February 2025 Power BI Update

I am pleased to present this month's update, which includes a suite of enhancements focused on performance, AI-driven exploration, and novel collaboration methods. Here’s what’s new and why it is significant:

Accelerate Your Modeling with Direct Lake

• Live Edit of Semantic Models: Editing models in Direct Lake mode within Power BI Desktop now offers a minimum 50% improvement in each modeling change. Faster iterations enable you to refine and deploy insights more rapidly.

  
  

AI-Powered Insights – Enhanced Interactivity

• Explore with Copilot: The new Explore feature in Copilot allows you to filter, sort, swap fields, and change visual types instantly, whether in read or edit mode. This quick interactivity enhances ad-hoc exploration.

• Mobile Support on Tablets: Copilot is now available for iPads and Android tablets, providing the same AI-powered capabilities previously introduced for phones.

  
  

Improved Collaboration and Data Discovery

• OneLake Catalog in Teams: Power BI’s OneLake catalog is now integrated into Teams for more seamless data discovery, exploration, and sharing. Remain within your collaboration hub without the need to switch applications.

  
  

New and Enhanced Connectors and Visuals

• Snowflake Connector Upgrades: Performance improvements and bug fixes ensure a smoother experience.

• Vertica ODBC Driver (Preview): Connect to Vertica using the official driver for more native interactions.

• New Visuals:

  • Drill Down Donut PRO by ZoomCharts for interactive donut charts.

  • Heatmap by Powerviz to quickly identify patterns and outliers.

  • accoMASTERDATA Writeback to streamline master data management.

    
    

Upcoming Events: Compete, Learn, and Save

• Power BI DataViz World Championships: Showcase your best visuals and compete for a spot at the Grand Finale in Las Vegas, live at the Fabric Community Conference (FabCon).

• FabCon (March 31 – April 2, 2025): Attend workshops, breakout sessions, and the renowned Power Hour. Use code FABINSIDER to save $400 on registration.

  
  

Important Reminders

• End of Support for 32-bit Power BI Desktop: After June 30, 2025, upgrades and support will no longer be available for the 32-bit version.

• Upgrade to February 2025 Version: To continue using features like the Report view Copilot chat pane, ensure you update before April 30, 2025.

Key Takeaway

Whether you are optimizing your data modeling workflows, exploring Copilot’s new interactive features, or accessing the OneLake catalog directly in Teams, the February 2025 Power BI update facilitates more efficient insight production and seamless collaboration. Remember to mark your calendars for the Power BI DataViz World Championships and FabCon - two essential events for anyone dedicated to Power BI.

Stay informed about these new features and share in the comments how you plan to implement them within your organization.