Power BI Simplifies Oracle Connectivity with New Preview Features

Microsoft is making it easier for organizations to connect Power BI to Oracle data sources with new preview capabilities designed to simplify setup and administration. The update introduces a bundled Oracle Managed ODP.NET provider in Power BI Desktop and enables direct cloud connections from the Power BI service to supported Oracle databases, reducing reliance on traditional configuration steps. Together, these enhancements aim to streamline Oracle connectivity and accelerate access to business data.

Here's what you need to know:

• Simplified Oracle connections in Power BI Desktop

  Enable the new Oracle preview features under File > Options and settings > Options > Preview features, restart Power BI Desktop, and connect using the existing Oracle database connector.

• Direct cloud connectivity in Power BI Service

  You can now connect to Oracle cloud databases directly from the Power BI service by creating a cloud connection in Manage connections and gateways, eliminating the need for a data gateway in supported scenarios.

• Changes for personal gateways

  The updated Oracle connector no longer supports personal gateways. Organisations using Oracle data sources should plan a transition to an enterprise on-premises data gateway or VNET gateway to maintain support and future compatibility.

• Gateway configuration updates

  Administrators can enable the bundled Oracle Managed ODP.NET provider on enterprise gateways through a simple configuration change, helping standardise Oracle connectivity across environments.

• Single Sign-On support

  Microsoft Entra ID Single Sign-On is available for supported Oracle databases when using an enterprise gateway, making authentication more secure and seamless for users.

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Visual Studio Introduces New Theme Color Customisation Experience

Microsoft is expanding Visual Studio's customisation capabilities with a new Theme Colors options page that enables live editing of Fluent color tokens. The feature gives developers a more flexible way to tailor the IDE's appearance, helping create a workspace that better matches individual preferences and workflows.

Here's what you need to know:

• Where to find it

  Navigate to Tools > Options > Environment > Visual Experience > Theme Colors. You'll see all Fluent color tokens for your active theme in a searchable grid. Simply select a token, choose a new colour, and see the change applied instantly.

• Customisations stay with each theme

  Your changes are saved per theme rather than globally. Create a unique version of Dark Mode, customise Light Mode differently, or experiment with tinted themes. Switching themes automatically brings your customisations with it. Made a change you don't like? Individual color tokens can be reset without affecting the rest of your setup.

• More granular control with new tokens

  Microsoft has also added new color tokens that provide greater control over Visual Studio's appearance. One standout improvement is the ability to customise tab and window headers independently from the rest of the interface, opening the door to more personalised and even retro-inspired designs.

• Share your custom themes

  Customisations are stored as JSON files, making them easy to share with teammates or the wider community. Simply place the file in the appropriate Visual Studio ColorThemes folder, restart Visual Studio, and your customisations will be applied.

• Why this matters

  Until now, changing a Visual Studio theme often meant installing an extension or replacing an entire theme just to tweak a few colours. With the new Theme Colors page, developers can make quick, targeted adjustments in seconds, creating a workspace that's more comfortable and productive without the extra overhead.

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Microsoft Brings Full Pull Request Reviews Directly into Visual Studio

Microsoft has introduced a new pull request review experience in Visual Studio, allowing developers to review, comment on, approve, and merge pull requests without leaving the IDE. The update supports both GitHub and Azure DevOps repositories, helping teams streamline code reviews and reduce context switching. Available in Visual Studio 18.7, the feature marks a significant step forward in Microsoft's ongoing efforts to improve developer productivity and collaboration.

Here's what you need to know:

• Find and open pull requests faster

  Access pull requests from the Git Repository window, Git Changes window, or Git menu. If your current branch already has an active PR, you can open it directly and view the overview, changes, commits, and reviewers all in one place.

• Review code your way

  Inspect pull requests without checking out the branch to preserve your current work, or check out the branch for a deeper review using Visual Studio’s navigation, build, and debugging tools. You can also switch between active pull requests with ease.

• Browse changes efficiently

  View code differences inline or side-by-side, use the multi-file summary view for a high-level overview, and review changes commit by commit to better understand how the code evolved.

• Collaborate without context switching

  Leave comments, reply to discussions, and resolve conversations directly within Visual Studio. Everything stays synced with GitHub and Azure DevOps. Plus, Copilot can help generate fixes based on review comments, helping you move from feedback to implementation faster.

• Approve and merge in one place

  Review status checks, approvals, and merge conflicts, then approve, complete, merge, convert to draft, or close pull requests—all from within the IDE.

• Available now in Visual Studio 18.7

  This release marks a significant step forward in streamlining code reviews and reducing context switching for developers. Microsoft is also working on additional enhancements, including comment filtering, PR activity timelines, and an improved checkout experience.

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.NET Day on Agentic Modernization: Learn How to Modernise Applications with AI

Organisations looking to modernise their .NET applications can gain valuable insights at Microsoft's upcoming .NET Day on Agentic Modernization livestream. The event will explore real-world approaches to cloud migration, AI integration, and application modernisation using the latest Microsoft technologies.

Here's what you need to know:

• What is the event all about?

  .NET Day on Agentic Modernization is a dedicated livestream for engineering teams looking to reduce legacy maintenance, accelerate cloud migration, and unlock AI-powered capabilities within their existing applications.

• Why attend?

  Learn how to modernise .NET applications using GitHub Copilot-assisted workflows, build intelligent agentic experiences with Microsoft Agent Framework and Microsoft Foundry, and streamline migration and deployment processes with GitHub Copilot for Azure (Azure MCP).

• Session highlights

  Discover practical approaches to modernising .NET applications with GitHub Copilot, Aspire, and real-world migration strategies. You'll also learn how to add agentic functionality and AI-powered experiences to applications after migration.

• When is the event?

  The livestream takes place on June 16, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM UTC. Register now and learn how to modernise existing applications while preparing for the next generation of AI-powered development.

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Power BI June 2026 Updates: Key Features You Need to Know

Microsoft has released the Power BI June 2026 Feature Summary, introducing a new wave of enhancements designed to improve reporting, analytics, and user productivity. This month's update continues Microsoft's focus on AI-powered experiences while delivering new capabilities across the Power BI ecosystem.

Here are some of the June 2026 Power BI updates you shouldn't miss:

• Power BI Dataviz World Championship Returns

  Showcase your creativity, learn from the community, and compete for a chance to present your visualization live at FabCon / SQLCon Barcelona this September.

• Fabric Apps for Semantic Models (Preview)

  Build enterprise-grade data applications faster with AI. Developers and coding agents can now create custom apps directly from semantic models using just a few prompts while maintaining governance and business logic.

• Shape Map (Generally Available)

  Enjoy greater flexibility with built-in maps, custom TopoJSON and GeoJSON files, downloadable map files for easier editing, and a more intuitive formatting experience.

• DAX Query View Filtering and Sorting (Generally Available)

  Explore and validate query results faster with interactive sorting, filtering, and search capabilities—without having to modify your DAX queries.

• Power BI Tabs in Private and Shared Teams Channels

  Bring reports closer to your conversations by embedding Power BI directly into private and shared Microsoft Teams channels for better collaboration and decision-making.

Read the comprehensive list of Power BI’s new features this June 2026.

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Microsoft Introduces End-to-End AI-Powered Power BI Reporting

Microsoft is introducing AI-powered reporting capabilities for Power BI that can automate key stages of report development, from design and authoring through to deployment. The new agent-driven approach aims to help developers and analysts create reporting solutions faster while reducing manual effort.

Here's what you need to know:

• Get started with the Power BI Authoring plugin

  Install the Power BI Authoring plugin from the Skills for Fabric marketplace to unlock AI-assisted report creation and management.

• Create reports from scratch

  Describe the report you want in plain language, and AI can generate report pages, visuals, KPIs, filters, and layouts based on your requirements.

• Modify existing reports

  Need updates to a report? Simply provide instructions—or even a reference image—and AI can apply formatting, branding, and layout changes for you.

• Modernise report design

  Transform outdated reports with improved layouts, navigation, visual consistency, and user experience based on modern reporting best practices.

• Power an end-to-end reporting workflow

  Combined with semantic model authoring and the Modeling MCP Server, these skills support a complete AI-driven Power BI development experience—from data modeling to report delivery.

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Power BI Introduces AI-Powered Web Modeling with Copilot

Microsoft has introduced Copilot in web modeling for Power BI in Preview, bringing AI-assisted semantic model authoring directly into the browser. The new capability allows users to analyse, refine, and improve semantic models using natural language prompts, helping reduce the time spent on manual model management.

Here's what you need to know:

• Accelerate Model Development with Copilot

  Copilot is built directly into the model authoring experience, enabling you to explore and improve your semantic models through conversation. Whether you're standardising naming conventions, creating measures, or refining model structure, Copilot can recommend changes and apply updates for you.

• Powerful Model Management Capabilities

  Copilot can analyse your model and identify opportunities for improvement, including inconsistent naming, unclear structures, and optimisation opportunities. It can also perform schema updates such as renaming tables and columns, creating relationships, and generating DAX measures.

• Designed for Security and Oversight

  Copilot respects existing Power BI permissions, allowing Admins, Members, and Contributors to make updates to the active model. Before any analysis or changes are performed, you'll be asked to grant permission. Automatic restore checkpoints are also created, making it easy to roll back changes using semantic model version history.

• Getting Started

  Open a semantic model in Model View within the Power BI Service, switch to Edit Mode, and select Copilot from the ribbon. From there, you can use suggested prompts or ask your own questions to analyse and improve your model.

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Reduce Manual Triage with Email Classification in Dynamics 365 Customer Service

Microsoft has announced Email Classification for Dynamics 365 Customer Service, a new capability designed to automatically categorise incoming emails and improve case quality from the moment customer requests enter the system. By reducing the need for manual triage, the feature helps service representatives focus more on resolving issues and less on administrative tasks. The update aims to streamline case management workflows while improving consistency and accuracy across customer service operations.

Here's what you need to know:

• How it works

  Email Classification automatically categorises incoming emails based on rules and categories you define, such as Billing, Technical Support, or Marketing. You can control which categories create cases, helping reduce unnecessary records and avoid unwanted SLA commitments.

• How to enhance it

  Email Classification becomes even more powerful when combined with Automatic Record Creation (ARC) rules. Use email categories as conditions to ensure cases are created only for emails that require action, while everything else is filtered before reaching your queues.

• How to set it up

  Configure Email Classification in the Customer Service admin center by defining categories, setting scope conditions, and enabling the feature. Before going live, use Simulation Mode to test classification accuracy against historical emails and fine-tune your setup for better results.

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DAX User-Defined Functions Reach General Availability in Power BI

Microsoft has announced the general availability of DAX User-Defined Functions (UDFs) in Power BI, marking a major milestone for semantic model development. The feature enables developers to create reusable DAX logic that can be shared across measures, columns, and calculations, helping reduce duplication and improve model maintainability. With UDFs now production-ready, organisations can build more scalable and consistent Power BI solutions while simplifying ongoing development and governance.

Here's what you need to know:

• Reusable, discoverable DAX building blocks

  Write a calculation once and reuse it across measures, calculated columns, and visuals. UDFs help reduce duplicated logic, improve maintainability, and support more consistent reporting. With documentation comments, typed parameters, and IntelliSense support, functions become easier to understand, test, and share across teams.

• AI-ready business logic

  Because DAX UDFs are first-class model objects with typed signatures and descriptions, tools like Copilot can discover and invoke them more effectively. This provides AI with a trusted, well-defined API into your business logic rather than relying on inferred DAX expressions.

• Simple function creation and reuse

  Functions can be defined once and called throughout your model. UDFs can even call other UDFs, allowing you to create modular, layered calculations that are easier to maintain and scale.

• Enterprise governance and collaboration

  Store UDFs as TMDL files and manage them through Git repositories. Teams can build shared libraries of approved business logic, enforce standards, track versions, and reduce logic drift across semantic models.

• New GA capabilities

  General availability introduces web modeling support, optional parameters, enhanced type hints for greater flexibility and runtime safety, and the ability to create and edit UDFs directly in Model View within Power BI Desktop.

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Power BI Enters the Agentic Era at Microsoft Build 2026

Microsoft Build 2026 showcased a major evolution for Power BI, with new capabilities designed to bring AI agents directly into the analytics experience. The announcements signal a shift from traditional reporting toward agent-driven insights, automation, and decision-making across the Power BI ecosystem.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Agent Skills for Power BI

  Agent Skills for Power BI (Preview) introduces end-to-end agentic analytics. Simply describe what you need—even from a screenshot—and AI can build semantic models, generate reports, and refine visualisations through a single workflow.

• Build Enterprise Apps on Semantic Models

  Fabric Apps enables developers and AI coding agents to create enterprise-grade web applications directly from semantic models. Organisations can rapidly build tailored business applications while maintaining trusted governance and business logic.

• Curated Analytics with Org Apps

  The new Org Apps experience makes it easier to deliver customised analytics at scale. Teams can create multiple branded app experiences per workspace and use audience controls to ensure the right users see the right content.

• User-Defined Functions for DAX

  User-Defined Functions bring reusable, parameterised logic to Power BI's semantic layer. This reduces duplication, simplifies maintenance, and creates a stronger foundation for both human users and AI-driven experiences.

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