XML for Analysis is a set of XML Message Interfaces based on Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) for defining the data access interaction between a client application and an analytical data provider (OLAP and data mining) working over the Internet.

The XMLA specification published by Hyperion and Microsoft  allows corporate developers, third-party tool vendors, and other partners to query analytical data providers in a standard way, just as it has been possible to do with all the SQL-based relational databases.

What are the benefits of XML for Analysis?

1. Customers will gain the ability to protect server and tools investments and ensure that new analytical deployments will interoperate and work cooperatively.
2. Developers will gain the ability to leverage existing developer skills and to use open access XML-based Web services, eliminating the need to program to multiple APIs and query languages.
3. Independent software vendors will be able to reduce complexity and costs for development and maintenance by writing to a single access interface.

To know more check www.xmla.org