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Microsoft releases preview of Power BI for Mixed Reality

Microsoft is lighting up new features in its Power BI app for use with the HoloLens, in another example of the company reemphasizing business-use cases for the devices.
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

Video: Microsoft expands network to create AR and VR content with a new mixed reality studio

As I've blogged recently, Microsoft seems to be back to pushing business use cases for its HoloLens and third-party Mixed Reality headsets.

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(Credit: Microsoft)

The latest evidence: Microsoft has made available a preview of a Mixed Reality version of its Power BI business-intelligence app.

Power BI for Mixed Reality "is based on our UWP (Universal Windows Platform) app, with additional unique capabilities that light up on HoloLens," company officials blogged on March 13.

The preview is available for download in the Microsoft Store. Supporting documentation for the Power BI for Mixed Reality app is on the Microsoft Docs site.

Who would want to see analytics data while wearing a HoloLens? Microsoft says first-line task workers would likely be a captive audience, as it would give them access to data and reports in a hands-free way. Users can gaze at QR codes in the physical world to open report pages that are related to them.

As Microsoft notes, the Power BI Mixed Reality app also supports voice commands and can follow users around in a "docking belt" at the bottom of their viewing area.

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