Enhance SQL Server analysis with geographic data

May 22, 2014 - PRLog -- The latest spatial data for Business Intelligence used in applications such as Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, is now available at http://www.allmapdata.com

Spatial data gives you the tools to visualise, analyse and scrutinise your business and operation. Uses range from targeting new customers and identifying where to focus marketing initiatives, to optimising territories for maintenance engineers.

Geocoding your customers (placing them on the map) helps you to understand where they are located, how many there are and how densely together they are grouped. This information can then be used for further analytical work such as assigning them to the most efficient service centre, adding them to a sales territory or deciding that it is uneconomical to serve them at all.

Business Intelligence systems tend to work in a different way to more traditional GIS (Geographic Information Systems), so allmapdata.com hosts a range of international datasets that have been tailored to work with SQL Server and other Business Intelligence installations. These products include detailed, street-level maps, postcode information (for placing your data on the map), boundaries and more.

To better leverage SQL Server functionality allmapdata.com has recently added ForGIS Boundaries which contains sector, district and area postcode boundaries for the UK optimised for Business Intelligence work. The boundaries are ideal for territory management work such as sales’ patches or an engineer’s area, creating thematic (shaded) maps to highlight areas of interest and for identifying how many points lie within an area (e.g. how many customers or competitors are within a particular postcode area or territory created from the boundaries).

Spatial functionality can be accessed directly from within SQL Server or via the SQL Server Reporting Services. allmapdata.com provides your data in BAK file format with spatial indexing or in a shape file, making data import a straightforward process.

For more information on the products formatted for use in SQL Server and other Business Intelligence tools, visit allmapdata.com or call us on +44 (0)20 8568 7000 and ask to speak to a member of the data sales team.