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Getting Office documents published on the Web is usually a breeze. Word files can be saved directly as HTML, and PowerPoint presentations can be easily converted into online slide shows.
But things arent that easy for Excel spreadsheets, which are typically converted into static and unsuitable tables or, worse, image files. This can be especially useless for complex Excel models that require users to perform calculations or complex analysis.
For most companies, the only answer has been to create a dynamic Web application that pulls spreadsheet data from a data source—something that is well beyond the skill level of most Excel users.
2Web Technologies addresses this problem with XL2Web 4.47, released last month. Using XL2Web, I was able to convert complex Excel spreadsheets into XML-based files that could be deployed easily to the XL2Web JEngine server. The conversion is done using XL2Web Publisher, which plugs into Excel and adds a menu for defining the conversion settings.
Content published to the server can be viewed in any browser, and users can interact with the data in almost any way necessary. I installed the server component on my Java-based server; 2Web also offers options for users who dont want to host their own content.
The hosted version of XL2Web starts at $100 per month per model. The pricing for companies deploying a server internally for unlimited use starts at $35,000.
For more information, go to www.xl2web.com.
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