SoftArtisans Launches SoftArtisans ExcelWriter, the Native Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Generator

Business Wire, Nov 9, 2000

Business/Technology Editors

BROOKLINE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 9, 2000

Server-side Control Lets Developers Create Full-function Excel

Spreadsheet Documents from the Web and Other Data Sources

SoftArtisans (formerly Software Artisans), the leader in the worldwide server-side controls market, today introduced SoftArtisans ExcelWriter, the first spreadsheet generator designed exclusively for high-performance Web applications. ExcelWriter creates native, full-function Microsoft Excel spreadsheets on the fly from any ADO recordset. With SoftArtisans ExcelWriter, developers can quickly and easily build powerful, Web-based applications that let users download full-function Excel spreadsheets--not look-alikes--and immediately manipulate the data with virtually all Microsoft Excel functionality.

The latest addition to SoftArtisans' product family, SoftArtisans ExcelWriter is designed to generate thousands of spreadsheets on the server. Spreadsheets can be saved on the server or streamed to a client machine. Most important for developers, SoftArtisans ExcelWriter lets them build these applications without installing resource-hungry Excel on the server. The benefit to the company is that users won't need training on unfamiliar and complicated reporting software.

Generating Native Excel Documents with a Few Clicks

SoftArtisans ExcelWriter generates Excel spreadsheets from ADO recordsets in a few easy steps, first populating the spreadsheet from the recordset object, then formatting cells and adding formulas. The result is a clear, visually appealing Excel spreadsheet to which users can add data, formatting preferences, and Excel formulas. Spreadsheets can then be saved to a disk or streamed to a client.

SoftArtisans ExcelWriter enables a wide range of businesses and e-commerce vendors to generate thousands of spreadsheets each day, streamlining and facilitating their basic business processes:

--Financial service e-commerce sites can send their clients daily spreadsheet reports on portfolio performance;

--Sales and marketing departments can generate sales reports and marketing plans via intranet sites, and companies can automate routine processes such as the submittal of expense and time accounting reports; and

--Mortgage, grant, and other lenders can receive and process hundreds, even thousands, of online loan applications each day, including extensive spreadsheets with online financial calculators and reporting tools.

"As companies increasingly rely on the Web to communicate complex quantitative data to their various constituencies, Web developers are under pressure to quickly build sophisticated reporting applications," said David Wihl, president of SoftArtisans. "SoftArtisans ExcelWriter now gives them the means to generate these high-performance, Web-based applications while making efficient use of their limited systems and development resources."

Availability, System Requirements

SoftArtisans ExcelWriter is available starting today as a server-resident application. It requires Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 95/98 and runs in any environment supporting COM or automation.

Based in Brookline, Mass., SoftArtisans (formerly Software Artisans) is the world leader in the development of server controls that support today's Web-centric organization and e-commerce enterprises. Its product family accelerates the development of robust, scalable Web applications. Currently, more than 10,000 companies in 60 countries use SoftArtisans products.

For more information on SoftArtisans products and reseller/OEM programs, visit the SoftArtisans Web site at www.softartisans.com.

SoftArtisans ExcelWriter is a trademark of SoftArtisans, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.