So Much To Learn: Microsoft's Neural Network Algorithm

If you work in the world of technology like I do, perhaps you can empathize with the way I felt this morning after reviewing a presentation forwarded to me about a really high-end demonstration of Microsoft CRM that uses SQL Analysis Services and the Analytics Foundation for predictive leads analysis and other cool things.

There were a lot of powerful ways that this demonstration used historical data to predict which leads would close on a purchase, recommend products associated with an opportunity, and even automagically generate a target marketing list based on - and this is what caught my attention and led to my feelings of technological inadequacy - "Microsoft’s neural network algorithm."

A description of the neural network algorithm from the MSDN website didn't help to clarify matters for me: "...the Microsoft Neural Network algorithm creates classification and regression mining models by constructing a Multilayer Perceptron network of neurons." (More about this here.)

Don't I feel stupid. I thought neurons were part of the brain. Just when I thought I was starting to master the technologies underlying CRM, this comes along. I need to take a month off so I can do some reading and research!