Microsoft’s desktop suite will include a server-based system for managing Excel spreadsheets. The company brought many improvements to its software and the “business intelligence” is one of them.

The new Excel from the office 12 Suite will be capable to manage spreadsheets from a central server. This option is useful for companies that want to create business rules for its employees. Many detail about how this services will be offered haven’t been disclosed.

Microsoft also revealed the new abilities of the Excel desktop software, including tools for better visualizing data as well as the ability to maintain a persistent connection to server applications including back-end software such as programs from SAP, Oracle and Siebel Systems.

These new facilities had been created specially for business environments, where workers need to have access to a large amount of data in a very short time. “Until now, Business Intelligence software has been too complex, costly, and disconnected from the software tools people use every day to do their jobs,” Jeff Raikes, Microsoft Business Division president, said in a statement.

Office 12 will also have a new user interface and will be available on the second half of next year. In the shorter term, Microsoft is also announcing the Nov. 1 availability of Microsoft Office Business Scorecard Manager, a program for monitoring key business data. The product will cost $5,000 for the server software plus a $175 fee for each user that connects to the server, Microsoft said.