ProClarity

ProClarity Corporation was a United States software company focused on business intelligence, multidimensional data analysis, and analytical reporting. The company began in 1995 in Boise, Idaho, under the name Knosys Inc. Its principal commercial product was also called ProClarity, and the company adopted that name in 2001 as the software became the center of its business identity. ProClarity developed tools intended to help organizations examine corporate data, identify trends, and communicate analytical findings. Its products were designed to work closely with Microsoft Analysis Services, Microsoft's platform for multidimensional and online analytical processing workloads. This integration positioned ProClarity within the Microsoft-centered business-intelligence ecosystem and made its software relevant to organizations already using Microsoft's data and enterprise-software technologies. The company built an international customer base of more than 2,000 organizations. Publicly identified customers included AT&T, Ericsson, Hewlett-Packard, Home Depot, Pennzoil QuakerState, Reckitt Benckiser, Roche, Siemens, the United States Department of Agriculture, Verizon, and Wells Fargo. These customers represented telecommunications, manufacturing, retail, consumer products, healthcare, government, and financial services, illustrating the broad enterprise use cases targeted by ProClarity's software. Microsoft announced an agreement to acquire ProClarity on April 3, 2006. The transaction brought ProClarity's technology and personnel into Microsoft's business-software operations and ended the company's independent trajectory. ProClarity's software continued to receive development for a period after the acquisition, with version 6.3 identified as the final product update and released in 2007. Microsoft subsequently incorporated related business-intelligence capabilities into products and services associated with its broader platform, including PerformancePoint Services for SharePoint 2010 and business-intelligence improvements in Excel. As a standalone company, ProClarity is therefore best understood as a former specialist business-intelligence software vendor rather than an active independent brand. Its significance lies in its role in the development and commercialization of Microsoft-aligned analytical software before and during Microsoft's expansion of its enterprise business-intelligence portfolio.

ProClarity originated in Boise, Idaho, in 1995 as Knosys Inc., a software company serving the emerging enterprise business-intelligence and data-analysis market. Its work centered on applications that allowed organizations to explore structured corporate information and use analytical methods to support management and operational decisions. The company became increasingly identified with its principal commercial product, ProClarity. In 2001, Knosys changed its corporate name to ProClarity, reflecting the importance of that product to its market identity. The renamed company concentrated on software for business intelligence and multidimensional analysis, with close technical integration with Microsoft Analysis Services. That relationship connected ProClarity's applications to Microsoft's data-warehouse and online analytical processing technologies and helped the company serve organizations building Microsoft-based analytical environments. ProClarity's customer base grew to more than 2,000 organizations worldwide. The customer list cited in reference material includes large companies and public-sector organizations such as AT&T, Ericsson, Hewlett-Packard, Home Depot, Pennzoil QuakerState, Reckitt Benckiser, Roche, Siemens, the United States Department of Agriculture, Verizon, and Wells Fargo. The range of these customers indicates that ProClarity's products were used across telecommunications, industrial and technology businesses, retail, consumer goods, healthcare, government, and financial services. Microsoft announced the acquisition of ProClarity on April 3, 2006. The acquisition was part of Microsoft's effort to strengthen its business-intelligence portfolio and broaden the capabilities available to enterprise customers using its software ecosystem. After the transaction, ProClarity was gradually integrated into Microsoft's Business Division rather than continuing as an independent software company. The product line did not end immediately at the announcement of the acquisition. ProClarity version 6.3 was released in 2007 and is described as the final update to the software. In subsequent years, Microsoft delivered related business-intelligence capabilities through other products and services, including PerformancePoint Services for SharePoint 2010 and analytical improvements in Excel. These developments represented a broader product strategy in which capabilities associated with specialist business-intelligence tools were incorporated into Microsoft's enterprise and productivity platforms. ProClarity is now a defunct standalone company and is primarily of historical interest as an enterprise analytics vendor that became part of Microsoft's business-intelligence technology portfolio. Its corporate history illustrates the consolidation of specialist analytics software into larger platform companies during the expansion of enterprise data analysis.

• 2007

  Version 6.3 is released

  [1]ProClarityen.wikipedia.org

  ProClarity version 6.3 is released as the final identified update to the software product.

• 2006

  Microsoft announces acquisition

  [1]ProClarityen.wikipedia.org

  Microsoft announces the acquisition of ProClarity on April 3, beginning the company's transition into Microsoft's business-software organization.

• 2001

  Company adopts the ProClarity name

  [1]ProClarityen.wikipedia.org

  Knosys changes its name to ProClarity after its primary commercial software product.

• 1995

  Knosys Inc. is founded

  [1]ProClarityen.wikipedia.org

  The company that would become ProClarity is established in Boise, Idaho, as Knosys Inc.

Enterprise business-intelligence and data-analysis software designed for organizations using Microsoft data platforms, particularly Microsoft Analysis Services.

• Business-intelligence and data-analysis software

  ProClarity

  ProClarity was the company's principal commercial software offering and provided tools for business intelligence, multidimensional analysis, and analytical reporting. It integrated closely with Microsoft Analysis Services, allowing enterprise users to investigate organizational data within Microsoft-oriented analytical environments. The product was used by customers across commercial and public-sector industries and remained the central identity of the company after Knosys adopted the ProClarity name in 2001.

• Business-intelligence software release · 2007

  ProClarity version 6.3

  Version 6.3 was the final identified update to the ProClarity software line. It was released after Microsoft's 2006 acquisition announcement, during the period in which the company and its technology were being integrated into Microsoft's business-software operations.

• 2006

  Microsoft acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Microsoft sought to expand and strengthen its business-intelligence software capabilities.

  Action taken

  Microsoft announced the acquisition of ProClarity on April 3, 2006.

  Aftermath

  ProClarity was gradually folded into Microsoft's Business Division, while related analytical capabilities continued to appear in Microsoft's broader product portfolio.

  Source

• 2001

  Rebrand from Knosys to ProClarityStrategy

  Background

  The company's primary commercial software product had become central to its market identity.

  Action taken

  Knosys Inc. changed its corporate name to ProClarity.

  Aftermath

  The ProClarity name became associated with the company's business-intelligence software and subsequent customer expansion.

  Source

• 2007

  ProClarity releases version 6.3[1]ProClarityen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  Version 6.3 was released as the final update identified for ProClarity's software after the Microsoft acquisition.

• 2006

  Microsoft announces acquisition of ProClarity[1]ProClarityen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Microsoft announced on April 3, 2006 that it would acquire ProClarity, bringing the business-intelligence software company into Microsoft's business-software operations.

1. 1ProClarityen.wikipedia.org