Microsoft buys ProClarity

Microsoft said Monday that it has agreed to acquire ProClarity Corp. as a way to continue to develop its portfolio of business intelligence (BI) software.

ProClarity, which has business analysis and visualization software for culling information from Microsoft SQL Server and exposing it to business users, is a privately held Microsoft partner in Boise, Idaho. The acquisition fits into Microsoft's goal to be a prominent player in the BI market against competitors such as Business Objects SA and Cognos Inc.