Two of the most common tools used to access and manipulate data for decision support are Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel. With the introduction of Microsoft Office 2000, users will have access to more facilities for analyzing and presenting the information in their data warehouses.
Excel 2000 will allow tabular and graphical representation of OLAP data sources through the OLE DB for OLAP interfaces. At the same time, the existing PivotTable dynamic views capability will be replaced with a more advanced OLAP facility based on the PivotTable Service component of Microsoft SQL Server OLAP Services.
Access 2000 will provide transparent support for SQL Server databases in addition to the existing Access database facilities. These new capabilities will allow customers to use their familiar desktop tools to perform increasingly sophisticated data analyses.
Microsoft Office 2000 will include components for simplifying the construction of Web-based applications by using prebuilt controls. These controls will provide access to relational databases and OLAP databases, allowing widespread viewing of information in the data warehouse.