Business intelligence tools boost SQL demand

Revenues from the company's Server and Tools division rose 18 percent in the fourth quarter from the same period a year ago, driven by a 35 percent increase in sales of SQL Server, the software maker said.

In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Server and Tools division attributed an important part of the growth in database revenues to increased demand for Sql Server's business intelligence capabilities.

In addition, the rise in demand for BI tools has also benefited Microsoft partners in the region. The company reported a 360 percent increase in partners acquiring Business Intelligence Competency certification from Microsoft over the last 12 months.

At the end of last year, Microsoft was fourth in the BI market with revenues of $353 million, or 6.2 percent of worldwide sales, International Data Corp. said. Of the top five vendors, Microsoft had the highest growth rate, increasing 25.5 percent from 2004.