What is Power BI?

Power BI is a cloud-based business analytics service that enables anyone to visualize and analyze data with greater speed, efficiency, and understanding. It connects users to a broad range of data through easy-to-use dashboards, interactive reports, and compelling visualizations that bring data to life. The "Power BI (free)" license gives you the app on O365 but it's very limited in real-use functionality and you cannot share your dashboard. Any dashboard that is shared with you will open in its own instance and not added in this free version. We are told by the City's Department of Technology that the Power BI  (free) version will be going away.




What is Power BI Premium?

Power BI Premium is dedicated capacity that allows dashboards and reports to be shared (by Power Bi Pro users) with anyone across the city, without requiring a license for each user viewing the dashboard. Leveraging the Premium capacity, departments assign "Power BI Pro for Government" licenses only to dashboard creators and editors. In other words, if you have an SFGov email account, you can view a Power BI dashboard that has been shared with you. This lets departments share data with any number of CCSF users without incurring additional cost. For Pro users, the Dedicated capacity has to be turned "On" in order to share Workspace Dashboards. O365 REC Admin (that's us your REC IT Support Team) must send an email to DT Customer Service Desk with the Pro user's name to activate this feature (have the ability to turn On this Dedicated capacity).





The Power BI team requests that you send this to all users:
PowerBI premium is available to all PowerBI creators or editors, but it is not an unlimited resource. Each analyst is responsible for ensuring only necessary reports are published to the Premium capacity and that these reports are appropriately optimized for the Premium capacity. DT reserves the right to request reports be optimized (or in extreme cases removed) if they are found to be burdening the overall service. DataSF has published guidance for PowerBI creators on what is appropriate use of the Premium capacity and how to optimize their reports.
- See also Microsoft Teams tab

What is Power BI Pro?

We have select (REC) users who have been identified by department supervisors and assigned the "Power BI Pro for Government" license. You will need your supervisor's approval for a Power BI Pro license.
Power BI Pro licenses are only for dashboard creators and content editors.





In a nutshell...
Every CCSF user who has a Government E1 or E3 O365 license possess the Power BI Premium capacity and by default these users can "view" a Power BI dashboard that has been shared with them. No need for any other Power BI special licenses or software not even Power BI (free). If you need the ability to create, edit, and share dashboards, you will require the Power BI Pro for Government license. Power BI (free) option will go away in the near future.