Published: Nov 28, 2024

6 Reasons to upgrade from Power BI Premium to Microsoft Fabric

Staying ahead of the competition requires more than just gathering data. It’s about transforming that data into actionable insights that fuel innovation, improve decision-making, and ultimately drive growth. For many organisations, Power BI Premium has been an essential tool in achieving these goals. However, as businesses scale and their data analytics needs evolve, it may be time to consider a more unified, integrated platform: Microsoft Fabric.

With Microsoft announcing the retirement of Power BI Premium per capacity SKUs starting 1 July 2024, and the transition to Microsoft Fabric capacity required for all renewals after 1 January 2025, now is the ideal time to explore the benefits of making the shift.

 Here’s why moving from Power BI Premium to Microsoft Fabric could be the next smart step in elevating your organisation’s analytics capabilities.

A key challenge for many organisations is managing a fragmented data ecosystem. Data may be spread across different tools and platforms, making it difficult to get a comprehensive view of the business. Microsoft Fabric solves this problem by bringing together multiple analytics capabilities into a single, unified platform.

While Power BI Premium focuses primarily on business intelligence and data visualisation, Microsoft Fabric combines the power of Azure Synapse, Azure Data Factory, Power BI, and more, offering an end-to-end solution that spans data science, real-time analytics, business intelligence, and data movement.

With Microsoft Fabric, you don’t just get better visualisation of your data—you get a holistic platform where data can be seamlessly collected, processed, analysed, and acted upon. It eliminates the need for multiple disconnected tools and systems, streamlining your operations and simplifying the complexity of managing data.

While Power BI Premium provides strong capabilities for data analysis and reporting, Microsoft Fabric takes this to the next level by integrating advanced analytics and machine learning (ML) into the platform. This enables you to not only visualise past performance but also predict future trends and make more informed, data-driven decisions.

The built-in tools in Microsoft Fabric, like Synapse Data Science and Synapse Real-Time Analytics, allow your teams to build and deploy machine learning models with ease, creating new opportunities for automation, personalised experiences, and optimisation across all areas of the business.

For example, with real-time analytics, you can respond to changes in your data as they happen, empowering your teams to act quickly—whether it’s adjusting operational processes or delivering real-time customer insights.

As your business grows, so does the volume and complexity of your data. The Microsoft Fabric platform offers scalability through OneLake, a centralised data lakehouse solution that can store vast quantities of structured and unstructured data, providing a foundation for future growth. This architecture supports a variety of use cases, from high-performance analytics to AI-driven insights, all while maintaining the flexibility to integrate with existing systems.

For businesses with large and diverse datasets, OneLake enables seamless data storage and access, reducing the need for multiple data silos and allowing teams to work with a comprehensive, single-source view of the data.

A truly modern data platform goes beyond just providing data—it also fosters collaboration. Microsoft Fabric encourages collaboration by integrating capabilities for data scientists, engineers, and business analysts into a unified workflow. The ability to centralise insights, data pipelines, and machine learning models within one platform ensures all teams can access and build upon the same data.

This collaboration is further enhanced with Copilot in Microsoft Fabric which integrates generative AI for more intelligent analysis and report generation. With Copilot, even non-technical users can interact with the platform, ask questions in natural language, and receive actionable insights—reducing the reliance on IT departments for custom reports.

Microsoft Fabric offers enhanced data governance features that are crucial for businesses operating in regulated industries. By integrating governance tools directly into the platform, businesses can automate data lineage tracking, ensure data is properly catalogued, and maintain full control over who can access and modify data.

For companies already using Power BI Premium, these enhanced governance features are a key differentiator. Microsoft Fabric ensures your data is not only secure but also compliant, helping mitigate risks associated with a breach or cyberattack.

At NCS Australia, we understand that adopting a new platform can seem daunting. It’s why we’re here to guide you every step of the way—from initial advisory to migration and ongoing support. Our Solution Accelerators are designed to get you up and running with Microsoft Fabric faster, ensuring that you start seeing ROI sooner.

Our team will work with you to define your data strategy, help you implement a robust governance framework, and ensure that Microsoft Fabric integrates seamlessly with your existing infrastructure. Whether you’re looking to move data to the cloud, streamline analytics workflows, or leverage AI and machine learning for deeper insights, NCS has the expertise to help you succeed.

As your organisation continues to grow and your analytics needs become more sophisticated, transitioning from Power BI Premium to Microsoft Fabric offers a strategic way forward.

Microsoft Fabric delivers a unified, scalable platform that integrates business intelligence, machine learning, real-time analytics, and data governance into one seamless experience.

By adopting Microsoft Fabric, businesses can break down data silos, unlock the full potential of their data, and drive smarter, faster decisions. And with NCS as your partner, you can be confident the transition will be smooth, efficient, and tailored to your unique needs.

Ready to take your data analytics to the next level? Explore Microsoft Fabric today and see how NCS Australia can help you accelerate your data-driven transformation.

Hybrid Cloud and Infrastructure | Microsoft Fabric