Business Intelligence Demand Counter-Cyclical

As fallout from the Global Economic Crisis continues, witness Microsoft job cuts, I can't help but think as a BI professional what will 2009 hold in store as far as projects and demand for my team and I. Actively working in Business Intelligence since 1994, as downturns go, this is far from my first rodeo. Before the sobering news today that Microsoft was cutting jobs, my spirits had been buoyed by seeing advertisements during the last two weeks of the NFL Playoffs, not just for Microsoft, but for Business Intelligence solutions based on Microsoft technologies. The spots are available at www.microsoft.com\peopleready. I am especially fond of the discussion with Coca-Cola regarding a global company and data mining.

So, will 2009 see an increase in demand for Business Intelligence services as companies search high and low for every revenue dollar and act to squeeze every bit of cost-effectiveness from every dime of expense?

I believe it will. I believe the mantra of "do more with what you have" ultimately will steer customers to the Microsoft value proposition. Use the data you have, the data management and office desktop software you already own to unearth revenue opportunities and maximize cost effectiveness. In utilizing information in new ways, it (information) will become widely recognized as another form of economic capital.

I am keenly interested in our Business Intelligence Blog readers predictions for 2009.