Ever tried to connect two data sets where the identifier is not precisely the same for the two tables? If this strikes a familiar chord with you, you have probably tried to perform fuzzy matching, whereby modellers seek to link two similar data entries, e.g....

It’s official. After months of needing a PhD in Astrophysics to work out which version of Office 2013 you might need, you can now easily purchase a retail SKU that includes Power Pivot and Power View. Excel 2013 Standalone SKU will now include the add-ins when...

Since its launch last October, Microsoft has sold more than 100 million licenses for Windows 8, despite its perceived slow adoption by industry analysts.Windows 8 was aimed at increasing Microsoft’s penetration into the fast-growing mobile segment by radically...

Like Power Pivot and Power Maps (previously a project called “GeoFlow”), Microsoft Power Query is another Excel add-in that enhances the self-service Business Intelligence experience in Excel by enabling customers to easily search / access data, either internal or...

Microsoft has announced its Office suite for iOS devices, with the release of the iPhone app Office Mobile for Office 365 subscribers. That’s right: it may be free to download from the App Store, but an Office 365 subscription is required to actually use the application. With no option to subscribe using in-app purchases, it appears Microsoft and Apple are still at odds over the 30% cut Apple takes on IAP on iOS. The UK’s Guardian newspaper reported in late 2012 claimed that this was the main stumbling block to the Office software appearing on iOS. The free download circumvents this minefield presently.

After instigating one of the most radical shake-ups of its Windows operating system in recent years, Microsoft has confirmed the much-loved Start button is to returning to the desktop mode’s taskbar for June’s Windows 8.1 ‘preview’ update.Some commentators appear to...

At the risk of alienating international readers and appearing a little insular, please excuse us for reporting on a local (Australian) highlight, albeit released to little fanfare.What seems like 35 years after it was released to the rest of the world, Microsoft has...

April saw Microsoft announce the availability of the project currently code named “GeoFlow” Preview for Excel 2013 (a catchy title I thought), an add-in for Excel that allows users to view information over the twin parameters of space and time.Essentially, chart data...

Many of you will have been considering PowerPivot, the ‘new’ add-in for Excel 2010 and later versions. As companies and individuals consider migration towards Office / Excel 2013, you should be aware that if you still plan to use PowerPivot and its sister feature Power View, you must exercise caution regarding which version you or your IT department buy. Picked at random, it is unlikely you will procure the necessary business intelligence analysis your business requires or deserves. Although Office 365 subscriptions may be upgraded, this option is not currently possible within the Excel 2013 ‘product’. Therefore, inappropriate non-subscription purchases may prove to be a very costly mistake. In subscription form, you’re going to need the Rolls Royce version, Office 365 ProPlus. For the regular, non-subscription variant, Office 2013 on the desktop, you will need the similarly-titled Microsoft Office Professional Plus to use the PowerPivot add-in or to use Power View in Excel.