Power BI is a powerful ecosystem of business intelligence tools and technologies from Microsoft. But what exactly is business intelligence, anyway? Simply stated, business intelligence is all about leveraging data in order to make better decisions. This can take many forms and is not necessarily restricted to just business. We use data in our personal lives to make better decisions as well. For example, if we are remodeling a bathroom, we get multiple quotes from different firms. The prices and details in these quotes are pieces of data that allow us to make an informed decision in terms of which company to choose. We may also research these firms online. This is more data that ultimately supports our decision.

In this chapter, we will explore the key fundamental concepts of business intelligence, as well as why business intelligence is important to organizations. In addition, we take a high-level tour of the Power BI ecosystem, licensing, and core tools such as the Power BI Desktop and the Power BI Service.

The following topics will be covered in this chapter:

• Key concepts of business intelligence
• The Power BI ecosystem
• Power BI licensing
• Power BI Desktop and Power BI Service