What exactly is Microsoft Power BI?
Tags: powerbi
Published: 2022-12-14 09:47:46

Microsoft Power BI is a business intelligence (BI) platform that supplies non-technical users of business with the tools to aggregate visually, analyzing, and sharing information. The user interface of Power BI is a bit intuitive for those who are familiar using Excel and its extensive connectivity with the other Microsoft products provides a plethora of self-service tool that requires no initial [Power BI Training](https://www.edureka.co/power-bi-certification-training).

Users can download an app to Windows 10, known as Power BI Desktop, and native mobile applications that are available on Windows, Android and iOS devices. There's also Power BI Report Server for organizations that require to store their reports and data in their own premises. This version of Power BI requires a special version of the desktop application named Power BI Desktop for Power BI Report Server.

## Common uses for Power BI are common uses of

Microsoft Power BI is used to discover insights in the data of an organization. Power BI helps connect diverse data sets, clean and transform your data to create a model, and then create graphs or charts to give visual representation of data. All of this data can share with the others Power BI users within the organization.

The models of data created by Power BI are able to be utilized in a variety of ways by organizations that include:

- using charts to tell stories, and visualizations of data;
- Looking at "what is the case" scenarios that are contained in the data and
- making reports that are able to respond to questions in real-time and aid in forecasting so that departments are meeting business goals.
- Power BI can also provide executive dashboards to administrators or managers, providing them with greater information about how their departments are performing.
- The Power BI preview shows the dashboard and reporting capabilities Power BI offers.

## Who is using Power BI?

Although Power BI is a self-service BI tool that provides the benefits of data analysis for employees it's used primarily by analysts of data and BI experts who develop the data models prior to publishing reports across the company. But, people who don't have an analytical background are able to use Power BI and make reports.

Microsoft Power BI is used by department reps as well as management. It provides forecasts and reports designed to assist marketing and sales reps. They also provide the management with information on how the department and individual employees are doing towards their targets.

Additionally, Power BI offers an administrator portal that administrators can use to assist in setting up the implementation and configuration of Power BI, as well as monitoring the usage of Power BI and obtaining licenses.

## The Power BI features that are most important

Microsoft have added a variety of features for data analytics for Power BI since its inception and continues to add new features. The most significant features include:

Artificial intelligence: Users can use the image recognition and text analytics within Power BI. Power BI allows users to build machine learning models with automated ML tools and connect to Azure Machine Learning.
Hybrid deployment support: This feature includes built-in connectors which allow Power BI applications to connect to various data sources such as Microsoft, Salesforce and various other vendors.
Quick Insights: This feature allows users to create subsets of data, and immediately apply analytics to the data.
Common data model support. Power BI's support for Common Data Model permits users to utilize a standard and extensible data collection schemas (entities as well as attributes as well as relationships).
Cortana integration. The feature is particularly loved by mobile users that allow users to speak to request information using natural words and retrieve results with Cortana Microsoft's digital assistant.
Customization: This feature lets developers modify the appearance of the the default reporting and visualization tools, and also import new tools to the platform.
APIs to integrate. This feature allows developers to access samples of code as well as applications program interfaces ( APIs) to embed Power BI's Power BI dashboard in other software applications.
Self-service data prep: With Power Query analysts from business can ingestion, transform, integrate and enhance big data in data that is available through the Power BI web application. Data that is ingested can be shared across various Power BI models, reports and dashboards.
Modeling view: This allows users to break down complicated data models according to subjects into distinct diagrams, multiselect object and define general properties. View and alter properties within the pane for properties and create display folders to facilitate the use of data models with complex structures.

## Microsoft Power BI updates over time

Power BI was first referred to as Project Crescent and was initially launched in July of 2011 it was bundled with SQL Server, codename Denali. It was later changed to Power BI and unveiled in September 2013 under the name Power BI for Office 365 which is now Microsoft 365.

It was initially based on Excel features such as Power Query, Power Pivot and Power View, Microsoft added additional features in the course of time, including the ability to connect data at an enterprise level along with security options. Power BI launched as a stand-alone application in July of 2015.

Presently, Microsoft regularly updates the Power BI application with new features and enhancements. For updates, users should download the most recent version from Power BI's Power BI site or Windows 10 users can download Power BI Desktop from the Windows Store.

## Power BI components

Microsoft Power BI works by connecting data sources and presenting the BI-related dashboard to users. It connects with an Excel spreadsheet, or connect both on and cloud-based databases. Data retrieved from cloud-based sources like Salesforce CRM is refreshed automatically.

In the case of applications like the Excel worksheet and Power BI Desktop file connected to online or on-premises sources of data, Power BI users must manually refresh their data or create an automatic refresh plan to ensure the information contained used in Power BI reports and dashboards utilize the most recent information available.

Power BI is an assortment of applications and is available on the desktop, or as an SaaS product, or on the mobile device. Power BI Desktop offers the on-premise version. Power BI Service is the cloud-based version along with mobile Power BI is available in mobile phones.

The various parts of Power BI are designed to allow users to create and share business intelligence in the way that is compatible with their purpose.

Within Power BI are a variety of elements that can help users make and share reports with data. These include:

- PowerQuery:a transform and data mashup tool
- Power Pivota modeler of memory data tabulars
- Power View: a Data visualization software
- Power Map: three-dimensional geospatial visualization software tool
- Power Q&A: a naturally-language question as well as an answer engine
Furthermore, there are hundreds of sources for data that plug to Power BI, ranging from files (Excel PDF, SharePoint, XML) and data sources (SQL Server Database Oracle Database, IBM databases, Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery) as well as additional Power BI data sets, Azure data connections, and numerous online applications (Dynamics 360, Salesforce Reports, Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Facebook and many more).

## How do you use Power BI?

Power BI Desktop is where analysts and other users are able to build data connections, models of data and reports. Power BI is the Power BI service allows these reports to be shared, so that other users can see the reports and engage with them.

## To create an Power BI report, take the steps below:

- Connect to the data sources.
- Create reports based on the requirements of the user.
- Create the report and publish it on your Power BI service.
- The report can be shared, so mobile and cloud users are able to be able to view and interact with it.
- Give permissions to colleagues so that they have the possibility to edit reports, make Dashboards or restrict their editing rights.

## How much does Power BI cost?

Three different levels that power BI to users. Power BI Desktop, Power BI Pro and Power BI Premium. Its desktop edition is for free and the Pro version cost $9.99 per user per month.

Pricing for Power BI Premium is based on the amount of the deployment as well as the amount of users. It is divided into two levels which are per capacity and per user. Its Premium Per User tier begins at $20 per user for a month, while the premium per capacity level begins at $4,995 for capacity per month.