This is a bit off-topic but I figure many here will find it interesting.

If you are looking for a reporting solution where you can design the reports
in Excel or Word (which is a lot faster) - please take a look at Windward.

Windward Reports, the leader in enterprise report generation, has released
the worlds first enterprise reporting software that enables use of Excel as
a design tool. The Windward Reports Server Engine is perfect for users
creating both java reports and .net reports alike, and now allows users to
design reports in both Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel as well.

Windward, a leader in with its design-in-Word reporting software because of
its ease of use, now adds the advantages of Excel to its portfolio of
simple-to-use, superior reporting products. Windwards new AutoTag 6.0
reporting software uniquely uses Excel to intelligently figure out sums and
number formatting, and allows users to build a table which supports
calculations. AutoTag 6.0 still outputs to Word, or any other output format,
to produce reporting documents.

Why is this Excel release so important? Simply put: Freedom. By creating an
easy-to-use design tool which allows users to design their reports in Excel
(in addition to word), Windward is freeing up thousands of IT man-hours
normally allocated to report design, and including Excel business users in
their €˜power-to the people philosophy. Now, non-technical business users who
prefer Excel, can design their own reports and stay within their comfort zone
while doing so. Windward Reports AutoTag for Excel doesnt just look like
Excel, it IS Excel.

How Does It Work? Begin with a worksheet. Using the AutoTag pull-down menu,
select a data source such as an SQL database or XML file. (AutoTag works in
conjunction with the Windward Reports Standard Server Engine, which gives
your PC the ability to communicate with your organization's data sources,
such as its SQL databases and XML files.) You use standard Excel commands to
format and edit the report, and you assign tags to the data fields using the
AutoTag pull-down menu. When finished, you save your template and, if you
wish, verify that tags are correct with AutoTag's "validate" function.

What makes this unique? With AutoTag for Excel, your number formatting
always carries through €“ it doesnt matter if you output to RTF, PDF, or any
other type. And, by using Excel templates you have a way to easily, and
automatically generate reports that perform calculations on a collection of
values! For instance, you might use Excel to sum all of the line-item
amounts that are generated by an AutoTag. While AutoTag was always easy to
use, this additional capability offers functions not available in a
word-designed template, allowing the software to be used by more people, in
more ways.

When you generate the report Windward Reports merges this template with the
data you have selected. The finished report, with all of your formatting,
positioning and design, is available in minutes instead of hours or even days.

Download a demo or check out a sample report at
http://www.windwardreports.com. For more information on how you can use Excel
or Word to design your reports, call 303-499-2544.