Microsoft has made a new version of its business intelligence platform Power BI available. The new version has a new user experience and new analytics features driven by machine learning.
Power BI allows analysts to convert raw data such as sales figures into visualizations that can easily be shared with decision-makers. The new version of the platform for desktop and internet has had an Office 365-like makeover, with a ribbon toolbar similar to that in Word, reports Silicon Angle. The toolbar provides centralized access to fitting options above the work area.
AI
The iOS app now integrates with voice assistant Siri, which allows users to retrieve files with voice commands.
Siri, however, is not the only piece of artificial intelligence within Power BI. There is also Q&A, a natural language processing function that allows users to search in data by typing questions into a search bar. The standard vocabulary can be extended by analysts with technical terms from their industry, company-specific terms and synonyms.
Microsoft also enables companies to use machine learning for their analytics projects. The new version of Power BI allows users to process their data with the help of Azure Cognitive Services, a set of managed AI models available in Microsoft’s public cloud.
Companies with more advanced requirements have the option to make their own internally developed AI models available to their analysts. This can be done through a new integration between Power BI and Azure Machine Learning.
Power Platform
The updates to Power BI are part of a broader renewal of the Power Platform, the product suite in which the business intelligence service belongs. The suite contains two other products: Flow, an IFTTT-like solution for automating repetitive business tasks, and the PowerApps application development platform.
The two products get a new tool called AI Builder. This allows users to add machine learning features to workflows they create in Flow and to applications they create in PowerApps. AI Builder includes pre-built machine learning models that can process forms, organize documents, read business cards and perform various related tasks.
This news article was automatically translated from Dutch to give Techzine.eu a head start. All news articles after September 1, 2019 are written in native English and NOT translated. All our background stories are written in native English as well. For more information read our launch article.
11 hours ago
