OSBC Excel is the focus of a technology interoperability initiative between Microsoft and open-source BI specialist JasperSoft.

JasperSoft has announced ODBO Connect, which integrates its web- and GPL-based JasperAnalysis relational OLAP server with PivotTables in Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet package.

JasperSoft ODBO Connect will let people analyze data using the desktop-based Excel client instead of working through a browser. JasperSoft ODBO Connect uses a combination of OLE DB (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms722784(VS.85).aspx) for OLAP, XML for Analysis (http://www.xmlforanalysis.com/), and Multidimensional Expressions (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms145506.aspx).

Also announced is Windows Server 2008 certification for the JasperSoft Business Intelligence suite, updating previous certification for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP.

The connector and certification are part of a series of initiatives intended to fine tune the JasperSoft Business Intelligence suite to Windows Server 2008 and other "key" Microsoft software.

Work between the companies continues Microsoft's strategy of ensuring that Windows remains the platform of choice for users running open source applications and middleware, so they do not drift into using Linux instead.

JasperSoft chief executive Brian Gentile in a statement called Windows Server a "clear standard" adding Excel is "the most widely used desktop data analysis tool." Microsoft claimed more than 50 per cent of OLAP deployments use Excel as the client interface while JasperSoft claims 8,000 commercial customers running its software and services.®

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