Lookout for predictive analysis in new Excel

BANGALORE, INDIA: As part of Microsoft’s efforts to ‘democratize’ Business Intelligence, and make it more pervasive to be used widely, the latest version of Excel, part of the Office 2010 suite, would have capabilities like ‘predictive analysis’ which would allow finance heads or CEOs to predict, with reasonable accuracy, the future of business growth based on data – previously processed or otherwise.

Microsoft may not necessarily be positioning predictive analysis capabilities or any other capabilities that aid advanced data processing as business intelligence tools, but nevertheless it serves the cause of intelligently managing and forecasting business.

Across SQL Server, Office and SharePoint, Microsoft has been actively incorporating BI capabilities, for instance, the PerformancePoint server as part of SharePoint, and continues to add skills that help the user – corporate or otherwise – with better data understanding and data processing.

Often accused of not supporting the cause of Open Source, Microsoft, at least for its BI initiatives, has exposed its APIs and hopes to increase visibility and mass acceptance – primarily in volume – with a focused investment on R&D, and specific investment to incorporate business intelligence into its forthcoming product lines.