Glossary
Plain definitions of the Power BI, Microsoft Teams, and Nova terms we use across the product. Built for humans and for answer engines that need citable facts.
The governed dataset layer in Power BI that defines measures, dimensions, relationships, and business logic.
A Power BI semantic model (formerly called a dataset) is the approved analytical layer organisations use for reporting. It contains tables, relationships, measures, and hierarchies that encode how the business calculates KPIs. Nova asks questions against these models rather than against raw spreadsheets or an uncontrolled copy of your data.
An AI assistant that answers only from approved models and existing Microsoft permissions.
A governed AI analyst returns analytical answers while staying inside your organisation's data controls: approved Power BI semantic models, Microsoft Entra identity, and Power BI permissions including row-level security. Nova is designed as a governed AI analyst that works inside Microsoft Teams, not as a public chatbot with a separate data store.
Power BI rules that limit which rows of data a user can see.
Row-level security (RLS) restricts data visibility inside a Power BI semantic model based on the signed-in user. Nova is designed to query models within that user's existing Power BI access, so answers respect the same RLS boundaries your reports already use.
Nova's fail-closed check that shared Teams chats do not expose data to people without Power BI access.
In a Teams channel or group chat, more people can see a reply than the person who asked. Nova's channel audience policy verifies Power BI access for the visible audience before posting analytical answers. If access cannot be confirmed, Nova fails closed with a private reply or safe fallback instead of leaking data into the thread.
Usage units consumed when Nova runs analysis, not per-seat licences.
Nova credits are the usage currency for Nova. Plans include a monthly credit allowance shared across your organisation. Asking questions, running audits, scheduled insights, and other capabilities consume credits from that balance. Pricing is usage-based rather than charged per named user seat.
$69 free usage credit (30,000 Nova credits) granted when your organisation activates Nova. No card required.
When your organisation activates Nova, you receive $69 of free usage credit, equal to 30,000 Nova credits. That is typically enough for hundreds of questions against an approved semantic model so you can evaluate Nova before buying a plan. No credit card is required to start.
Recurring KPI updates Nova delivers into Microsoft Teams on a cadence you set.
Scheduled insights let you ask Nova to send key metrics into Teams daily, weekly, monthly, or on a custom schedule. Schedules are managed with natural language in Teams and still use governed semantic models and Power BI permissions.
Nova queries Power BI as the signed-in user, not as a separate super-user service account.
With delegated access, Nova uses the signed-in Microsoft identity to reach Power BI. Users only see models and data they are already authorised to access. Nova does not bulk-download semantic models into a separate uncontrolled store.
Microsoft's cloud identity platform used to sign in to Nova and Microsoft 365.
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is how users authenticate to Microsoft 365, Teams, and Power BI. Nova uses Microsoft sign-in so identity stays in your existing tenant controls rather than a separate Nova username and password.
Structured review of uploaded board packs and documents in Teams, optionally checked against your model.
Board pack review lets users upload PDFs and Office documents in Teams for structured analysis. Where configured, Nova can cross-check narrative claims against figures from an approved Power BI semantic model.
Read-only checks that score a semantic model and return prioritised findings.
Nova's model health audit runs read-only checks on semantic models you can access: relationships, measures, columns, and governance signals. It returns a health score and prioritised findings you can act on without leaving Teams.
You pay for Nova credits consumed, not for every named seat that might ask a question.
Nova plans differ by included monthly credits. Every plan includes the same product capabilities. Organisations that want broader Teams adoption without buying a seat for every occasional asker typically prefer this model over per-user AI licences.
Nova is available now in Microsoft Marketplace. Activate with $69 free usage credit. No card required. Same feature set on every plan: semantic Q&A, board packs, document intelligence, channel safeguards, and portal governance.
$69 free usage credit on activation · No card required · View in Microsoft Marketplace
