In our recent live session, we explored what the Power BI Premium per Capacity Licensing updates mean for organisations using Power BI today, and how the move to Microsoft Fabric opens the door to a more connected, flexible analytics environment.
Power BI’s evolution and what’s changing
When Microsoft launched Power BI, it was designed to make data accessible across the business without complex licensing or infrastructure. Over time, it became the default reporting platform for many enterprises.
Now, as Microsoft retires Power BI Premium per capacity (P SKUs) and introduces Fabric SKUs (F SKUs), the focus shifts from individual reporting capabilities to an integrated data ecosystem.
New customers can no longer purchase Power BI Premium per capacity, and existing customers will need to transition at the end of their current agreements. Power BI Pro and Premium per user customers remain unaffected for now.
An Introduction to Microsoft Fabric
In the session, James Boother and Matt Hill explained how Fabric is a complete rethink of how data, analytics, and AI work together.
Fabric brings together what were once separate Azure components, Data Factory, Synapse, Power BI, Data Science, Real-Time Intelligence, and OneLake, into a single, SaaS-based environment.
This consolidation means organisations can build and manage their data platforms with far less friction. OneLake provides a unified data storage layer across the business, and integration with Microsoft Purview strengthens governance, security, and discoverability.
Ultimately, Fabric simplifies architecture, improves control, and lays the foundation for AI-driven analytics.
If you’d like to hear James and Matt discuss what this means for your existing Power BI workspaces, you can watch the full recording of the session for deeper context and additional examples.
Planning a smooth migration
Migrating from Power BI to Fabric is an opportunity to modernise. During the session, we discussed how assessing your existing Power BI workspaces can uncover duplication and highlight where dataflows or datasets need to be reworked.
Some features like Gen1 dataflows will need to be refactored before moving, and planning for governance early helps avoid issues once workloads are running in Fabric.
For organisations operating across multiple regions, capacity planning and monitoring are key. Fabric’s performance and scaling behave differently, so understanding how workloads run post-migration is essential.
Funding and support for your transition
Microsoft is actively supporting this shift. Through Azure Accelerate funding and the Cloud Acceleration Factory, Microsoft can invest in partner-led migration services, in some cases covering the full cost.
We can help you access this support, working alongside Microsoft to deliver discovery, migration planning, and mentoring once you’re live on Fabric. Many clients are also taking this opportunity to simplify their architecture by consolidating workloads from Synapse or Databricks into Fabric for greater efficiency.
Looking ahead
To learn more about migration options, best practices, and lessons learned from recent projects, watch the full session from our team of Microsoft data specialists – Migrating from Power BI Premium to Microsoft Fabric – Coeo
About Coeo
Coeo is a Microsoft Data and AI partner, helping organisations design, modernise, and manage data platforms that deliver business impact.
We specialise in Microsoft Fabric, Azure, and SQL Server, providing consultancy, managed services, and data strategy support that enable clients to make confident, data-driven decisions.
Useful links
- semantic-link-labs/notebooks/Capacity Migration.ipynb at main · microsoft/semantic-link-labs · GitHub
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-fabric/blog/2024/12/02/automate-your-migration-to-microsoft-fabric-capacities#frequently-asked-questions
- https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/grace-period-for-transitioning-from-power-bi-premium-to-microsoft-fabric/
- Fabric 101 Webinar – Microsoft Fabric 101 – Coeo
- Coeo events – Fabric Analyst in a Day – Fabric Analyst in a Day – Virtual – Coeo