Microsoft Power BI is a collection of business analytics services that enables users to create data visualizations that can be shared within organizations or on websites. This suite of architectures, technologies, processes, reporting, and data visualization products can be used to extract meaningful information from raw data.

Power BI is simple to set up. It has a clear and easy-to-use interface with which users can design their own dashboards and reports. Those who wish to upload visualizations or reports can easily share them with others using the Power BI service, which has the added perk of refreshing their data each time there’s an update to the underlying dataset. Because Power BI was constructed using Microsoft Excel as a foundation, those who are familiar with Excel can easily transition to using Power BI.

Power BI has many cloud-based services and apps that are designed for managing, collating, and analyzing data. After data is processed in Power BI, insights can be gleaned, and charts and graphs of the information can be created to convey a visual snapshot of what is happening at a business.

Those working with Power BI have access to powerful AI capacities. They can use image recognition, design machine learning models, perform text analytics, and even integrate with Azure Machine Learning. In addition, Power BI provides users with the ability to customize app navigation using the “app navigation experiences” feature, as well as to tailor security features to their needs in order to ensure their information is kept safe and private.

Although Microsoft has not released updated numbers on how many people currently use Power BI, as of 2016 there were 5 million subscribers worldwide. This number is expected to grow in the coming years as more data is created that will need to be analyzed. Microsoft is dedicated to regularly updating Power BI features, ensuring that their product will continue to meet the evolving needs of users.

Power BI Products

There are currently three versions of Microsoft Power BI: Power BI Desktop, Power BI Pro, and Power BI Premium:

  • Power BI Desktop is a free service that can be installed onto a computer or local system, and then used to access the basic Power BI features. Power BI Desktop can connect to over 70 data sources, perform data analysis, publish results online, and export information to Excel.
  • Power BI Pro is the full version of Power BI. It’s able to create and share data, reports, and dashboards with others who have a Power BI Pro license.
  • Power BI Premium allows an organization to purchase a Premium Workshopace for various users, which can host datasets up to 50GB, in addition to a 100 TB in the cloud. There are three Premium capacity sizes; each offers a different memory size.

In order to decide which version of Power BI is best for your workplace, it’s important to consider factors such as how many users will be creating and viewing reports, as well as their needs to share information. In addition, those organizations that require large-capacity dataset hosting capabilities will likely fare best with Power BI Premium. Cost is also a factor in deciding which version of Power BI is right for your organization’s needs. While Power BI Desktop is free to download, Pro and Premium require monthly subscription fees.

Benefits of Using Power BI

There are many benefits to using Microsoft Power BI. This powerful tool offers:

  • Real-time dashboard updates: Any dashboard or visual that was created using Power BI can update visuals and data in real-time and display it immediately.
  • Fast deployment: Power BI deployment pipelines are a feature of Power BI Premium and enable users to quickly deliver updates to content, cut down on errors, and ultimately increase productivity.
  • Secure environment: A reliable connection to data sources on-premises or in the cloud is provided.
  • Hybrid configuration: This unique and helpful tool can be used to incorporate hybrid solutions for on-premises data structures while only report and dashboard definitions are deployed.
  • Natural language query: Normal terms in a user’s language are used to explore data, which means that there’s no need for a special format or syntax.
  • Built-in machine learning features: Dataflows that are hosted on Power Bi and Premium include automated machine learning capabilities.
  • Powerful visualization templates: Users can transform enterprise data into visual representations that can be used for more informed decision making.
  • Sharing capacity: Power BI fosters collaboration. Users can share reports and dashboards with other Power BI users in their organization, as well as those outside their organization.

Drawbacks to Using Power BI

Although there are many benefits to using Microsoft Power BI, there are a few drawbacks to be aware of as well, such as:

  • Congested user interface
  • Limited data sharing options
  • Difficult to understand, even harder to master
  • Inability to print from Power BI Desktop
  • Rigid formulas

Power BI Careers

Those who know how to use Microsoft Power BI have career options in a variety of professions. Because Power BI is able to work with any kind of data it is told to handle, its capacities are far-reaching. Data Reporting Analysts, Data Scientists, Business Analysts, and Data Analysts all use Power BI when handling large datasets. It’s especially useful in departments such as sales, operations, human resources, marketing, and finance. In addition, various branches of businesses or organizations also use Power BI for tasks like monitoring employee progress and generating insights into a team’s performance. Knowledge of Power BI opens many professional doors, and also provides upward career mobility for those already working with big data.

Regardless of the profession, Power BI users have access to tools and resources that allow them to easily create and share insights about big data. Analysts can connect to hundreds of sources, easily prepare data, and generate stunning reports that transform insight into action. IT Professionals using Power BI can ensure that data is kept secure while still permitting others to access the necessary insights. This simplifies the management process and enables compliance. Developers working with Power BI can easily embed visuals and interactive data, and share their reports on any device.

Hands-On Power BI Classes

For those who want to learn how to create dynamic data visualizations for business reports, Noble Desktop’s Power BI Bootcamp. This six-hour class is available in-person in NYC, as well as in the live online format. It teaches participants such skills as how to use a single relational model when connecting to multiple data sources, how to create comprehensive time intelligence reports, and how to work with Power Query.

There are also other live online Power BI classes currently available for those who are new to Power BI, as well as intermediate and advanced learners. These interactive classes are taught in real-time and provide all learners with access to an instructor who is live and ready to provide feedback and answer questions.

If you are interested in finding additional Power BI classes in your area, check out Noble’s Classes Near Me tool to locate Power BI classes. This tool provides an easy way to locate and browse more than two dozen Power BI classes currently offered in the in-person and live online formats.