Microsoft To Acquire BI Firm ProClarityMicrosoft To Acquire BI Firm ProClarity

Microsoft continues to build out its business intelligence arsenal with the announcement that it will acquire analytics vendor ProClarity.

ProClarity makes analysis and visualization software. The firm has been a certified Microsoft partner since 1999.

"ProClarity has been a valued Microsoft partner for many years, with a strong R&D organization, more than 1,200 mutual customers and a sales force that already works closely with ours," said a company statement attributed to Microsoft Business Division president Jeff Raikes. "This acquisition advances our BI strategy and our ability to deliver performance management applications to customers."

Microsoft didn't reveal how much it will pay for ProClarity, which is privately held.

Microsoft previously announced expanded BI-related functionality to built into the 2007 Microsoft Office's versions of Excel and SharePoint Portal Server. Last year the company announced SQL Server 2005 and Office Business Scorecard Manager 2005, both of which have business intelligence capabilities.