More on Sharepoint & BI solutions.
They released a blog specific to the subject: http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepointbi where you can find more information about SharePoint Insights. You can also check out the official SharePoint Insights page and download the new datasheet and whitepaper to help you start thinking about what SharePoint 2010 can help your organizations use Business Intelligence.
Office is on Facebook? Apparently!
Cori Have you heard of Power Pivot? Check out Microsoft's new Excel Add-In! www.facebook.com/powerpivot - Become a Fan!
Microsoft's PowerPivot for Excel 2010 is a data analysis tool for business users that delivers unmatched computational power directly within the software you already know and love—Microsoft Excel. With PowerPivot, you can transform mass quantit...ies of data with incredible speed into meaningful information to get the business answers you need in seconds. Then, you can effortlessly share your findings with others. PowerPivot can even help your IT department improve operational efficiencies through SharePoint-based management tools.Read More
Technology Product / Service:327 fans
Another language to learn? Yes, if you want to use PowerPivot calculated members. Fortunately it’s not that complex…
What Is DAX?
DAX is an expression language based on Excel formula syntax. Because DAX is designed to work with multiple tables of data, it includes functions that implement relational database concepts. DAX also adds new functionality that allows you to create dynamic aggregations, making DAX formulas smart about calculating values in a PivotTable. Excel users will be happy to learn that DAX includes part of the existing Excel function library, and many functions are the same as Excel functions.
PowerPivot Team Blog : Introduction to Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) in Gemini
One limitation… no spreadsheet-driven data constants or variables.
In DAX, we do not have the Excel notion of addressing a single cell of data. We do not identify values by where they are located in the grid. We can’t refer to cell B23 or range B12:C15. DAX functions always operate on columns of data in a table. Instead of viewing our data set as a large rectangle of cells, we think of the data as a set of tables which contain columns and rows.
Sharepoint 2010 includes the ability to convert various Word file formats. There is still a need to know XML as the object model in Word isn’t fully translated, so modifying the file using OpenXML is a requirement.
Word Automation Services
Have you ever wanted to convert .docx files into PDF? We've heard from many customers trying to perform server side conversions of Open XML files (.docx) into fixed formats (PDF and XPS) using the Word desktop application, and that's what motivated us to create Word Automation Services.
As a component of SharePoint 2010, Word Automation Services allows you to perform file operations on the server that previously required automating desktop Word:
- Converting between document formats (e.g. DOC to DOCX)
- Converting to fixed formats (e.g. PDF or XPS)
- Updating fields
- Importing "alternate format chunks"
- Etc.
The Microsoft Office Word Team's Blog : Introducing Word Automation Services
It is amazing that Office Server automation is just now starting to incorporate these types of operations. I have been building Office server automation solutions since the mid ‘90s, and the largest gap has been to “get rid of Office on the server”. With highly-customized reporting needs, this challenge isn’t easily met without 3rd-party tools.
Server-side Office is coming with Sharepoint 2010.
