Analyze data from SQL Server Analysis Services

You can use Microsoft Excel 2010 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 PowerPivot for Microsoft Excel 2010 to create PivotTable and PivotChart reports to analyze data imported from Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services (SSAS). PowerPivot for Excel 2010 is an add-in to Excel 2010 that you can download from the Microsoft Download Center (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=224183).

Whether you use Excel 2010 or PowerPivot for Excel 2010 depends largely on how much data that you are analyzing. PowerPivot for Excel 2010 supports more rows of data and lets users import data from multiple sources. It also uses all native Excel 2010 features but processes calculations faster through the in-memory business intelligence engine.