Power BI and MSBI: main differences

Processing an array of data and transforming it is a complex task that business analysts face. Analysis tools significantly expand the ability to make informed decisions for the successful conduct of the company's activities. Today, two popular tools for business intelligence are MSBI and Power BI. These platforms help organize and then visualize the data loaded into them from different sources.

After reading this article, you will be able to decide which tool is right for your company, MSBI or Power BI.

What is MSBI?

MSBI (Microsoft Business Intelligence) is an ETL-enabled tool. ETL (Extract, Transform, Load - literally “extraction, transformation, loading”) is one of the main processes in data warehouse management. ETL is a general term for all processes of data migration from one source to another, which includes: extraction, transformation and data filter. The essence of the process is to transform the raw database into information useful to the organization.

SQL SERVER Integration Service (SSIS)

SSIS is a data integration service that also performs some ETL functions. It systematically extracts data from various sources and transforms it into organized information.

SQL SERVER Analysis Service (SSAS)

SSAS is an OLAP service that allows customers to perform real-time analytical processing and discover data patterns that might otherwise be missed by other product data mining capabilities.

SQL SERVER Reporting Service (SSRS)

SSRS is a server-side reporting tool that allows users to create reports. It is a component of Microsoft SQL Server Services that can be used to create visualizations and reports through web interfaces.

What is POWER BI?

Microsoft Power BI is a business intelligence solution that includes features such as data discovery, data preparation, and interactive dashboard development. It can help users make effective business decisions. It can visualize data in any format, including photos, videos, Excel sheets, and even a centralized database system.

Power BI consists of several parts:

POWER BI desktop

Once you install Power BI on your desktop, you can access Power BI Desktop for free. Power BI Desktop lets you connect, edit, and visualize the data you work with. Data modeling can be done by combining data from many sources, creating reports and graphs, and sharing them with people in your company.

POWER BI Service

The Power BI service is a Microsoft cloud service that makes working with Power BI projects easier by allowing users to share and collaborate on dashboards and reports. The Power BI service helps you collect all the data you need in one place.

Mobile applications POWER BI

Power BI mobile apps let you use the service without being tied to your desktop. This feature is available on Windows 10, Android and iOS devices.

To find out more, read the article What is the difference between Power BI Desktop and Power BI Service (Online)?

Microsoft Business Intelligence vs Power BI

MSBI

MSBI is a Microsoft tool that uses SSRS to generate reports from SQL Server data, and is a comprehensive platform for testing and deploying reports to the server that combines data processing and programming interfaces.

POWER BI

Power BI is a set of business intelligence tools and processes that allow users to extract raw data from various sources and transform it into dashboards. Users can create reports in Power BI and share them with other business users in the cloud.

Implementation Microsoft Business Intelligence And Power Bi

There is a significant difference between MSBI and Power BI in terms of the way they are installed. MSBI is a local application that users can install on their servers and computers. And Power BI is a cloud service that customers can access through software, web browsers and apps, and is hosted on the provider's servers.

MSBI and Power BI contain components that help users realize ETL capabilities. MSBI has SSIS and SSAS technologies for data extraction and analysis, Power BI has tools such as Power Query and Power BI Service for practical application of these capabilities.

Mechanism of operation

With the advent of cloud services, the risk of data theft and other problems has increased. Many IT leaders believe that the use of cloud services will reduce the level of cyber security.

On the other hand, placing data in the cloud can save information in the event of a company server failure. In addition, Power BI includes a range of cloud-based tools that make it easy to access data and share reports online.

User interaction

Compared to modern business intelligence software, MSBI is more complex and query creation is done manually. The service was created by Microsoft in 2004, at that time functionality was valued above user convenience. Power BI, on the other hand, was created in 2017 and has a user-friendly interface that even non-technical users can understand and use to create reports and dashboards.

Advantages of MSBI over POWER BI

MSBI with SSRS technology uses a drill-down method to obtain detailed information based on specific characteristics, allowing users to make informed decisions and analyze product performance in the market with high accuracy.

Power BI, on the other hand, was created to extend the capabilities of SSRS in MSBI and create powerful visual representations of data. Its data modeling features and visual effects allow even non-IT users to create and distribute beautifully designed reports.

Comparison table MSBI and POWER BI

Here are some key differences between MSBI and Power BI.

Conclusion

Business intelligence tracks industry trends and provides actionable information to help businesses make more informed decisions. When it comes to visualizing complex data and gaining better business knowledge, Power BI is the most popular tool. While MSBI has established itself in most offices, Power BI has slowly but firmly established itself as the more user-friendly of the two BI products.

Still have questions?

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