Over 20 brains contributed to this monster FAQ about PowerPivot. There were 150 questions answered at last count, including why you should use it in the first place.
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Business users really like Excel. Once you start using Excel Services, you’ll be feeling the love too. Sahil Malik put together a great article on how to use it and get around users emailing giant files and losing track of versions. Bonus – you can access the data over REST too.
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Have geotagged data? Show it off with map reports. From simple dots to indicate datapoints to color-coded worldwide breakdowns, this two-part article will show you how to make your location-based data pop – and easier to understand.
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Have geotagged data? Show it off with map reports. From simple dots to indicate datapoints to color-coded worldwide breakdowns, this two-part article will show you how to make your location-based data pop – and easier to understand.
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Finally, it’s easier to play nice with database administrators with a new Visual Studio 2010 feature called Data-Tier Applications. (DAC for short, for some reason.) This article will show you how to author and build the DAC, and hand it off to the database administrator to deploy.
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If you don’t have the patience to work with CAML (and that’s what’s keeping you from developing for SharePoint), we’ve got good news. LINQ to SharePoint generates CAML for you and uses a format most developers already know. Tobias Zimmergren shows you how to use it.
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Mix and match any of the products above, add a hefty dash of your skills and creativity, and you’re ready to deliver a serious dose of business intelligence to your customers. Powerful, dynamic reporting and dashboards, both integrated and self-service. They’ve been clamoring for it. Now you can deliver.
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This release of SQL Server is packed with a bunch of new services and features designed to make your life a whole lot easier (and totally impress your clients): PowerPivot for Excel and SharePoint, Master Data Services, StreamInsight, ReportBuilder 3.0, and more.
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Create custom applications or SharePoint parts to help people work together better than ever. Updates to SharePoint 2010 make it MUCH more developer-friendly than previous versions. And with LINQ to SharePoint, you don’t have to hassle with CAML.
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Slice and dice massive amounts of data with the new PowerPivot for Excel 2010. Then mash it up with other data sources – even from third parties. It’s a super-sweet tool for deeper data analysis and more robust reporting. Plus, there are additional Excel Services to keep data up to date, avoid the annoyance of emailing sensitive, big files back and forth, and tighten up version control.
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Everyone’s favorite IDE just keeps getting better. Visual Studio 2010 now offers tools for developing for SharePoint, Windows® 7 and Windows® Azure™, multi-monitor support, better debugging, a re-engineered Help system, and more.
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Data-Tier Applications make life easier for both developers and DBAs. They allow developers to package up the definition of a database along with lookup tables, some deployment rules, and more before handing it off to an administrator to deploy. MSDN has some great resources that explain the details and show you how to write and deploy one.
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The new Map Report support in SQL Server 2008 R2 gives you tremendous power to create rich, informative maps with geotagged data. But you do have to figure out what you want before you roll up your sleeves to get it done. Check out this whitepaper, which will step you through the design and planning stages.
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OData is a standard that lets you mix and match data from multiple sources, including SQL Server 2008 R2, SharePoint 2010, and Excel 2010. This overview will show you how and why it’s changing the way we work with data, along with simple ways to use different client applications to consume disparate data.
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Most Excel lovers and power users tend to use email to send versions back and forth, in addition to making changes by hand. And it usually involves sensitive business data. Enough is enough! Excel Services lets the end users keep using Excel, but share the data through SharePoint in a controlled, versioned, and discoverable way. MSDN has a great overview along with key scenarios and features.
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PowerPivot is powerful indeed. It lets you keep working in Excel, while pulling and manipulating datasets from a variety of sources. Users will get better speed, more insight, and access to more information. Plus, you can let people share and collaborate without duplicating the spreadsheet. MSDN has collected all the links you’ll need to learn how to use, install, and administer PowerPivot for SharePoint.
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