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LSEG Data & Analytics has launched a new Workspace Add-in for Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, available to users with a Microsoft 365 license.
The release strengthens the LSEG–Microsoft partnership and introduces enhanced capabilities to financial professionals working within the Office suite.
“Transforming how financial professionals discover and use data directly within Excel and PowerPoint”
The add-in integrates LSEG’s financial data directly into Excel and PowerPoint, improving data access and usability. Key features include simplified formulas, dynamic annotations for charts, and content sharing tools through the Asset Library. These updates aim to improve the speed and quality of workflows for users preparing presentations, pitch books, and data-driven reports.
Nej D’Jelal, Head of Workspace and Interim Co-head of Workflows at LSEG, commented, “This is a significant milestone. We’re transforming how financial professionals discover and use data directly within Excel and PowerPoint. By enhancing workflows, we’re helping users make faster, smarter, and more confident decisions.”
Designed for use cases such as investment analysis, reporting, and client presentations, the add-in includes enriched visualization tools and metadata tagging. Users can build dynamic pitch decks with up-to-date data and labeled charts, search and reuse materials across Microsoft 365, and tailor their content using firm-specific tags.
The launch continues LSEG’s rollout of tools aimed at integrating its data services more closely with Microsoft’s productivity ecosystem.
LSEG survey finds 87% are expanding investments in the cloud
Recent research by LSEG revealed a decisive shift in how financial services firms are approaching cloud adoption, with a majority viewing it as a strategic lever for competitiveness rather than a cost-saving measure. The global survey, which covered 453 financial services executives, found that 87 percent of firms have increased cloud investment over the past two years.
According to the study, 82 percent of surveyed firms now operate with hybrid or multi-cloud strategies, aiming to boost flexibility, reduce concentration risk, and support compliance with global regulations. However, 84 percent reported the need to adjust cloud strategies in response to requirements such as the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act and GDPR.
Security continues to dominate concerns, with 47 percent of respondents citing the sophistication of cyberattacks as their top worry. Data privacy and breach risks followed closely behind. Despite these concerns, 92 percent of firms consider operational resilience a critical factor when choosing a cloud provider.
Cloud adoption is already delivering results. Over half of the respondents said they had completed migrations and were seeing value, especially in areas like customer engagement and enterprise-wide data access. Risk management stood out, with 83 percent of users reporting full migration and operational benefits.
Financial institutions are increasingly measuring cloud ROI in terms of scalability (51 percent), revenue growth (47 percent), and security improvements (47 percent). Only 34 percent now use cost savings as their primary benchmark for success, although 61 percent still report reduced IT infrastructure costs, especially in EMEA and APAC regions where regulatory conditions are more complex.
Cloud is also becoming central to artificial intelligence strategies. The survey found that 91 percent of firms are either currently using or planning to use cloud services for AI within the next year. Generative AI, fraud detection, and risk management were the top three areas of focus. In total, 84 percent of respondents said their firm is already somewhat or very advanced in AI implementation, with investment firms leading in deployment.
While Software as a Service remains the leading cloud model at 43 percent, interest is growing in Platform as a Service and Infrastructure as a Service. This trend suggests more firms may shift toward building custom tools and applications internally as AI, analytics, and compliance needs become more complex.
