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Stratature Acquisition FAQs

Why is Microsoft acquiring Stratature?

This announcement represents the culmination of a company-wide effort across the SQL Server, Business Intelligence and SharePoint groups to deliver on a unified Master Data Management (MDM) solution to improve the information management initiatives. Microsoft believes users need to get an accurate view of their business via authoritative data delivered in a manner that reflects the unique ways in which they manage their operations. Microsoft recognizes Stratature as a leader in the MDM market and values the company’s experience, products and services it provides. With Stratature, Microsoft can now offer increased capabilities as an integral part of Microsoft Office System applications and servers.

What is unique about Stratature? Why did Microsoft decide to buy vs. build from scratch?

Stratature’s strategy is similar to Microsoft’s in that they provide a generic Master Data Management (MDM) solution, powerful hierarchy management capabilities, flexible data models, granular security models, data stewardship capabilities, and human workflows. This acquisition will help accelerate Microsoft’s delivery of technology in the MDM market, building on the relationship that Stratature and Microsoft have already established.

Will Microsoft continue the Stratature product line?

The Stratature +EDM product has been taken off the market, and efforts are currently underway to best integrate this technology with the Microsoft product line to maximize customer value while reducing overlap and potential confusion. Microsoft will integrate +EDM technology into its product offerings, and is committed to providing its partners the best opportunities to offer products and services to customers that integrate data management across the enterprise. More details around integration plans can be found at www.microsoft.com/mdm.

What is the future roadmap?

The first delivery of MDM related technology from Microsoft will focus on analytical hierarchy management. This functionality will help business executives obtain information in a way that accurately reflects their own view of their departments, while simplifying the job of business analysts via the reuse of existing data hierarchies and the creation of custom ones. The solution will also help IT staff provide application developers with a single source of authoritative data to simplify data integration and development tasks, while helping IT executives retain control and governance over corporate information. Visit www.microsoft.com/mdm for further details.

How does this acquisition affect Stratature’s customers?

Microsoft will continue to satisfy Stratature’s customer support agreements through their terms. Existing Stratature +EDM customers can request software updates, documentation and log issues via the online Support Portal. Also it is important to keep in mind that most of Stratature’s customers are Microsoft customers and it is our aim to provide more value to these customers in the end by acquiring Stratature.

What does this acquisition mean for your partners?

While we can’t speak for our partners, we can say that this acquisition will definitely create new opportunities for partners to extend their MDM stack. We are in the process of defining those partner opportunities worldwide and are determining how we will continue to work with our resellers, distributors and ISVs to best serve the needs of customers.

How do these products relate to SQL Server?

MDM capabilities will be delivered through Microsoft Office System applications and servers on top of an infrastructure provided from SQL Server. Stratature’s products are currently implemented using SQL Server.

Is this new set of products going to replace any of your existing solutions?

No. Stratature’s products will be integrated with our existing set of solutions and applications to improve overall integration and interoperability of applications and add value to Microsoft’s platform.

Will Stratature’s products automatically be included in MS customers’ Enterprise and Premier Agreements?

Microsoft is finalizing its product roadmap and will make these plans public at a later date at www.microsoft.com/mdm.

How does Stratature’s MDM product relate to Microsoft’s PerformancePoint?

Stratature’s product makes it possible to manage PerformancePoint hierarchies and master data more easily while also making it possible to share PerformancePoint data with other applications.

What exactly is MDM?

MDM, or master data management, can be described by the way that master data interacts with other data. Master data can be described by the way that it is created, read, updated, deleted, and searched. For example, in transaction systems, master data is almost always involved with transactional data. A customer buys a product. A vendor sells a part, and a partner delivers a crate of materials to a location. An employee is hierarchically related to their manager, who reports up through a manager (another employee). A product may be a part of multiple hierarchies describing their placement within a store. This relationship between master data and transactional data may be fundamentally viewed as a noun/verb relationship. Transactional data capture the verbs, such as sale, delivery, purchase, email, and revocation; master data are the nouns. This is the same relationship data-warehouse facts and dimensions share. For more information, please visit: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb190163.aspx.

How will Stratature’s products be licensed?

Stratature products have been removed from the market. The details for how the Stratature technologies (e.g. *future* Microsoft MDM capabilities) will be licensed have not been completed yet and will be announced at a future date.

Will you rename the purchased products? If so, what will you call them?

Future products will be Microsoft branded. The final name has not been determined at this time.

Who do I contact if I have any questions?

Customers and Partners who would like to contact a Microsoft spokesperson about this acquisition should email: stratque@microsoft.com.