Palo is a memory resident multidimensional (online analytical processing (OLAP) or multidimensional online analytical processing (MOLAP)) database server and typically used as a business intelligence tool for controlling and budgeting purposes with spreadsheet software acting as the user interface.

This type of database is suitable to handle complex data models for business management and statistics.

There is also an open source plug-in for OpenOffice.org named PalOOCa (discontinued), with Java and web client also available from the JPalo project.

It is fairly easy to communicate with Palo OLAP Server, since it uses representational state transfer (REST).

Starting in October 2008, Palo supports XML for Analysis and MultiDimensional eXpressions (MDX) APIs for connectivity, and OLE DB for OLAP interface which allows standard Excel pivot tables to serve as a client tool.