dotNet Miami - June 21, 2012: Presented by Alberto Santaballa: PowerPivot is Microsoft's answer to bridge the gap between traditional Business Intelligence systems with high startup costs and the ad-hoc approach of spreadsheets with potential high maintenance costs. A key component of Microsoft's Managed Self Service Business Intelligence, this free add on to Excel 2010 leverages the power of traditional Microsoft data sources such as SQL Server and SharePoint plus heterogeneous outside data sources while giving users a familiar interface with a much more robust analysis platform which supports fast access to internal data containing millions of rows. DAX, a new internal language for PowerPivots allows the user to work over multiple rows of data in a way traditional Excel formulas cannot. Lean some of the features of the exciting addition to the Excel family of analysis resources.

1. Excel
PowerPivot

2. Legacy Excel Pivot Tables
Allow easy crosstab summarization
Works on single “table” (sheet)
“Table” size constrained by Excel
Same as and other sheet

3. What is Power Pivot?
Similar to Excel Pivot Table
But more industrial strength
Removes most size constraints
Thinks more like database than spreadsheet
Add on to Excel
Free, but installed separately

4. Power Pivot Features
Combine data from variety of sources
Fast local database
Disconnect while analyzing data
Support relationships across tables inside
Excel

5. Power Pivot/SSBI
Little or no IT support required
Slicers: Allow easy subset selection after
report is built

6. DAX Programming Language
Formulas like excel
But work on rows, not cells
Sensitive to selection

7. Resources
The official PowerPivot web site:
http://www.powerpivot.com/
The PowerPivot team blog:
http://blogs.msdn.com/powerpivot/
http://www.powerpivotpro.com
http://powerpivotgeek.com

8. Thanks!
Alberto (Al) Santaballa
Email: al@technowati.com
Twitter: @asantaballa
Blog: http://technowati.blogspot.com