I was asked by a partner this week what new features are in store for business intelligence. Here are some of the new features for BI. The links take you to a page to find datasheets, white papers, blogs, and webcasts.

SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services Top New Features

• Develop solutions quickly with the new, streamlined Cube Designer.
• Take advantage of enhanced Dimension and Aggregation Designers.
• Create attribute relationships easily by using the new Attribute Relationship Designer.
• Avoid common design problems by using best practice design alerts.
• Optimize performance with subspace computations.
• Enable high-performance "what-if" scenarios by using MOLAP-enabled writeback.
• Take advantage of enhanced data mining structures and improved Time Series support.
• Monitor and optimize analytical solutions by using Analysis Services Dynamic Management Views for enhanced resource monitoring.

SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services Top New Features

• Author reports with any structure, using the unique data format of Tablix.
• Benefit from enhanced performance and scalability to reach any number of users.
• Render reports to Microsoft Office Word format.
• Integrate Reporting Services with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 for central delivery and management of business insight.
• Enable users to quickly gain insight into complex sets of data by displaying data graphically with enhanced visualization capabilities.

SQL Server 2008 Integration Services Top New Features

• Create Script tasks using Microsoft Visual C# and Microsoft Visual Basic .NET.
• Use ADO.NET for tasks, as well as source and destination components.
• Improve scalability with thread pooling and enhanced lookup transformations.
• Perform more functional and scalable data transfers with the improved SQL Server Import and Export Wizard.

Data Mining Top New Features

• Optimize forecasting with better Time Series Support.
• Get targeted insight by applying filters with Enhanced Mining Structures.
• Deliver informative and actionable insight in reports with Extended Drill-through Functionality.
• Partition data effectively to confirm the accuracy of insights with new Streamlined Built-in Support for Holdout.
• Validate accuracy and stability of models simultaneously with new Cross Validation.
• Take advantage of new features, introducing more actionable insight at the desktop, with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Data Mining Add-Ins for Office 2007.

For more information about the new features for SQL Server 2008 and how it helps your development, see SQL Server 2008. To try out the new features, you can try out SQL Server virtual labs. You'll find labs on Analysis Services, Data Mining, SQL Server Integration Services, and SQL Server Reporting Services.