SQL Server Analysis Services Data Mining vs Oracle Data Miner

Data Mining Options with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services are more extensive and better integrated for Business Intelligence Projects than Oracle Data Miner. Both Data Mining offerings require use of Enterprise Editions to gain access to the Data Mining Suite. Unfortunately, the Oracle Data Miner Add-In is not available for users of Oracle XE. In the same vein, users of MS SQL Server 2008 Express(any edition) also lack access to SQL Server Analysis Services.

Given the growing BI communities it seems odd that both Oracle and Microsoft would not offer at least some 'lite' version of their Data Mining Suite to accompany their Database 'free' editions.
In SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services Data Mining (http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/data-mining.aspx) Projects are fairly easily built within the BIDS(Business Intelligence Development Studio) environment which is included with SQL Server Standard and Enterprise Editions. The Enterprise edition contains the complete set of parameterization for the Data Mining algorithms. BIDS is essentially a lite version of Visual Studio, however it handles all Analysis Services Projects including Data Warehouse Design, OLAP Cube development, ETL and other database oriented projects in addition to Data Mining quite well. Once Data Mining Projects are built they can also be viewed, browsed and processed like OLAP Cubes in SQL Server Management Studio as well.

SS 2008 Analysis Services Data Mining Projects have a wide range of algorithms available including Decision Trees, Clustering(EM and K-Means), Linear Regression, Logistic Regression, Naive Bayes, Neural Network and more. Each algorithm has a variety of parameters available via Property Sheets which can be used to tailor the research efforts. All algorithms used in for a particular project are easily browsed, altered and compared against each other yielding an impressive Data Mining research and development platform.

Oracle Data Miner (http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/bi/odm/odminer.html) offers a smaller set of Data Mining algorithm options. Oracle Data Miner is downloaded for free separately for installation in the Enterprise Edition of Oracle Database. Oracle DM is a graphical front end to Oracle Data Mining and like OLAP is closely integrated with the Database Engine(except for XE). Decision Trees , Naive Bayes, Association Rules and Clustering algorithms and others are offered. Oracle also offers an Excel add-in that supports the Data Miner, however it is not as well integrated and featured as the newer Office 2007 Data Mining add-in that is integrated with SQL Server 2008.

Overall the SQL Server 2008 Development Platform is much easier to approach, integrated and to work with than the more disparate Data Mining tool set offered by Oracle.