Power BI Azure Maps visual – reference layer & Power BI Embedded support

This post has been republished via RSS; it originally appeared at: Microsoft Tech Community - Latest Blogs - .

Reference layer enhancements

We are thrilled to announce a major update to the Power BI Azure Maps visual reference layer, driven by our commitment to user feedback and adherence to the latest industry standards. This update significantly broadens the scope of supported data formats for the reference layer. Alongside the existing GeoJSON support, users can now incorporate data in KML (Keyhole Markup Language), WKT (Well-Known Text), and SHP (Shapefile) formats.

In a stride towards greater flexibility, we have introduced the URL option as an additional data source, complementing the traditional file upload method. This enhancement empowers users to import spatial data into Power BI with ease, regardless of whether it’s stored in GeoJSON, KML, WKT, SHP formats, or accessible via a URL. The Power BI Azure Maps visual is designed to integrate these diverse formats smoothly, offering a robust and dynamic geospatial analysis toolkit.

Power BI Embedded Support

Responding to the high demand, we’ve expanded the availability of the Azure Maps visual to Power BI Embedded, further enhancing its accessibility. Efforts are underway to extend this feature to ‘publish to web’ options as well.

The Azure Maps Power BI visual is now accessible across a variety of platforms:

Azure Maps Visual Data Residency

In recognition of the critical importance of data privacy and residency for our enterprise clients, we have made significant improvements to the Azure Maps visual. Now, the visual automatically connects to the most appropriate geographic endpoints based on the user’s Power BI tenant location. For example, European tenants will have their data routed through eu.atlas.microsoft.com, in compliance with European regulations. Similarly, data for tenants in the United States will be processed within the US region via us.atlas.microsoft.com. This enhancement not only boosts user satisfaction but also ensures strict adherence to data residency regulations. For an in-depth understanding of this feature, explore Microsoft’s documentation on Azure Maps Power BI visual Data Residency and the Azure Maps service’s geographic scope.