In 2019, Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms could surprise both buyers and providers of BI consulting. For the first time ever, Microsoft Power BI, a business intelligence tool traditionally lagging a little behind its main market competitor Tableau, seemingly surpassed it.
For those wondering what exactly brought Microsoft’s product to such a success, it might be hard to establish one single factor.
Many might assume that it’s not merely Power BI’s advancement—it’s more about Tableau’s uncertain future. As less than a month ago Salesforce announced its purchase of Tableau for quite a heavy sum, many started to doubt what the future holds for this BI platform.
At the same time, it’s possible that Power BI’s great performance is mostly due to Microsoft’s constant investment into the tool. Indeed, for the last 12 months, Power BI has been continuously releasing monthly updates, improving reporting, modeling, data preparation, and other features. Its advancing functionality and relatively affordable price might have assured Power BI’s success over the rather expensive Tableau.
Whatever the reasons behind these market positions, there is little ground to assume that Tableau will wait long until it fires back. The history of “Tableau vs Power BI” debate is as old as the hills, and it’s unlikely to end so soon.