From within Excel 2000, we were able to connect to OLAP Services data bases, insert OLAP crosstabs and charts into worksheets, pivot dimensions, and drill down into dimension hierarchies. We could also use IE and Word to work with the same OLAP report file. In tests, the OLAP reports that we embedded in all Office applications had similar functionality, look and feel, and the reports performed well in all applications. For example, using the Excel Control Toolbox, we added a checkbox control to a worksheet that contained an OLAP report. OLAP reports can be immediately shared among multiple applications.
Marketing analysts can add sophisticated basket analysis to their bag of tricks.
Support for the entire Office suite means that OLAP reporting will be integrated into more business functions. Integration would provide a one-stop reporting solution for users of Microsoft SQL Server. This product was originally reviewed in eWEEK's Sharing OLAP in the Office . All rights reserved. ZD Inc. Editorial items appearing in ZDNet that were originally published in the US edition of eWEEK are the copyright property of Ziff Davis Media Inc. or its suppliers.