Microsoft's SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is revolutionizing the way organizations use data.  Prior to the arrival of SSRS, most reporting solutions were either costly or technically complex.  This typically kept reporting out of the reach of small to medium sized businesses that were not able to afford custom "in house" solutions or high-priced services and analysts to pour over their mountains of data and render it intelligently.  However, SSRS is changing all of that by putting a dependable reporting platform easily within reach of small to medium sized businesses that allows them to access powerful reporting functionality without spending a fortune or making them wait on long development cycles.

Larger businesses and enterprises can also benefit from SSRS and its extensible architecture.  SSRS offers an open Web Services interface which allows larger companies (with dedicated resources) to create custom Data Processing, Delivery, and Rendering extensions to meet their own particular needs.  This open architecture also allows 3rd parties to offer software products and services to help address recurring customer needs - generating an entire market of SSRS add-ins and extensions.

As an example of meeting market demand, well-known ISV SoftArtisans supports customized SSRS design and rendering extensions in their highly acclaimed OfficeWriter product.  With these extensions, businesses can create native Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word reports with SQL Server Reporting Services.  And, unlike the out of the box rendering extensions provided by SSRS that output static "copies" of SSRS reports into Word and Excel, reports generated by OfficeWriter enjoy full "native" functionality including formatting, formulas, macros, data-bound charts, and a host of other goodies.  It is therefore no wonder that this extension has met with great success even garnering a finalist position for Best Business Intelligence Product at the 5th Annual Best of Tech Ed in Boston of 2006.