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Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse Reviews

Vendor: Microsoft
3.9 out of 5
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What is Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse?

Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse offers high performance and usability with seamless SQL Server integration, handling large data efficiently with a user-friendly interface. Known for its cost-effectiveness and robust security, it excels in integrating data across Microsoft ecosystem.

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Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse is the #11 ranked solution in top Data Warehouse solutions. PeerSpot users give Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse an average rating of 7.8 out of 10. Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse is most commonly compared to Teradata: Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse vs Teradata. Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse is popular among the small business segment, accounting for 49% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a construction company, accounting for 17% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse
April 2026
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Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse mindshare

As of April 2026, the mindshare of Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse in the Data Warehouse category stands at 2.9%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Data Warehouse Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse2.9%
Snowflake9.5%
Teradata8.8%
Other78.8%
Data Warehouse

PeerResearch reports based on Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryData WarehouseApr 26, 2026Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersApr 26, 2026Download
ComparisonMicrosoft Parallel Data Warehouse vs SnowflakeApr 26, 2026Download
ComparisonMicrosoft Parallel Data Warehouse vs Oracle ExadataApr 26, 2026Download
ComparisonMicrosoft Parallel Data Warehouse vs TeradataApr 26, 2026Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
Teradata4.18.8%88%83 interviewsAdd to research
Snowflake4.29.5%97%104 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse excels with its performance, data integration, and scalability. Users appreciate its ease of use, intuitive interface, and SQL Server commands. Its ability to manage large data volumes and support diverse data types is crucial. Integration with Microsoft ecosystem products enhances its functionality. The capability to pause the service for cost efficiency is also valued. Business intelligence tools and fast data query with columnstore indexing are major strengths.
  • "These separate database servers were turned into a massively parallel, shared nothing database system that offered incredibly good performance, especially under complex mixed workloads."
  • "With PDW’s Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) design, queries run in minutes instead of hours, and in seconds instead of minutes in comparison to Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) databases."
  • "I like Data Warehouse's data integrity features."

Room for Improvement

Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse requires significant infrastructure and SQL Server expertise, faces high costs, and offers limited compatibility with BI tools and ETL processes. Scalability issues and complex implementations are concerns Efforts to enhance its processing speed, error messages, user interface, integration, and memory usage would benefit organizations. Frequent patches and expensive upgrades impact user experience, while compatibility with cloud services lacks refinement. The need for real-time updates and efficient data export is evident
  • "I would like the ability to do more real-time type updates instead of batch-oriented updates."
  • "We'd like to see it be a bit more compatible with other solutions."
  • "The performance could be improved because the query is slow if we don't optimize it. And even if we optimize it, sometimes it still runs very slow."

ROI

Organizations have expressed happiness with the ROI from Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse, noting it manages large data volumes efficiently and integrates well with existing tools. Users have experienced a full return on investment as it plays a significant role in back-end operations. Although there is room for improvement, Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse provides a quick solution for customers. Some parts of organizations handle ROI tracking separately, indicating not all users measure it directly.

Pricing

Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse presents competitive pricing and licensing, especially for large organizations managing vast data sets. Costs can vary widely, influenced by required features and performance needs. Government-affiliated users benefit from specialized agreements. While some perceive the solution as expensive, others find it cost-effective, considering its Azure integration. Most costs involve annual licensing, without frequent additional fees, except for technical support, which is deemed costly. The solution is not suited for small-scale deployments.
  • "The solution is cost-effective."
  • "They offer an annual subscription. The pricing depends on the size of the environments."
  • "The tool could be expensive if we need to manage a lot of data."

Popular Use Cases

Companies primarily use Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse for analyzing large datasets, especially for enterprise data warehousing in sectors like finance, banking, and government. It integrates with tools like SQL Server and Visual Studio for reporting, data analytics, real-time and historical data tracking, and dashboard creation. Organizations also employ it for building comprehensive data architectures and supporting business intelligence platforms, enhancing performance and managing vast volumes of information across various industries.

Service and Support

Customer service and support receive mixed feedback. Some express satisfaction with knowledgeable and responsive assistance, while others rely on online resources due to limited access or adequate in-house skills. Direct connections to Microsoft enhance support for some, but others suggest improvements in expertise and response times, particularly regarding Azure. A license is required for certain support levels, impacting accessibility. Some are content with service levels, rating customer support and technical assistance around seven out of ten.

Deployment

Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse's initial setup varies in complexity. Some users found it straightforward due to collaboration with the Microsoft team, while others experienced challenges, especially during migrations. Deployment time differed, ranging from hours to months, influenced by data size and project scope. The process was usually manageable and involved multiple team members. Documentation and expertise in SQL facilitated smoother installations, and once configured, the system ran efficiently.

Scalability

Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse supports scaling well, with several organizations experiencing seamless increases in users and data without significant issues. Expertise in SQL may enhance its effectiveness. While generally considered scalable, challenges with large data sets and performance exist compared to competitors like Snowflake and BigQuery. Some note that design impacts scalability. Overall, businesses find it suitable for extensive user bases, although improvements could further enhance its scaling capabilities.

Stability

Users generally find Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse to be stable, even during outages, though some experienced issues in the beta phase. It's reliable with large data volumes and complex queries. Any identified problems are quickly resolved by Microsoft. Stability largely depends on data setup and network conditions. Some mention the system's slowness with extensive data, but they agree it rarely crashes or glitches. Many rate its stability highly, often a seven to nine out of ten.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business13
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise18
By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews
Company SizeCount
Small Business48
Midsize Enterprise27
Large Enterprise22
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Marketing Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Performing Arts
5%
Retailer
5%
Insurance Company
5%
University
5%
Non Profit
4%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
4%
Comms Service Provider
4%
Healthcare Company
4%
Religious Institution
3%
Museum Or Institution
2%
Legal Firm
2%
Wholesaler/Distributor
1%
Government
1%
Educational Organization
1%
Logistics Company
1%
Media Company
1%
Outsourcing Company
1%
Pharma/Biotech Company
1%
Computer Software Company
1%
Agriculture
1%

Compare Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse with alternative products

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Learn more about Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse

Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse efficiently manages large datasets from diverse sources, supporting a unified data approach. Its integration with SQL Server and compatibility with tools like Qlik enhances data management and decision-making capabilities. With impressive scalability and security features, it is widely used in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and logistics for analytics and reporting. However, users seek improvements in integration with non-Microsoft layers, memory usage, SQL configuration, and scalability.

What are the key features of Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse?
  • Clustered Columnstore Index: Boosts performance for complex queries.
  • SQL Server Integration: Seamless connectivity with Microsoft's database solutions.
  • Data Volume Handling: Efficient management of large datasets.
  • Cost Management: Ability to pause operations for cost savings.
  • Security Measures: Ensures robust data protection.
What benefits do users expect when evaluating Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse?
  • Performance Efficiency: High-speed data processing capabilities.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Suitable pricing model in specific scenarios.
  • Scalability: Ability to grow with business needs.
  • Integration Capabilities: Compatibility with Microsoft products and SQL Server.

In industries like finance, healthcare, and logistics, Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse supports analytics, reporting, and decision-making processes. Organizations utilize it to maintain historical data, develop business intelligence models, and create actionable dashboards, benefiting from its integration with key tools and efficient data management.

Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse was previously known as Microsoft PDW, SQL Server Data Warehouse, Microsoft SQL Server Parallel Data Warehouse, MS Parallel Data Warehouse.

Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse customers

Auckland Transport, Erste Bank Group, Urban Software Institute, NJVC, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Tata Steel Europe

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Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
CEO at Smart Data-Driven Solutions3.5I've used Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse intermittently over the years; it's stable and integrates well with Azure, handles massive data loads, and has cost-saving features, but it's expensive and could benefit from dynamic scaling capabilities.
Associate Director at Sequentis4.5I am a consultant and prefer Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse for its intuitive integration and frequent feature updates. It significantly enhances data analytics, inventory management, and marketing processes, although frequent patch releases can disrupt business due to required server reboots.
Service Desk Administrator at a real estate/law firm with 1,001-5,000 employees4.0I've used Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse for two years, finding it fast, scalable, and well-integrated with Azure. Setup was easy, support is solid, though pricing recently increased. Overall, it's reliable for handling large datasets in our hybrid cloud setup.
Architecture at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees4.5I use Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse for optimizing logistics SQL queries, specifically for truck loading and unloading. It's integrated with BI, mobile, and IoT solutions, proving valuable but expensive. Adjusting its pricing could enhance its appeal.
Computer engineer at a engineering company with 5,001-10,000 employees4.0I use Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse to construct and manage a data warehouse through SQL queries. The interface is user-friendly and efficient, but performance slows significantly with many users or expensive queries. I have not tried any other similar solutions.
Sr. Data Engineer at a real estate/law firm with 1,001-5,000 employees4.5We utilize Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse for building our data warehouse and databases, benefiting from its scalability and many features. However, table statistics need improvement, sometimes requiring manual updates. Despite this, it provides a 100% return on investment.
BI/Data Warehouse Analyst at a healthcare company with 501-1,000 employees4.0We primarily use Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse with SQL Server and Visual Studio in the health industry. Its stability and ease of use are highlights, although the ETL process could be more efficient. The columnstore index enhances performance significantly.
Senior Software Engineer at Eurofins4.0In my company, we use Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse to manage multi-location data loading in France. The SQL Server commands are invaluable for writing and calling stored procedures, though we've shifted to Azure Cloud for enhanced performance over SSIS.