What Is Power BI?
By Karthick Selvam · Published
Power BI is Microsoft's business intelligence platform for connecting to data, modelling it and building interactive reports.
Components
Power BI Desktop for building reports, the Power BI service for sharing and collaboration, and mobile apps for viewing. It is also part of Microsoft Fabric.
Key capabilities
Power Query for data preparation, a data model with relationships, DAX for calculations, and interactive visuals and dashboards.
Who uses it
Analysts, finance and operations teams and BI developers, especially in organisations using Microsoft 365 and Azure.
Learning path
Start with Power Query and modelling basics, then DAX, then report design and service administration.
Frequently asked questions
Is Power BI free?
Power BI Desktop is free to download; sharing and collaboration require paid licences. Check Microsoft's current licensing.
Related programmes
- Advanced SQL for Data Professionals
- Power BI for Business Analytics
- Python for Data Engineering & Analysis
Turn this into a team capability
Our corporate programmes cover topics like this hands-on, mapped to your stack.
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