Among the BI & data visualization tools supported by Cube Cloud, spreadsheets remain among the most essential tools by user volume worldwide. Business users and data analysts rely on spreadsheets at least as much as standalone BI tools, if not more.
Last year, we introduced support for Microsoft Excel via the MDX API in Cube Cloud. This option is unmatched because it enables you to use the native PivotTable tool for analysis and reporting. However, connecting to an external data source via the MDX API is only possible when running Excel on Windows. Other operating systems (such as macOS) and other platforms (such as web and mobile), which still have many Excel users, are restricted by Microsoft from using the MDX API.
Today, we're expanding Microsoft Excel support further with the official add-in, Cube Cloud for Excel. We’re launching this add-in in public preview and inviting you to give it a try for your use cases in Excel. It can be particularly helpful if you'd like to use Excel for the web (part of Microsoft 365) or run Excel on your Mac laptop. Also, if you're adopting the modern cloud OLAP approach and migrating from solutions like SSAS or SAP HANA, then Cube Cloud for Excel will naturally blend into your workflow.
With this integration, you can build reports in Microsoft Excel using metrics from your Cube Cloud semantic layer. Whether you use Excel as your primary data reporting and analysis tool or alongside a BI platform such as Microsoft Power BI, this add-in will definitely streamline your workflow.
Watch the video below to see Cube Cloud for Excel in action:
We did our best to provide you with a pivot table UI that feels as native as possible. It enables effortless drag-and-drop analysis with metrics, columns, rows, and filters. Check out our documentation to learn more about its features.
Cube Cloud for Excel is available for customers on Enterprise and above product tiers. Please contact your dedicated customer success manager to onboard you to this new feature. Later, when this add-in goes to general availability, you'll be able to install it directly from the Microsoft AppSource marketplace.
If you're not a Cube Cloud user yet but you'd like to experience the power of the semantic layer with Microsoft Excel, please get in touch, and we'd be happy to guide you.