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.

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.®

Related stories

• Open-source chief optimistic about proprietary support (21 January 2009)
• Microsoft partners cosy up on interoperability (7 March 2008)
• Attack of the Leap Year Babies III Microsoft officially 425 years behind the times (4 March 2008)
• Microsoft codes leap year bug into Exchange 2007 (4 March 2008)
• Microsoft opens APIs and protocols to all (21 February 2008)
• Microsoft launches student Java and LAMP challenge (21 February 2008)
• Viva VBA - alas (21 January 2008)
• Hands on Build your PDF and Excel reports with PHP (10 December 2007)
• Ingres breaks ice with JasperSoft (23 August 2007)
• EnterpriseDB snags information strategist (31 July 2007)
• Could open source BI close out incumbents? (28 June 2007)
• Linux vendors gang up for enterprise (19 February 2007)
• Zend signs PHP accord with Microsoft (31 October 2006)
• Creating a Report with JasperReports (24 October 2006)
• SpikeSource - an OSS innovation? (10 October 2006)
• Microsoft tastes sweet, sweet open source CRM (14 February 2006)
• On Open Source data warehousing (12 September 2005)