Sunderland Software City

I'm trying to implement a page that allows Excel users to use the data it provides via the Web Query feature provided by Excel.

It's all working out pretty nicely, as long as I use HTTP (even BASIC user authentication works).

As soon as I switch that over to HTTPS Excel won't download the data anymore (it's even a fully official SSL certificate, so it's not a problem with a self-signed one).

This Microsoft knowledge base article pretty much describes the problem.

Now the part that makes me wonder is this:

This issue occurs when Excel cannot initiate a connection because of the settings on the secure Web server.

This seems to imply that there is some way to get this working, but there's not even a hint at the direction I need to look at.

Should the "because of the settings on the secure Web server" be taken at face value, or is it just a Microsoft way of saying "this won't work unless you buy the right software from us"?