Business Intelligence ................................................................................................................................. 9 Microsoft SQL Server™ .................................................................................................................................................. 10 Microsoft Office System ................................................................................................................................................ 11 Microsoft PerformancePoint® Server ...................................................................................................................... 11 Featured Case Study: PREMIER Bankcard LLC ............................................................................................. 11 User Experience ........................................................................................................................................ 11 Microsoft Silverlight™ .................................................................................................................................................... 12 Featured Case Study .............................................................................................................................................. 12 Windows Presentation Foundation .......................................................................................................................... 12 Microsoft Office Business Applications and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server® 2007 ...................... 12 Development ............................................................................................................................................ 13 Featured Case Studies: Dell and Electronic Data Systems (EDS) ........................................................... 14 Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 14 Additional Information ........................................................................................................................... 15 Sources and References .......................................................................................................................... 15 Microsoft and Oracle Application Platform Comparison 1 Introduction Companies today are demanding that IT solutions become a corporate asset that delivers business value. Software has evolved beyond just helping people create documents and read e-mail messages. It can now connect people with the information and business processes they need to make better decisions. From back-end infrastructure to end-user tools, software is the key to empowering people to drive business ahead while maintaining standards, compliance and security. This new software environment puts the user in control of the information they want, and can offer whole new levels of richness and interactivity. It will be imperative for companies to understand how to unlock the potential these new application types will have on their user populations, internal and external. To fully power these next-generation applications, companies need to: 1. Harness all the information across their company—within databases as well as applications. 2. Connect information—loosely coupled through service orientation and mapped to business processes. 3. Use applications to access exposed information and present it to users in connected and compelling experiences. To connect the business and drive effective outcomes, companies need to focus on five core capabilities to deliver a technology platform that supports the development and deployment of line-of-business applications. These five capabilities are core to enabling a dynamic application platform and form the basis of this white paper. •A scalable, integrated data management platform that is Data Management "always on.. Benefits from higher application reliability, improved manageability, and enhanced data protection. Business Process and Service- •SOA (service-oriented architecture) and adaptive business processes. Gains operational efficiency through automated Oriented Architecture procesess. •Real-time analysis that drives insights organizations can be Business Intelligence used to power business growth. Empowers employees to make better, faster, and more relevant decisions. •Modern team development and management throughout Development the application lifecycle. Improves both developer productivity and IT project management. •Proactive collaboration of application design and User Experience development. Helps improve the effectiveness, comprehension, and satisfaction of end users. Figure 1: Basic Application Platform Capabilities © 2008 Microsoft Corporations. All rights reserved. Microsoft and Oracle Application Platform Comparison 2 The Microsoft Advantage While Microsoft and Oracle share a common approach to the application platform, Microsoft is well-positioned to offer a unique value proposition to its customers. While head-to-head comparisons of each capability of the platform yield interesting data points, the Microsoft Application Platform is designed to offer customers substantial advantages in several key areas that have both immediate and long-term impact that span the