Power BI
Microsoft Power BI is a business intelligence (BI) platform that enables users to aggregate, analyze, visualize, and share data through interactive reports and dashboards. At Concordia University, Power BI is available to full time faculty and staff as part of the Microsoft 365 suite.
Power BI at Concordia
Power BI is offered through two main components:
Power BI Desktop
A free desktop application that allows users to connect to data sources, transform data, and create reports and visualizations.
Power BI Pro (license)
A per-user license that enables users to publish reports and dashboards to the Power BI service, collaborate with others, and share content with other Power BI Pro users.
Typically, users create reports using Power BI Desktop and publish and share them through the Power BI service.
Who can use it?
Full-time faculty and staff
How much does it cost?
Power BI Desktop: Free to download and install
Power BI Pro: The license cost is covered by IITS as part of Concordia’s Microsoft 365 licensing agreement for full-time faculty and staff.
How to get it?
Power BI Desktop
If you have the required permissions on your Concordia-issued device, you can download and install Power BI Desktop directly from the Microsoft Store. If not, submit a request to the IITS Service Desk:
1. Contact the IITS Service Desk
2. Request installation of Power BI Desktop (include your device details)
3. An IITS technician will contact you to schedule installation or enable download access
Once installed, the Power BI Pro license is automatically included to allow access to the Power BI service.
Power BI Pro
Power BI Pro is a per-user license that allows users to:
Publish reports and dashboards to the Power BI service
Share content and collaborate with other Power BI Pro users
View and interact with content published by other Pro users
Only Power BI Pro users can publish or share content with others or consume Pro content.
Access and Governance
The Data Analytics Center of Excellence (DACE) manages access to the institutional reports that are hosted on the Institutional Data Space (IDS). Visit the DACE SharePoint site for more information.
Users can create their own reports and share content with other users. The content owners are responsible for managing access.
Workspaces in the Power BI online service can only be created by DACE. All new workspace requests should be made to data@concordia.ca.
Service Availability
24/7
Documentation
FAQ
Yes, you can download and install power BI desktop on your computer. For license availability, please contact the Service Desk to confirm which license options are available to you.
A Data Steward is a data governance and oversight role within Concordia University. Data Stewards hold sector-specific responsibility for ensuring the appropriate use of data and information systems within their respective domains, and for ensuring compliance with applicable policies, procedures, and standards.
You can share PBIX files directly with others, who may open them in Power BI Desktop or within their personal workspace. Please note that you are responsible for any content you share and must ensure compliance with all applicable data governance requirements.