Pivotstream, the world leader in Cloud PowerPivot Business Intelligence, today announced the beta release of its PowerPivot V2 Cloud Platform, offering the industry's first integrated Cloud PowerPivot and PowerView solution designed for Big Data and Advanced Analytics.

SEATTLE, Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --"Pivotstream delivered the word's first Cloud PowerPivot solution in June of 2010, and with this release of our V2 and PowerView platform, we extend the power and influence of key business users and domain experts who can now leverage their existing Excel skills to create and deploy IT-sanctioned, secure, compliant, and highly relevant insights against billions of rows of disparate data, and do it faster than ever before", says CEO Jeff Elderton.

"Cloud PowerPivot is game changing for the SMB and the mid-size to large enterprise" says Rob Collie, Pivotstream CTO. "Our customers experience flexibility of enterprise-grade cloud services, the familiarity of their preferred Excel analysis platform, the value of our proprietary software that provides multiple data refresh options, unique presentation and integration components, platform accelerators, core and thin workbook frameworks, and integrated monitoring and management, all bundled together in a single service built on Microsoft's BI stack of SQL 2012, Analysis Services, SharePoint 2010, and most importantly, PowerPivot. There's nothing comparable in the marketplace."

Gartner analyst Rita Sallam described traditional BI tools as "expensive ETL systems for exporting to Excel" at the last BI Gartner Summit. "The simple reality of self-service BI is that Excel wins", says Collie. "90% of real business analysis is performed in Microsoft Excel, and that may be a conservative number. Every SaaS or On-Premise BI solution ships with an 'Export to Excel' button because business users demand the ability to extract data from expensive, esoteric, and rigid BI systems, and to shift it into spreadsheets so they can make better decisions".

"Historically, productivity gains have been achieved by having 'fewer people do more', says Elderton. "But with Cloud PowerPivot V2, the paradigm swings to 'more people doing far more than a few ever could'. Our platform eliminates lengthy deployments, unproductive training requirements, highly specialized and expensive software, embarrassingly low compliance rates, and protracted consulting engagements, replacing them with an absolute explosion in knowledge and productivity".

Pivotstream is the world leader in Cloud PowerPivot-based applications, relied upon daily by more than 130 global companies, including Duane Reade, Unilever, GlaxoSmithKline, Walgreen's, Pacific World, Natrol, BMD, Proctor and Gamble, and Sanvita.

SOURCE Pivotstream