“I Already Have Power BI, Why Would I Need Microsoft Fabric?”
Recently, this has been one of the most common questions we receive from non-experts, and it reveals several interesting points worth exploring.
What is Power BI?
According to Gartner and, in our humble opinion, Power BI is a leading data analysis tool with over 200 plug-and-play connectors for various data sources, whether on-premise, cloud-based, or APIs.
What is Microsoft Fabric?
Microsoft Fabric is an all-in-one SaaS platform that brings together Microsoft’s best data-driven tools and services (including Power BI). It covers data collection, storage, transformation, and visualization while also incorporating tools for data science, machine learning, and real-time data analytics.
The Services of Microsoft Fabric
To answer the question, “I already have Power BI; why would I need Microsoft Fabric?” one could simply say it’s to meet the “primary needs” of data -finding a “way” to collect it, a “place” to store it, “tools” to transform and/or aggregate it, and finally, a “something” to visualize it.
These words – “way,” “place,” “tools,” and “something”- can easily be mapped to the well-known services that make up Microsoft Fabric, namely One Lake, Data Factory/Notebook, Datawarehouse/Lakehouse, and Power BI.
There are undoubtedly other tools to meet these primary data needs, such as services available in Azure. However, discussing them would shift the focus to another debate, namely “SaaS vs. PaaS,” which we’ll address in another article. Nonetheless, having all the services needed to work with data integrated into a single platform like Power BI is undoubtedly advantageous, secure, scalable, and robust.
Transition from Power BI Premium to Microsoft Fabric
It’s important to note that starting July 1, 2024, Microsoft has planned significant changes for Power BI: Power BI Premium will no longer be available as a standalone product, and its functionalities will be integrated within Microsoft Fabric, which will include, among other features, those previously offered by Power BI Premium.
Users will therefore need to transition to Microsoft Fabric to continue using Power BI Premium features.
What to do if your Power BI Premium License is about to expire
Your Power BI Premium license will remain valid until its natural expiration. However, you should prepare for the transition to Microsoft Fabric to ensure uninterrupted service and take advantage of the new features offered by the platform.
Microsoft has implemented a slight annual cost increase (see details here), but transitioning to Fabric represents an opportunity to explore new possibilities and discover functionalities that can enhance your business processes.
By monitoring usage and adapting your strategy over time, you can optimize the value derived from your license.
For more information about the transition to Microsoft Fabric and how to fully leverage all the services included in the Microsoft Fabric license, feel free to contact us.
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