Houston – Microsoft Business Intelligence User Group 

We would like to invite you to the very 1^st Houston Microsoft Business Intelligence User Group.  This event will take place on Wednesday October 20^th, 2010 from 11:15 – 1:00 p.m. at the Microsoft Houston Office  (location and map below).   LiveMeeting will also be available for remote attendees.

Learn the latest and greatest in BI - along with practical advice for getting the most out of your existing technology investments.

No RSVP needed.

Cost

This is a free event; lunch will be provided.

Who should attend

BI Practitioners from both an IT &  business background should attend.   We’ll have two presentations (see Topics below) of interest to both IT and business analysts/power users.

Date
Wednesday, October 20^th, 2010.  11:15 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Location

One Briar Lake Plaza

2000 W. Sam Houston Pkwy. S. #350

Houston, TX 77042

Phone: (832) 252-4300

See map and/or driving directions

Live Meeting Link for Remote Attendees - Join the meeting

Make sure the Office Live Meeting client is installed before the meeting:

· I am connecting from inside the Microsoft network

· I am connecting from outside the Microsoft network

Topics

· Introducing SQL Server 2008 R2 Master Data Services (MDS):

Master Data Management is a key enabler in improving the timeliness, quality and reliability of BI with the ultimate goal of improving business performance.  This session will be a primer on how to get started with Master Data Management using MDS.

Speaker:  Satheesh Kumar is the principal/lead consultant for Catapult Systems, a Microsoft-focused IT consulting firm. Satheesh has been developing with Microsoft technologies since 1996 and has deep experience in web applications, business intelligence and business analytics. He is currently focused on providing professional solutions using the latest technologies, including the Microsoft BI technology stack.  He has an MBA from RICE University, interested  in data mining research. He can be reached online at http://businessintelligence101.wordpress.com/

· Excel Tips and Tricks - Working with External Data

In this talk, Jim is going to share tips/tricks for working in Excel, specifically how to build flexible data extracts from relational databases, including passing parameters from Excel to SQL Server or Access.

Speaker:  Jim Cline is a Senior Manager of Ad-Hoc Reporting at Service Corporation International, the world’s largest funeral home and cemetery consolidator; he has been with SCI for about 14 years.  Jim’s department creates ad hoc reporting in Excel, Access, SQL Server, and web-based reports and applications.  Jim has a strong business background and mastery of Excel, including:

•         Previously with Arthur Andersen as a tax accountant and real estate appraiser (7 years).

•         Degree from the University of Houston with a BBA in Accounting and Taxation.

•         Founded ClineSys, an Excel and Access training system.  Currently has two Excel courses (2003 and 2007) and two Access/SQL courses (2003 and 2007).  www.ClineSys.com .  ClineSys is approved by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and CPAs can earn 40 hours of CPE credit by taking the Excel (2003 or 2007) course.