Power BI
A business analytics service for connecting data, building semantic models, and delivering interactive reports and dashboards.
What it does
Power BI is Microsoft’s business analytics service for analysts and report consumers who need to connect to multiple data sources, build reusable semantic models, and deliver interactive or paginated reports across an organisation. Data connections and unified data layer Power BI connects to cloud and on-premises data sources, supports import and direct query modes, and-when used with Microsoft Fabric/OneLake-can form a governed single source of truth. Use these connectors to centralise CRM, finance, sales and operational data for reporting and analysis. Semantic modeling and calculations Create enterprise datasets and semantic models using Power BI Desktop and the Power BI service. Analysts author measures and calculated columns with DAX so teams can rely on consistent business logic and metrics across reports. Interactive visuals and paginated reports Build drag-and-drop reports from a wide visual gallery, assemble dashboards, and produce paginated reports for pixel-perfect print or PDF outputs. Reports can be made interactive for exploration or exported for regulatory and operational documents. AI-driven exploration and natural language Power BI includes natural-language Q&A and AI-assisted features (including Copilot integrations) to generate visuals, summaries and written insights from data, helping non-technical users ask questions in plain language. Distribution, embedding and collaboration Publish content to the Power BI service, share via workspaces and apps, embed reports in Teams, SharePoint or custom apps using Power BI Embedded, and manage access through Microsoft 365 integration and workspace security controls.
