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Syncfusion GTM Playbook

SSRS migration

Type
play
Status
draft
Owner
COE Team
Last reviewed
2026-11-07
Products
Bold Reports

Draft. Not yet reviewed. Check facts before you use it with customers.

Move a midsize+ team’s SSRS reports to Bold Reports without rebuilding them, from first signal to a validated pilot.

When to use

Trigger signals

  • Platform change: Microsoft is consolidating on-prem reporting under Power BI Report Server (PBIRS) from SQL Server 2025, and SSRS 2022 is the last SSRS release (Microsoft FAQ).
  • Licensing changes: PBIRS rights tied to SQL Server edition or Software Assurance; SQL Server Express users lose a bundled reporting option (TODO: verify Express detail against Microsoft docs).
  • End of support: planning around SSRS 2016/2019 lifecycle dates (TODO: verify dates on Microsoft lifecycle pages).
  • Cloud moves: SQL moving to managed cloud databases, leaving the report server behind.
  • .NET modernization: apps moving to ASP.NET Core or Blazor that still embed RDLC via the old ReportViewer.

Not for: teams happy on PBIRS or the Power BI service with no hosting, authoring or embedding pain. Respect that choice.

Goal and metric

A validated pilot of the customer’s own reports, then a quote. Metrics: TBD (candidates: pilot-to-close rate, time from first call to pilot).

Who does what

Role Responsibility
SDR Spot signals, book discovery
Account executive Discovery, committee mapping, quote
Solutions engineer Report sample test, migration plan
Customer success Onboarding and validation after purchase

Steps

  1. Qualify with the signals above.
  2. Run discovery.
  3. Run a sample test of 10 representative reports in the 30-day trial.
  4. Share a migration plan and quote. See pricing.

Discovery questions

  • How many reports, folders and subscriptions? Which 20 matter most?
  • Which SQL Server version and edition, and is Software Assurance renewing?
  • Embedded data sources or shared (.rds) and shared datasets (.rsd)?
  • Custom code, assemblies or extensions in reports?
  • Where must it run: on-prem, Linux/containers, air-gapped, cloud?
  • Do you embed reports in your own apps (RDLC)? Which framework?
  • Who signs off: BI lead, IT/security, procurement?

Migration-effort talk track

“Bold Reports reads RDL natively, so most reports upload as-is. The work is around them: re-entering data source credentials, recreating schedules and subscriptions, and testing anything with custom code. Folders, shared data sources and datasets can move in bulk with PowerShell scripts. Let’s test your hardest reports first so the estimate is real.”

Proof needed

  • Path: direct RDL/RDLC upload; bulk via PowerShell scripts and REST API; manual steps.
  • Service: onboarding with migration guidance; site says migration is free for eligible paid customers (TODO: verify terms).
  • Compatibility notes: schedules and exports are recreated; credentials re-entered. The site claims “100% RDL compatibility” but lists no gaps, so test custom code, assemblies and custom data extensions (TODO: verify).

Ad and SEO keyword themes

SSRS migration, SSRS alternative, SSRS replacement, SQL Server 2025 Reporting Services, Power BI Report Server alternative, RDLC in ASP.NET Core, ReportViewer for Blazor.

Landing-page outline

  1. Headline: keep your SSRS reports, modernize the platform.
  2. What changed with SQL Server 2025 (neutral, linked to Microsoft).
  3. Three steps: export, upload, validate.
  4. Bulk migration and data source handling.
  5. Deployment options and security.
  6. Honest effort note and FAQ.
  7. CTA: book a migration review / start trial.

Migration-specific objections

  • “PBIRS is included with our SQL license.” True for many; choose it if it fits. Teams pick us for web authoring, Linux/containers and embedding.
  • “Our reports use custom code.” Include them in the sample test.
  • “We can’t redo subscriptions.” Plan them in the migration plan; they are recreated, not converted. More in objections.

Checklist

  • Report inventory and top 20 listed
  • Sample test passed and signed off
  • Security review started
  • Migration plan shared

Talk track / messaging

Use the positioning pitch. Stay neutral about Microsoft; see Microsoft competitor notes.

Assets

Examples

TODO: add a real example

Common mistakes

  • Promising zero work: credentials, schedules and custom code still need attention.
  • Skipping the sample test.

Product notes

No product notes: this play is Bold Reports only.