Microsoft picks up business analytics tool

Seeking to bolster its business analytics modules, Microsoft has acquired technology from business partner Professional Advantage, the software giant said Monday.

The technology Microsoft has acquired is called Analysis Cubes for Excel. It will be one of several extension modules for Microsoft's Great Plains 8.0. The modules are designed to aid customers in examining and analyzing data from various aspects for a more rounded view of the information.

Other extension modules in Great Plains 8.0 will include Key Performance Indicators for Microsoft Business Solutions Portal and Microsoft Office Solution Accelerator for Sarbanes-Oxley.

The acquisition of Analysis Cubes for Excel is part of Microsoft's effort to carve out a space in the business enterprise applications arena.

Redmond's push into the applications market has been under way for years, as part of its Project Green. That project calls for blending four overlapping sets of business applications into a single code base.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.