Power BI: Microsoft self-service BI
Power Query prep, DAX modeling, interactive dashboards, deep Microsoft integration
Power BI is Microsoft's BI and data visualization suite for self-service analytics and enterprise dashboards. It offers Power Query low-code data prep, DAX modeling with a Tabular semantic layer, rich visuals, and data gateways to connect on-prem and cloud sources. Deep integration with Microsoft 365, Azure, Teams, SharePoint, and Excel enables collaboration, subscriptions, and embedded scenarios across the ecosystem.
Power Query prep
Low-code ETL with M language transformations to clean and combine data quickly.
DAX & semantic model
Tabular model with measures, hierarchies, and row-level security for consistent metrics.
Interactive reports & dashboards
Slicers, drill-through, cross-filtering, and rich tooltips for exploration.
Connectors & gateways
Broad connectors for databases/warehouses/SaaS; gateways keep on-prem data refreshed.
Microsoft ecosystem
Tight integration with Excel, Teams, SharePoint, and PowerPoint with subscriptions and embeds.
Products & modules
Power BI Desktop
Local modeling and report authoring with DAX, Power Query, visuals, and preview.
Power BI Service
Cloud publishing, datasets/semantic models, scheduled refresh, permissions, RLS/OLS.
Embedded / Mobile
App embedding and mobile consumption with alerts, secured by Azure AD.
Use cases
- Operational/sales/finance dashboards
- Self-service analytics and exploration
- Enterprise reports with subscriptions
- Collaboration with Office/Teams