Power BI Roadmap 2015

During its first year of availability, Power BI, Microsoft’s hosted business intelligence (BI) service, improved access to on-premises data and added self-service analysis features. Future improvements are in preview and include a new portal and report design tools that reduce the reliance on Excel and mobile applications with enhanced self-service capabilities. Additional enhancements should provide access to a broader range of data, preconfigured reports, and Azure services. The service is also removing the dependency on SharePoint Online and being converted to a stand-alone subscription service, opening it to a broader audience.

The current production offering will be replaced in late 2015 by the new service currently in preview. Until then, customers should prepare for migration and be aware that the preview service and features are not covered with service level agreements and are still in flux, with updates arriving monthly. For most organizations, this year should be a time to evaluate Power BI and prepare for the upcoming release.