In this first issue of Business Applications Digest, find advice from industry insiders on mastering the five success factors for enterprise resource planning (ERP) upgrades, choosing the best fit between 'best of breed' business intelligence (BI) and built-in ERP tools, and how to take advantage of the latest Software as a Service (SaaS) trends. 

In this e-guide, find out how to improve the performance of SQL Server- based business intelligence applications in small and medium-sized organizations. 

This podcast focusing on application portfolio management demonstrates how proper evaluation and rationalization of your applications can streamline business and cut costs by identifying opportunities to eliminate redundancies and replace software which doesn't provide the necessary cost benefits. 

This video answers important questions related to application portfolio management, including why now is such an important time to modernize and rationalize your applications, and the best practices and tools which can ensure success. 

This white paper reports on the rate of data growth worldwide and points out the limitations of many SQL-based decision support systems. Discover key purchasing criteria to consider when selecting servers and storage to support these critical systems. 

This podcast discusses how to achieve application rationalization through proper application portfolio management. Learn about the benefits of this strategy and how it can help better align IT with business goals, as well as cutting costs and providing substantial performance gains. 

One of the most eagerly awaited features of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 is the “Self Service Business Intelligence” technology known as PowerPivot. This white paper highlights the new PowerPivot features. 

This white paper provides a road map for Web delivery teams to reduce operational expenditures, and shows how to improve the effectiveness of critical information required for decision making for Internet services. 

This case study explores how one organization within the healthcare industry was able to modernize their enterprise resource planning (ERP) system by migrating from a traditional mainframe to HP Proliant servers. Discover how they were able to successfully handle increased sales growth and new acquisitions. 

It isn't always easy to know when to upgrade to the latest hardware or software release. In the case of Microsoft SQL Server 2008, there are many compelling reasons to make the move, including: Enhanced business intelligence; improved business continuity features; better performance and better management capabilities. 

Enterprises of all sizes are deploying or considering deploying blade systems as a way to consolidate resources and lower their total cost of ownership. Read this white paper to learn about the total cost of ownership (TCO) for the Dell PowerEdge servers. 

This expert E-Guide, brought to you by SearchServerVirtualization.com and Dell, provides an overview of the expenses associated with virtualization and highlights the virtual server trends expected for 2010. Gain insight into the tangible virtualization costs, and learn how to keep pace with the changing server virtualization market.