Why Microsoft Fabric Is a Game-Changer for UK Public Services
Thursday 11th September 2025
Why Microsoft Fabric Is a Game-Changer for UK Public Services
In today’s data-driven world, public sector organisations face increasing pressure to deliver better services with fewer resources. Whether it’s local councils managing housing and transport, or NHS trusts analysing patient outcomes, the ability to turn data into actionable insight is critical. Yet many teams still rely on fragmented systems and manual processes that slow down decision-making.
Microsoft Fabric is a new, unified analytics platform designed to simplify how organisations collect, manage, and use data. Built for the era of AI, Fabric brings together the best of Microsoft’s data tools into a single, cloud-based service. For UK public sector bodies, it offers a powerful way to modernise analytics, improve collaboration, and unlock value from existing data.
What Is Microsoft Fabric?
Microsoft Fabric is an end-to-end analytics platform, It combines data integration, engineering, warehousing, real-time analytics, data science, and business intelligence into one environment. Instead of juggling multiple tools, teams can work within a single interface to ingest, transform, analyse, and visualise data.
Key components include:
- OneLake – a unified data lake for the entire organisation, eliminating silos and duplication.
- Data Factory – over 200 connectors for ingesting data from on-premises and cloud sources.
- Data Engineering & Science – built-in Spark engine and machine learning tools.
- Data Warehouse – scalable SQL-based analytics for structured data.
- Real-Time Analytics – streaming data capabilities for operational insights.
- Power BI – integrated reporting and dashboards.
- Copilot – AI-powered assistant for natural language queries and automation.
Fabric is designed to be accessible, with no need for deep Azure expertise or infrastructure management. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365, making it easy to share insights via Teams, Excel, or SharePoint.
Who Is Microsoft Fabric For?
Fabric is designed to support a wide range of roles across public sector organisations:
- Data analysts and BI developers – who need to build reports, dashboards, and data models.
- Programme and service managers – who want to monitor performance and make data-informed decisions.
- IT and data teams – who are responsible for data integration, governance, and infrastructure.
- Policy leads and senior leaders – who need timely insights to shape strategy and allocate resources.
Because Fabric brings together tools for data ingestion, transformation, analysis, and visualisation, it enables collaboration across departments and skill levels — from technical specialists to non-technical decision-makers.
Benefits for Public Sector Organisations
Simplified Architecture
Fabric replaces the need for separate tools like Azure Synapse, Data Factory, and Power BI Premium. Everything is pre-integrated, reducing complexity and speeding up project delivery.
Faster Time to Insight
With unified data and tools, teams can move from raw data to decision-ready insights more quickly. This is especially valuable for time-sensitive scenarios like public health monitoring or emergency response.
Cost Efficiency
Fabric uses a shared capacity model, allowing workloads to dynamically share resources. This improves utilisation and reduces waste, helping organisations do more with their existing budgets.
Strong Governance and Security
Built-in integration with Microsoft Purview ensures consistent data governance across all components. Sensitivity labels, access controls, and compliance policies apply automatically, supporting GDPR and NHS data standards.
Collaboration and Data Sharing
OneLake enables departments to share data without duplication. Role-based access and integration with Microsoft 365 foster cross-team collaboration, making insights more accessible to non-technical staff.
AI-Ready Platform
Fabric’s native AI features, including Copilot and Azure ML integration, make it easier to build predictive models and automate insights. This positions organisations to take advantage of emerging AI opportunities.
Microsoft Fabric vs Power BI Premium
While Microsoft is retiring Power BI Premium in favour of Microsoft Fabric, this transition is far more than a licensing change - it represents a significant leap forward in capability, innovation, and integration. Fabric introduces a completely new approach to data and analytics, offering a unified platform that goes well beyond traditional business intelligence. Lets dive into the differences:
|
Feature/Capability |
Power BI Premium (P SKU) |
Microsoft Fabric (F SKU) |
|
Scope |
BI and reporting only |
Unified analytics (BI, data engineering, ML, etc.) |
|
Data Storage |
Dataset storage only |
OneLake unified data lake |
|
Data Integration |
Power Query in dataflows |
Full Data Factory with 200+ connectors |
|
Big Data / Spark |
Not included |
Built-in Spark engine |
|
Data Warehouse |
Not included |
Built-in SQL-based warehouse |
|
Real-Time Analytics |
Limited |
Native streaming analytics |
|
AI/ML |
Basic AI visuals |
Integrated ML and Copilot |
|
Governance |
Power BI-specific |
Unified via Microsoft Purview |
|
Licensing Model |
P1/P2 capacities |
F SKUs (F2–F2048) |
Licensing and Transition
Microsoft Fabric introduces a new licensing model that builds on Power BI’s familiar structure but expands it to support the full analytics platform.
User Licensing
- Power BI Pro: Required for users who create or publish content.
- Premium Per User (PPU): Offers enhanced Power BI features but does not unlock full Fabric capabilities.
Capacity Licensing *New model for Fabric*
- Fabric Capacity (F SKUs): Enables access to all Fabric workloads. These range from F2 (small teams) to F2048 (enterprise scale).
- F64 is roughly equivalent to Power BI Premium P1 and is the minimum required to share content with free users.
- Smaller capacities (F2–F32) require all users to have a Pro or PPU licence.
Transition from Power BI Premium
- Existing Power BI Premium capacities can be upgraded to Fabric with minimal disruption.
- Microsoft is retiring P SKUs in favour of F SKUs. New customers must use Fabric SKUs.
- A 60-day free trial of Fabric capacity is available for evaluation.
- Workspace reassignment is straightforward and does not require data migration.
This change is another example of Microsoft moving from user-based licensing to consumption style billing. As we are moving to consumption billing through Azure this provides customers with the option for Pay as you Go billing or the ability to lock in prices through reservations.
How to Approach Adoption
Public sector organisations can start small and scale gradually:
- Pilot a use case – such as a performance dashboard or data warehouse project.
- Enable Fabric capacity – using the free trial or a small F SKU.
- Upskill internal teams – especially those already using Power BI.
- Plan for transition – align Fabric adoption with Power BI Premium renewal cycles.
- Engage stakeholders – to ensure buy-in from IT, data, and service leads.
By starting with a focused project and building internal capability, organisations can realise value quickly and expand usage over time.
Final Wrap-Up & What Should You Do Now?
The growth of Fabric represents a fantastic opportunity for Public Sector bodies to enhance and improve their data analytics and unlock value which previously may not have been accessible. It can also represent a step into the unknown. The move from a set, user based license cost to consumption-based billing can add a level of uncertainty to any company and the option to lock in for 3 years might not be justifiable in the short term.
This is where Bytes come in. We have been migrating customers and helping them unlock the value of their data since the Fabric launched. Our team can conduct a comprehensive assessment of your current needs and future objectives, enabling us to develop a detailed roadmap tailored to your organisation's goals.
Want to find out more?
Please sign up to our upcoming webinar on Thursday, 25th September at 2pm, click the button below to register:
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