SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services - Pros and Cons

Question

I am developing a web application using ASP .NET 2.0, VS 2008 and SQL Server 2005. I would like to Use SSRS 2005 for the various reports I need to build for this web application

Answer 1

Pros:

• Free
• Probably better tied to MS SQL than most others
• Works well for most types of reporting

Cons:

• Free; Support access isn't like Crystal
• Doesn't have every feature other, older competitors have. Being a newer piece of software, it is still getting new functionality that other products like Crystal Reports has had for years.

I often end up running reports in whatever way they're easiest. Lately I built my own web based interface that drives any combination of PDF/HTML/Crystal/SRSS reports and delivers them. Often Crystal will do some in 2 steps, or SRSS does something else better. If I had to pick one right now as a go-to for all scenarios I'd probably pick Crystal. The more I use SRSS being a few years old and still in active feature development (catching up to products like Crystal), I can see it being used a lot more... not quite yet though.