In this white paper IDC highlights the latest research about the evidence of the competitive differentiation to be gained from investment in BI and data warehousing. The paper highlights the need to view BI and data warehousing technologies as complementary components of a decision support solution. Further, the paper describes the requirements and benefits of BI and data warehousing solutions and the corresponding new joint HP and Microsoft technology offering to address these requirements. In addition, the paper provides recommendations for midsize organizations and departments in large organizations looking to improve profitability and customer service as well as optimize operations and mitigate risks based on better decisions.