As our second annual event, the European Microsoft Fabric Community Conference brought more than 4,000 attendees to a sold-out event in Vienna. The week opened with a partner pre-day, followed by an executive track that gave senior leaders exclusive access to Microsoft leadership. On the main stage, our keynotes set the tone with the latest Fabric announcements that drew coverage across InfoWorld, SiliconANGLE, TechTarget, The Register, VentureBeat, The Neuron, and Le Monde.

With 130+ sessions, 11 full-day workshops, a vibrant community lounge, and dozens of expert-led booths, FabCon Vienna gave customers and partners the chance to learn, connect, and see how Fabric is transforming organizations worldwide. The event highlighted innovations, partnerships, and customer success shaping the future of data and AI. Let’s take a look at some of the best moments.

Day 1 keynote

The conference kicked off with a big welcome from Arun Ulag, Corporate Vice President of Azure Data as well as a video welcome from Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. Arun and Satya highlighted the incredible customer momentum Fabric is experiencing, capped by appearances from Christian Meyers, Head of Platforms for Siemens AG and Gijs Thieme, Chief Data and Analytics Officer for KPN. This was followed by an action-packed segment led by Amir Netz, CTO of Microsoft Fabric where he and the product team unveiled the latest innovations coming to Microsoft Fabric.

Highlights included our new OneLake enhancements with Oracle and Google BigQuery mirroring (preview), Graph and Maps in Fabric (preview) to unlock connected and geospatial insights, and expanded developer tooling with the Fabric Extensibility Toolkit, Model Context Protocol, and deeper Git/VS Code integration. Furthermore, we shared announcements related to the latest enterprise-grade advancements in Fabric security such as Azure Private Link, customer-managed keys, and Synapse migration capabilities, plus new partner solutions from ESRI, Lumel, and Neo4j.

For a deeper dive into these announcements, watch the full Microsoft Fabric keynote or read FabCon Vienna: Build data-rich agents on an enterprise-ready foundation.

Day 2 keynote

Day two expanded the spotlight to the Fabric ecosystem, with senior Microsoft leaders showing how Fabric unifies databases, governance, and AI to help organizations on their journey to become AI Frontier Firms. Jessica Hawk opened the session by introducing the Frontier Firm framework and why every organization should consider its roadmap to becoming one. Shireesh Thota followed with a vision for how databases powering modern AI apps must offer the deployment flexibility of both PaaS and SaaS to meet the exploding demand for data.

Kim Manis then demonstrated how Fabric’s deeply integrated governance, security, and compliance stack, from the data center to M365, enables organizations to confidently manage and secure data access. Closing out the keynote portion, Marco Casalaina showcased how Azure AI services deliver real-time capabilities like translations and how Azure AI Foundry integrates with Fabric to bring data-specific skills to customer AI agents and enable low-code agents built in Copilot Studio.

FabCon TV

We were thrilled to introduce FabCon TV to the programming for the first time at FabCon Vienna. This new platform brought expert-led content live to a studio audience, with all segments recorded to share with our global community in the months ahead. Many of the Fabric Tech Talk Fridays (F2T2) episodes were also filmed on the FabCon TV stage, giving the community a unique opportunity to experience their favorite weekly series live.

Whether you want to relive FabCon highlights or catch up on F2T2 deep dives, FabCon TV will be the hub for ongoing learning and inspiration.

FabCon Community Lounge

The Community Lounge was once again a hub of connection and learning, bringing together MVPs, Super Users, and User Group Leaders for meetups, Q&A sessions, and community-led discussions. Attendees enjoyed interactive experiences like the “Fast at Fabric” challenge, sticker scavenger hunts, and a collaborative coloring wall, all designed to spark participation while promoting skilling and certification opportunities.

Swag was earned through intentional activities such as joining user groups or subscribing to community blogs, making engagement both fun and rewarding. The lounge also hosted a Diversity & Inclusion lunch, highlighted Microsoft Learn certifications, and featured live MVP sessions and giveaways, reinforcing its role as a central space for skilling, networking, and community growth. Keep the momentum going by joining the Fabric Community.

To celebrate FabCon Vienna, we’re offering all community members a 50% discount on exams DP-600, DP-700, DP-900, and PL-300. Request your voucher before October 3!

Additional highlights from FabCon Vienna 2025

Beyond the keynotes and sessions, FabCon Vienna 2025 delivered memorable moments that blended innovation with community spirit, including:

• Hands-on exploration with unique experiences like a high-octane racing simulator powered by Fabric Real-Time Intelligence and expert-staffed booths for direct Q&A.
• Community competitions and creativity were highlighted by the DataViz World Championship, where data storytellers competed for the crown.
• A milestone celebration marking the 10th anniversary of Microsoft Power BI, honoring a decade of impact and innovation in analytics.
• Unparalleled connections with Microsoft product leaders, MVPs, partners, and peers, strengthening relationships across the global Fabric community.
• An exclusive, sold-out executive track offered senior leaders direct access to Microsoft executives, curated sessions, and peer-to-peer learning, capped by a memorable evening at a historic Viennese palace.
• Power Hour delivered fun and creativity with live Fabric and Azure demos, the crowd-favorite Fabric Family Feud (Engineering vs. Marketing), and limited-edition Lego Power BI birthday sets, cementing it as a must-see FabCon tradition.

Join us at FabCon Atlanta and Microsoft Ignite

Mark your calendars! The next FabCon is coming to my hometown in Atlanta, Georgia, from March 16 to 20, 2026. I’m thrilled to see the Fabric community come together here for even more in-depth sessions, cutting-edge demos and announcements, and the networking that makes FabCon so special. Register today and use code MSCATL for a $200 discount on top of current early access pricing!

In the meantime, join us at Microsoft Ignite 2025. From November 18 to 21, 2025, experience the latest innovations across Microsoft Fabric and the full Microsoft Cloud live from San Francisco, the iconic hub of technology and culture, or join us online. We look forward to seeing you there.

And don’t stop there—hack the future of data and AI with Fabric. Compete in the Microsoft Fabric FabCon Global Hackathon for your chance to win up to $10,000! Running through November 3.

Explore additional resources for Microsoft Fabric

• Register for FabCon Atlanta.
• Sign up for the Fabric free trial.
• View the updated Fabric Roadmap.
• Try the Microsoft Fabric SKU Estimator.
• Visit the Fabric website.
• Join the Fabric community.
• Read other in-depth, technical blogs on the Microsoft Fabric Updates Blog.

The post FabCon Europe: Highlights from the European Microsoft Fabric Community Conference 2025 appeared first on Microsoft Fabric Blog.

Over four days, there will be plenty of opportunities to interact with experts shaping the future of Microsoft Fabric. You’ll be able to explore Microsoft Fabric workloads in-depth, including coverage of our newest updates across Power BI, Real-Time Intelligence, Data Factory, OneLake, and more. Additionally, there will be sessions covering AI, databases, and data governance to give attendees a unique learning opportunity. In all, there will be over 130 expert-led sessions across 12 dedicated tracks, delivered by Microsoft product managers, community experts like MVPs, and customers sharing their experiences. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills, hear directly from Microsoft and community leaders, or connect with fellow practitioners, FabCon Europe will have something for you.

Workshops and tutorials will take place on September 15, with the main conference running from September 16–18. Along with ample opportunities to learn and network, there will be no shortage of fun, including the Data Viz World Championship, Power Hour, and other social events to help you fully experience this unique and growing community in Europe. You won’t want to miss it!

Learning sessions, FabCon racing, and more

This year’s variety of sessions will showcase the breadth and depth of what’s possible with Microsoft Fabric, led by experts from around the world. Learn about our latest features in sessions such as: Chat with Your Data Through AI-Powered Search and Analytics; The Road Ahead for AI in Fabric: Data Agents and Intelligent Solutions; and Unlock the Power of Digital Twin Solutions with Real-Time Intelligence. We’re also expanding our focus on security and governance with more sessions than ever before, including Fabric Security: Everything You Need to Know, to help you confidently manage and protect your data estate. You’ll also find community-led and practical sessions designed to help you take your Fabric skills to the next level.

Explore how Fabric enables real-time insight with the Fabric racing experience. Drive around a Forza Motorsport track while seeing your performance come to life in real time with Fabric Real-Time Intelligence. You’ll also be able to connect with product and engineering teams at the Ask the Experts booths, network with peers in the community lounge, and discover the latest innovations from our partners throughout the event.

To top it all off, Power BI turns 10 years old this July. We’ll be celebrating from July to Vienna and beyond. Did someone say kuchen?

Make the most of your time in Vienna

Vienna offers a mix of history, music, and relaxed café culture that makes the city feel both timeless and lived in. Take a stroll through Schönbrunn and explore the cobbled streets of Hofburg, or simply enjoy a coffee and slice of Sachertorte at a neighborhood spot. It’s easy to get around, whether you’re staying a little longer or connecting with new friends while you’re in town. Be sure to stop by a traditional Austrian tavern, or beisl, and immerse yourself in local cuisine like Tafelspitz (boiled beef), Käsespätzle (cheesy egg noodles with crispy onions), and Wiener schnitzel (breaded veal cutlet). Between meeting with the community and the charm of the setting, FabCon Vienna promises to be a memorable experience for everyone.

Register today

As with last year, this will be an in-person-only event, making it the ultimate opportunity to connect with experts and peers. The earlier you register, the better pricing you’ll get, so be sure to register for FabCon conference right away to lock in the best rate. Plus, use the code MSCUST to save an extra €200.

We’ll be sharing more details in the coming weeks, including can’t-miss sessions, featured guest speakers, and the latest innovations revealed first at FabCon. Keep an eye out for the full agenda and announcements to help you plan your experience. See you in Vienna!

Additional helpful resources:

• Check out the Convince My Boss template.
• Check out Microsoft Fabric Community Conference 2025 Tutorials.
• Sign up for the Fabric free trial.
• View the updated Fabric Roadmap.
• Visit the Fabric website.
• Join the Fabric community.

The post Microsoft Fabric Community Conference heads to Vienna appeared first on Microsoft Fabric Blog.

Pre-Days: Workshops and Partner Day 

The week began with pre-conference workshops on March 29th and 30th, offering deep dives into the latest advancements across Microsoft Fabric. Topics included analytics, data governance, databases, and AI. These interactive sessions equipped attendees with practical skills and insights they could immediately apply, including preparation for their Microsoft Fabric certification exams.

The Partner Day welcomed over 500 attendees representing GSIs (Global System Integrators), SIs (System Integrators), and Software Development Company partners. The goal was to strengthen connections between Microsoft and partner teams, deepen business relationships, and celebrate our partner community. Rajiv Phoughat, Principal—Advisory Digital at KPMG, joined me on stage to share KPMG’s data estate transformation journey. Rajiv highlighted how Fabric has helped KPMG Digital drive greater operational efficiency and deeper insights across their global organization. Partners also had the chance to engage directly with Fabric product leaders during an Ask Me Anything session, where they posed top-of-mind questions. Leaders from Microsoft’s partner teams were also on hand to share guidance and deepen relationships. 

Monday keynote

Arun Ulagaratchagan, Corporate Vice President of Azure Data, kicked off the keynote at the T-Mobile Arena in front of a packed house, and shared his vision for an AI-powered data platform that brings together ingestion, analytics, databases, business intelligence, and real-time intelligence—all on a unified, open, and governed data lake built on Azure. 

This vision set the stage for Amir Netz, Technical Fellow and CTO of Microsoft Fabric, and the Fabric team to unveil a series of exciting updates across the Fabric platform and workloads. Highlights included enhancements to OneLake Security, the introduction of Data Agents in Microsoft Fabric, expanded Copilot and AI capabilities across all Fabric SKUs, a streamlined migration experience for customers moving from Azure Synapse to Fabric, expanded integration between Fabric and Snowflake, and various other new capabilities and innovations in Fabric.. 

Following Arun and Amir, I had a blast partnering with Marco Casalaina, VP of Azure AI and Futurist, to demonstrate how AI is driving real business transformation. Together, we showcased a series of language-based demos translating speech in real-time to multiple foreign languages and interacting with AI agents using speech, highlighting how customers can use Azure AI Foundry and Fabric to build AI agents that deliver transformative customer experiences. Finally, we were joined on stage by executives leading data and AI organizations including Philip Withey, Chief Architect, London Stock Exchange Group, Maureen Tan, Head of AI CoE, Global Units, NTT DATA, Inc. and John Maio, VP, Enterprise Data & Analytics, CSX, who shared insights on their data estate modernization journey and how they are now leveraging Microsoft Fabric and Microsoft AI Foundry to unify their data estates and accelerate AI projects. 

A packed Fabric agenda: Sessions, community connections, ask the Experts, and more 

The rest of Monday and all of Tuesday were packed with learning opportunities, with sessions led by MVPs, Microsoft engineering teams, and customers alike. Highlights included MVPs Reza Rad and Minni Walia’s session on Real-Time Intelligence for Power BI users, Microsoft product leaders Bogdan Crivat and Charles Webb discussing the future of Fabric Data Warehouse, and a great talk by Phil Witney and Rich Acosta on how LSEG and Prudential Group Insurance Management implemented Fabric. 

Of course, sessions weren’t the only way to learn. The Community Lounge was buzzing with 1:1 conversations, live group chats, and impromptu meetups with community celebrities like Patrick LeBlanc and Adam Saxton of Guy In a Cube fame. 

Attendees also explored the expo hall, connected with sponsors, visited the Ask the Experts booths to meet the Microsoft teams building Fabric, and stopped by the Microsoft booth for a unique hands-on experience. There, Fabric came to life on the Forza Motorsport track, where drivers competed for top times, bragging rights, and fun prizes. With 545 players and 1,065 races, the experience generated over 1.4 billion rows of data, which were ingested for instant visualizations and insights by Fabric Real-Time Intelligence and Power BI. Kudos to all our racers and winners—we hope you’re rocking your new Fabric shoes! 

The rest of the conference was packed with learning and fun. Highlights included the inaugural Data Viz World Championship, the much-anticipated return of Power Hour After Dark, an unforgettable attendee party by the pool, and numerous events hosted by our amazing partners and sponsors.

Wednesday keynote

In Wednesday’s keynote, Dipti Borkar, VP of Microsoft OneLake and Fabric ISVs, shared how Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) are using Fabric to accelerate AI innovation and enhance customer experiences. The keynote unveiled the new Workload Hub—a centralized platform to explore and leverage various workloads—and featured a panel of ISVs showcasing real-world integrations and their impact on customers. The panel included Sudhir Hasbe, Chief Product Officer at Neo4j, Shadi Shahin, VP of Product Strategy at SAS Institute, and Rob Elkins, Director of Product Management at ESRI. Each shared insights on how their organizations are building on Fabric to drive transformative outcomes. 

Maithili Dandige, GM of Microsoft Purview, then set attendees up for their final day of sessions by spotlighting our latest advancements in data security and governance. Key announcements included new features for Copilot in Power BI, new data loss prevention capabilities, and expanded insider risk management tools—underscoring Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to innovation in data protection, security, and compliance. 

About those sneakers… 

To help celebrate the first anniversary of the GA of Microsoft Fabric, we created a small number of customized Microsoft Fabric sneakers as a token of thanks for the launch team. However, we also wanted to use the opportunity to say thank you to some of the supporters from the broader Fabric community across MVPs and the customer community. Without their tireless support and advocacy, Fabric and FabCon 2025 would not have been the success that it is. We’re thrilled at the reception that it’s received online and during the event. We will be sure to incorporate more ways to surprise and delight the community in the future.

Looking ahead with Fabric

I hope all FabCon attendees left feeling inspired, equipped with fresh insights, new connections, and a renewed sense of excitement for the future of Microsoft Fabric. We’re excited to see how the ideas and innovations shared will shape the future of data and AI. 

Next up is Microsoft Build, taking place in Seattle from May 19 to 22, 2025. As one of our biggest events of the year, it’s a great opportunity to explore the latest Fabric innovations and stay ahead of what’s next. Register today and be part of the momentum. 

If you missed the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference, don’t worry—there’s another chance to be part of the experience. Join us this September 15 to 18 in Vienna, Austria, for the European Fabric Community Conference. Reconnect with the community from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and enjoy a full week of sessions, insights, and networking. I’m looking forward to seeing you there!

Microsoft Fabric

Power your AI transformation

Try today

Explore additional resources for Microsoft Fabric

• If you do nothing else, download and reference the Fabric one-pager. 

• Sign up for the Fabric free trial. 

• View the updated Fabric Roadmap. 

• Visit the Fabric website. 

• Join the Fabric community. 

• Register for the Fabric Ask the Experts series and join us for our monthly Q and As. 

• Read other in-depth, technical blogs on the Microsoft Fabric Updates Blog. 

• See how the Microsoft IDEAS team is building on Fabric.

• Explore the Fabric technical documentation.

• Check out the newly launched Fabric Tech Talk Fridays (F²T²), which is the go-to show for Fabric MVPs, users, and fans. Join us for live demos, real use cases, and expert insights. Watch the latest Fabric Tech Talk Fridays episodes here. 

The post Microsoft Fabric Community Conference 2025 Highlights: Community growth and innovation appeared first on Microsoft Fabric Blog.

Microsoft Fabric has embraced this mission by integrating multiple products and services needed for an end-to-end analytics and AI solution, redefining existing processes to make them simpler and more intuitive. It has significantly simplified how one interfaces with such a comprehensive solution by creating a turnkey software-as-a-service experience that is easy to use with a much simpler and singular capacity usage model.

At Ignite 2024, Fabric took another bold step forward by adding operational databases to the Fabric portfolio with SQL database in Fabric. Adding operational data alongside Fabric’s analytical OLAP (Online Analytics Processing) data and real-time streaming data (RTI) opens a host of new scenarios for AI agentic applications. It also provides our customers with a unified data estate where consistent security and governance policies can be applied.

SQL database in Fabric leverages the proven mission-critical SQL Server database engine. It applies the core principles of Fabric to make deploying and managing an operational database simpler, more autonomous, secure by default, and optimized for AI. For example, deploying and configuring a database only requires a name, and the database is ready in seconds. It is secure by default with encryption at rest and in transit enabled. Networking security is also enabled via Private Link, and high availability and zone redundancy are automatically configured. 

SQL in Fabric includes native AI capabilities like support for vector and RAG (Retrieval-augmented Generation). You can also make calls directly to Azure AI services from the database and connect your database to Azure AI Foundry, VSCode, and GitHub for an integrated developer experience. In addition, you will find Microsoft Copilot integrated into every workload in Fabric including SQL in Fabric, simplifying administrative and management tasks for the databases. 

Beyond just the OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) database, Fabric introduces new agentic AI application scenarios by providing access to real-time streaming data from IoT sensors, alongside your system of record with SQL in Fabric and other data sets securely stored in OneLake. 

OneLake is at the heart of enabling a unified data estate. OneLake is built on top of Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS) Gen2 and can support any type of file, structured or unstructured. All Fabric data items like data warehouses and lakehouses store their data automatically in OneLake in Delta Parquet format. With the addition of SQL database in Fabric you now also have access to your mirrored SQL data in OneLake and mirroring data in Fabric is free. 

Fabric also provides a rich ecosystem to support agentic AI applications using your operational data. Changes from your data can be seamlessly sent to Azure OpenAI for business recommendations using Fabric Real-time Intelligence Eventstream, Spark, OneLake, and Power BI. 

This unification of data is incredibly powerful, enabling dynamic improvements to customer prompt responses and proactive, personalized offers. From a security standpoint, Fabric can enable consistent data protection from when the data is born to business insights via PowerBI. The same goes for data governance. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the number of new scenarios that Fabric can enable by creating a unified data estate. SQL database in Fabric is just the first Azure Database to be added to Fabric, with more Azure Databases to follow, so stay tuned.

Get started today

SQL database in Fabric is simple, autonomous, secure, and optimized for AI. We highly encourage you to try it today and see how you can build new AI apps faster and easier than ever! 

Learning with Fabric

We have multiple resources to help you and your teams swiftly ramp up on SQL database in Fabric: 

• Explore the documentation and build with our end-to-end tutorials.

• Skill up with the new Fabric Databases learn modules.

• Watch new Data Exposed episodes.

• Watch the new Microsoft Mechanics episode.

• Get the latest product news here on the Fabric updates blog.

• Check out an AI chatbot application example built on SQL database in Fabric. 

Fabric Community Conference Vegas: A must-attend event for database professionals! Be sure to take advantage of the discount code MSCUST for $150 off the registration price. 

FabCon Vegas is the perfect opportunity to connect with experts and data leaders to build your skills with Fabric Databases and Azure Databases and see how your peers are implementing their solutions. 

• Microsoft Fabric Community Conference March 31^st – April 2^nd, in Vegas! Workshops will also be available on March 29th, 30th, and April 3rd, making this the most comprehensive Microsoft Fabric learning experience to date.

• SQL pros can take advantage of a dedicated track for SQL in Fabric Databases and Azure Databases. 

• Connect with product specialists for 1:1 support in the Ask the Experts area. 

• You’ll get endless opportunities all week to engage with the Fabric and data communities through sessions, thoughtful discussions, attendee mixers, and interactive activations. 

• In touch with your Microsoft account team? Ask them if they have any special discounts to share.

Database experts at FabCon

• CVP of Azure Databases: Shireesh Thota, speaking at the event¹.

• Sessions from the Microsoft Databases Product team: Rie Merritt, Bob Ward, Mazuma Zahid, Erin Stellato, Davide Mauri, and more.

• Sessions from Database Community MVPs: Joey D’Antoni, John Morehouse, Monica Rathbun, Denny Cherry, Karen Lopez, Anthony Nocentino, Erwin de Kreuk, Warwick Rudd, Kelly Broekstra, Heidi Hasting, and Hamish Watson.

Microsoft Fabric

Unify your teams and data to accelerate AI innovation with a complete data platform

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¹speakers subject to change

The post The art of simplifying the complex: Microsoft Fabric’s superpower appeared first on Microsoft Fabric Blog.

Sign up now to secure your spot and save $150 on your registration with the code MSCUST. Offer valid until the conference begins on March 31^st. 

Get up to date on the latest with Microsoft Fabric 

Join us and don’t miss out! The Microsoft Fabric product team, along with customers, partners, and Microsoft MVPs, will be there to share insights on the latest advancements we are making in the era of AI. Dive deep into Microsoft’s data, AI, and governance product portfolio through workshops and sessions led by a stellar lineup of community experts and Microsoft speakers. This will be a great opportunity to connect—and reconnect—with members of the Fabric community and other Microsoft data users worldwide, fostering both personal and professional relationships while learning from your peers’ success stories. 

Here are some of the key topics that will be covered: 

• What’s new and coming to Microsoft Fabric—get ready to power your AI transformation with a powerful, all-in-one unified data platform. 

• Deep dive into our newest releases, including Fabric Databases, Real Time Intelligence, the OneLake Catalog, and more. 

• See how AI-powered experiences in Fabric like Copilot and AI skills can help everyone get more done, faster. 

• Upskill your data teams with hands-on, specific training for roles across your data estate. You can get started today with the “Make Your Data AI Ready with Microsoft Fabric” skilling plan on Microsoft Learn and help your teams master data engineering, Lakehouse, and warehouse solutions.  

• See how you can secure and govern your sensitive data with built-in capabilities in Fabric and seamless integration with Microsoft Purview. 

• Learn how to create innovative, generative AI-powered solutions with Azure AI Foundry and Azure Machine Learning to empower your organization with responsible AI practices. 

• Hear directly from our customers and partners about how they have successfully used Fabric in their AI transformation projects. 

Visit the community lounge and connect with data professionals, including community leaders, super users, student ambassadors, Microsoft MVPs, and more. Whether you want to network, discuss specific topics, or simply relax and chat, the lounge offers a welcoming space for everyone. Enjoy fun activities like trivia, bingo, and scavenger hunts, and don’t miss our newest Real-Time Intelligence racing demos, where you can race to win prizes! 

The Ask the Experts area is also back, where data, analytics, and AI specialists will answer your toughest technical questions. Whether you’re solving a specific problem, exploring new techniques, or just chatting with experts, you’ll find the help you need. Experts include community members, Microsoft engineering and product teams, and the Fabric Customer Advisory Team (CAT), available throughout the event. 

Plus, don’t miss the Interactive Learning Labs, where daily hands-on sessions with experienced data professionals will help you tackle real-world scenarios, learn new skills, and explore the latest features in a collaborative environment. 

Microsoft Fabric Community Conference

Bigger and better than ever.

Join us.

Back by popular demand, you will have the chance to join diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) panels and sessions, offering a safe and welcoming space to discuss today’s most pressing issues. Hear from diverse speakers as they share their stories, perspectives, and best practices for building a more inclusive and equitable data community.  

We are excited to welcome you back to the Fabric Community Conference (#FabCon) and we look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas! 

The post Don’t miss out: Join the 2025 Microsoft Fabric Community Conference  appeared first on Microsoft Fabric Blog.

A Leader in Data Integration 

We feel that Microsoft’s acknowledgment in the Gartner Magic Quadrant reflects our dedication to innovation and customer-centric solutions. This stems from our relentless drive to advance technology and address the ever-evolving needs of modern organizations.

Our vision for data integration is to deliver seamless, intuitive experiences that empower businesses to unlock the full potential of their data and achieve transformative results. This recognition reinforces our dedication to leading the evolution of data integration and delivering unparalleled value to our customers and partners worldwide.

Microsoft Fabric

Give your teams the AI-powered tools they need for any data project—including workloads tailored to your industry

Try today

Microsoft Fabric: Unified Data Platform for the Era of AI 

At the core of our data integration strategy is Microsoft Fabric. Built to navigate the complexities of modern data ecosystems, Microsoft Fabric provides an all-in-one, software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform with AI-powered services to handle any data project—all within a pre-integrated and optimized environment. It enables organizations to unlock their data’s full potential, drive innovation, and make smarter decisions. Features like Copilot and other generative AI tools introduce new ways to transform and analyze data, generate insights, and create visualizations and reports in Microsoft Fabric.

Microsoft OneLake: The heart of our Data Integration journey 

At the center of our Fabric is OneLake, the unified, open data lake that simplifies and accelerates data integration across diverse systems. OneLake, with the data integration capabilities of Fabric, is designed to help you simplify data management and reduce data duplication. OneLake’s open data format means you only need to load the data into the lake once and you can use the single copy across every Fabric workload and engine. It acts as the central hub, ensuring seamless connectivity, accessibility, and collaboration for all your data needs. 

OneLake has four innovative pathways for integrating data depending on your needs: 

1. Fabric Data Factory 

Fabric Data Factory integrates seamlessly with OneLake, offering powerful cloud-scale services for data movement, orchestration, transformation, deployment, and monitoring. These capabilities enable organizations to tackle even the most complex ETL (Extract, Transform, and Load) scenarios, unifying data estates, streamlining operations, and unlocking the full potential of their data.

2. Multi-Cloud Shortcuts

OneLake shortcuts allow you to virtualize data into OneLake from across clouds, accounts, and domains—all without duplication, movement, or changes to metadata or ownership. This capability allows organizations to access and analyze their data in place, without the need for complex data migration processes. By maintaining a live connection to the source, OneLake ensures real-time data availability and consistency across all integrated environments. You can shortcut data from Azure Data Lake Service, S3-compatible sources, Iceberg-compatible sources, Google Cloud Platform, Dataverse, and more.

3. Database Mirroring 

OneLake offers an innovative zero-ETL approach to database mirroring, simplifying the replication of operational databases into the lake. This capability minimizes the effort required to synchronize databases, supporting real-time changes and ensuring that data is always current and ready for analytics and reporting.

4. Real-Time Intelligence 

Real-time intelligence in Microsoft Fabric empowers organizations to ingest and process streaming and high granularity data instantaneously, driving real-time insights and automating decision-making. This solution is ideal for applications requiring immediate data updates, such as IoT analytics, fraud detection, and operational dashboards. The capability extends to highly granular data analytics, allowing businesses to track a single package within a global delivery network or monitor a specific component in a manufacturing machine across a fleet of factories worldwide, enabling precise insights and optimized operations. Leveraging cutting-edge data processing frameworks, Eventhouse ensures scalability, reliability, and low-latency performance, making it suitable for high-volume streaming scenarios.

With these innovative pathways, Fabric empowers organizations to break down data silos, optimize workflows, and unlock the full potential of their data. Whether it’s through seamless data integration, real-time insights, or multi-cloud collaboration, Fabric is designed to meet the demands of modern data ecosystems. These enriched features position Fabric as a critical tool for organizations aiming to unlock the full potential of their data while maintaining simplicity, security, and scalability.

Customer success stories 

Our customers’ success stories are a testament to the impact of Microsoft Fabric. Organizations across various industries have leveraged our data integration capabilities to unlock new opportunities, drive innovation, and achieve their business goals. By streamlining data processes and improving data quality, Microsoft Fabric has enabled these businesses to make data-driven decisions with confidence. 

Read UST Global’s case study to learn how they leveraged the power of Fabric to migrate over 20 years of data, integrating disparate data sources to facilitate better collaboration and innovation among employees. 

Looking ahead: The future of Data Integration with Microsoft Fabric 

As we celebrate being recognized as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for the fourth consecutive year in a row, we are motivated to push the boundaries of what’s possible in data integration. To us, this is a milestone that reflects not only our commitment to innovation but also our dedication to empowering our customers to turn their data into actionable insights.

Looking forward, the roadmap for Microsoft Fabric is filled with exciting enhancements and new features. These advancements are designed to tackle the complexities of modern data ecosystems, making it even easier for organizations to unify, transform, and harness their data at scale. Continuous improvement is at the core of our strategy. We aim to remain at the forefront of the data integration landscape and redefine the possibilities of what a comprehensive data platform can achieve. 

We believe this recognition by Gartner is a validation of the trust our customers place in us and a reflection of our relentless drive to deliver world-class solutions. As we continue this journey, we remain committed to collaborating with our community and partners, building on this success to achieve even greater outcomes together.

Resources 

• Read the full complimentary report from Gartner. 
• Data Factory in Microsoft Fabric  
• Data Factory Overview 
• Real Time Intelligence 
• Transforming Your Business With Real-Time Intelligence 
• Getting Started with Microsoft Fabric  
• What’s new and planned for Data Factory in Microsoft Fabric  
• FAQ 

Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools, By Thornton Craig, Sharat Menon, Robert Thanaraj, Michele Launi, Nina Showell, 3 December 2024 

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s Research & Advisory organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. 

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. 

This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. Available here.

The post Microsoft: A leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant report appeared first on Microsoft Fabric Blog.

But as you prepare for a future built on AI, you also need clean data to fuel AI. Fostering game-changing AI innovation requires a well-orchestrated data estate that can support everything from small AI pet-projects to scalable AI solutions that span the company. This is a challenging prospect for most organizations whose data environments have grown organically over time with specialized and fragmented solutions. A complex data estate leads to data sprawl and duplication, infrastructure inefficiencies, limited interoperability, and even data exposure risks—not an ideal place to start your AI innovation.

For data leaders trying to streamline and advance their data estate, the burden is often on you to search through the thousands of data and AI offerings, find the right set of offerings, figure out how to integrate them, and do it in such a way that is scalable and can evolve over time. Most data leaders would rather focus on the outcomes of their tools rather than spend all their time integrating specialized solutions and maintaining their data estate.

If you are thinking about how you can prepare your data estate for the era of AI, or will soon, I invite you to join us for the Microsoft Data and Analytics Forum on October 30^th, 2024. The event is online only and free to attend.

A digital event designed for data leaders 

Microsoft Data and Analytics Forum

Learn how you can prepare your data and analytics for game-changing AI innovations.

Register here

The Data and Analytics Forum is an upcoming, digital event designed to help data leaders navigate the current data and AI landscape. Microsoft experts will walk you through the latest trends and industry best practices to help you stay ahead of the curve. You will also hear learnings from current data leaders who have successfully implemented an AI-ready data strategy. Finally, we will highlight how the Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform, a suite of analytics, database, AI, and governance technologies, can help you create a powerful, agile, and secure data and AI foundation, made simple.

The first half of the event will include a keynote session on the current data and AI landscape, followed by your choice of three breakout sessions. Here are the full list of sessions: 

• Data and Analytics Forum keynote: Jessica Hawk, Corporate Vice President of Data, AI, and Digital Applications, will cover the current data landscape now with AI, how the Microsoft Intelligence Platform can help organizations transform their data estate, and, through a fireside chat with customers, how companies have been able to prepare their data estate to take advantage of AI. 

• A data foundation that unlocks AI innovation: Emerson Gatchalian, Chief Data and Analytics Officer Americas, will zoom out to study the concepts and conditions at the root of today’s data and analytics stack, from what’s driving investment to the issues companies face in siloed data. Then he’ll show how the right data foundation can meet this AI moment. 

• Fuel your data culture with generative AI: In my session, we’ll explore both the challenges and opportunities that data leaders face in building a data-driven culture and how modern tools and next generation AI can help accelerate your path. 

• Data governance in the era of AI: Karthik Ravindran, General Manager of Enterprise Data and AI Governance will cover governance and its importance in an AI world, the influence of data on AI, and the opportunities and the quality challenges of generative AI. Governance practices will be covered, leading to an overview of Microsoft Purview.

Register today

Register now for the Microsoft Data and Analytics Forum and learn how to prepare your organization to take advantage of the latest data and AI innovations.

See the latest innovation coming to Fabric

Check out the latest capabilities coming to the Microsoft Fabric platform by reading the European Fabric Community Conference 2024 announcement blog.

We will also be releasing even more innovation at Microsoft Ignite this year. You’ll see demos of the latest capabilities for Fabric and across all Microsoft products. You can also connect with experts, community leaders, and partners who can help you modernize and manage your own intelligent apps, safeguard your business and data, accelerate productivity, and so much more. 

Explore additional resources for Microsoft Fabric 

If you want to learn more about Microsoft Fabric:

• Sign up for the Microsoft Fabric free trial. 

• View the updated Microsoft Fabric Roadmap. 

• Visit the Microsoft Fabric website. 

• Join the Fabric community. 

• Read other in-depth, technical blogs on the Microsoft Fabric Updates Blog. 

• Explore the Fabric technical documentation. 

¹Expanding AI’s impact with organizational learning.

The post Navigate the data and AI landscape by joining us at the Microsoft Data and Analytics Forum appeared first on Microsoft Fabric Blog.

The European Microsoft Fabric Community Conference 2024 has officially come to a close and we hope it left attendees, organizers, and volunteers feeling inspired and excited to apply their learnings. This year’s conference was held in the beautiful city of Stockholm and brought together our amazing community of Microsoft Fabric users, practitioners, and industry leaders from across Europe and beyond for four days of immersive learning and networking. The conference was a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and the power of community. With more than 3,000 attendees from 61 countries, the conference was a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and the power of community.

Let’s take a look at some of the top moments from the event. 

Wednesday Keynote 

The conference kicked off with a warm attendee welcome and an action-packed keynote delivered by Arun Ulag, Amir Netz, and experts from across the Fabric team. Arun and Amir set the stage for an exciting event and shared the latest capabilities coming to the Fabric platform. These announcements included OneLake shortcuts for Iceberg tables (preview), Azure Databricks Unity Catalog mirroring into OneLake (preview), new Copilot in Fabric experiences across workloads (preview and general availability), deeper integration with Microsoft Purview, and so much more. Read Arun’s Fabric Community Conference blog for more information on the announcements.  

Thursday Keynote

Each day of the conference began with a new Microsoft-led keynote, and in the Day 2 session, I led off with our inspiring vision for how Microsoft is making it easier to apply AI at scale with an end-to-end stack across data, analytics, and AI. I then introduced Marco Casalaina, who shared a vision for the future of AI and Fabric’s role in revolutionizing how users interface with their data to drive actionable insights and hold two-way conversations with their data. 

Friday Keynote

I was honored to deliver the first part of the Day 3 keynote, where I was joined onstage by Fabric customers to uncover their real-world challenges and opportunities in establishing a data culture that will allow them to take full advantage of AI innovations at scale. In part two, Rudra Mitra took the stage to discuss security and governance and demonstrated how Microsoft Purview and Fabric are enabling users to secure their data across a single, unified data estate.  

Community-led content 

The conference offered a diverse range of sessions and workshops for beginners through to seasoned professionals. Speakers guided attendees through topics spanning data integration, machine learning and AI, security and governance, and advanced analytics. During the pre-conference hands-on workshops, participants had the opportunity to gain practical experience with the latest tools and techniques. 

Connections and networking 

At the heart of the event was of course the Fabric community. Over the course of the conference, there were endless opportunities for attendees to connect with like-minded professionals to share experiences, challenges, and collaborate on new ideas.  

The highlight for many was getting to meet other Fabric users in the community lounge, exhibit hall, networking events, or even casually in the convention center hallways going to and from sessions. There was a feeling of community that underscored the event, making it a truly memorable experience for those in attendance. 

Continue your learning experience 

Just because European Microsoft Fabric Community Conference 2024 has ended, it doesn’t mean your learning has to stop there. 

Data and AI Forum (digital event) 

Join us at an upcoming event designed to help data leaders navigate the current data and AI landscape—the Data and AI Forum. You will hear from Microsoft experts, partners, and customers on the latest trends and industry best practices to help you stay ahead of the curve.  

This digital event will include a keynote session hosted by Jessica Hawk that outlines the current data landscape now with AI and a fireside chat with customers to see how they have been able to prepare their data estate to take advantage of AI. After the keynote there will be three breakout sessions on establishing an AI-ready data foundation, governing data and AI, and a session hosted by me on how you can fuel your data culture with generative AI.

Microsoft Ignite 2024 (in-person and online) 

One of the biggest events on the Microsoft calendar is right around the corner and you can join us either in person in Chicago, Illinois or online. Stay one step ahead of the newest Microsoft innovations and join fellow professionals who are ready to upskill and collaborate.

Microsoft Fabric Community Conference 2025 (in-person) 

Missed the European Microsoft Fabric Community Conference 2024? Join us in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2025 for the next Microsoft Fabric Community Conference event and reconnect with the Fabric community for a week of sessions and networking.

Explore additional resources for Microsoft Fabric  

Microsoft Fabric

Reshape how everyone accesses, manages, and acts on data with a single, AI-powered platform

Explore solutions

If you want to learn more about Microsoft Fabric:  

• Sign up for the Microsoft Fabric free trial.
• Visit the Microsoft Fabric website.
• Join the Fabric community. 
• Read other in-depth, technical blogs on the Microsoft Fabric Updates Blog.
• Explore the Fabric technical documentation.
• Register for the upcoming Microsoft Data and Analytics Forum.
• View the updated Microsoft Fabric Roadmap.
• Explore the Fabric technical documentation.

The post Highlights from the European Microsoft Fabric Community Conference 2024 appeared first on Microsoft Fabric Blog.

• Lack of skills or expertise: Organizations require more practitioners who can understand and effectively leverage location data for business insights.

• Data integration: Incorporating location data with other business data is critical for extracting meaningful insights and can be challenging due to disparate tools.

• Data quality and standardization: Organizations must ensure that all location data that they use is accurate and collected while adhering to all data privacy and other regulations.

To help our customers easily access the benefits of location intelligence, we introduced the Azure Maps visual in Fabric, specifically to Power BI, in 2023. Azure Maps enables users to visualize and analyze their location data on maps to uncover patterns and trends. Using it is as simple as enabling the Azure Maps Power BI visual, selecting the Azure Maps icon from the visualizations pane in Power BI, and then diving in to enhance your dashboard with location intelligence. Azure Maps in Power BI comes with a range of capabilities to help you better optimize your data including geocoding, reference layers, traffic layers, and more.  

Azure Maps for Power BI

Build intelligent location-based experiences for applications across many different industries

Learn more

Geocoding is the most fundamental step in location intelligence and entails converting addresses into latitude and longitude points. For example, a retail store can use the geocoding capability to visualize where their customers are located and determine which postal code, state, and or country has the maximum concentration of their customers. In Power BI, geocoding comes to life when a report creator drags their address data into the “Location” field in the format pane. Addresses are then automatically converted into geographic coordinates and placed on a map. Alternatively, if you already have georeferenced data, then you can drag data directly to the “Latitude” and “Longitude” fields to see it on a map. Currently, the Azure Maps visual supports geocoding for up to 30,000 data points in a single visual. Learn more about geocoding here.
 

Reference layer is another capability offered by Azure Maps that enables Power BI report creators to add an additional data layer on top of their maps to gain deeper location-based insights. For example, an insurance company can overlay natural disasters data such as historic wildfires or flood occurrences on top of their clients’ locations to understand how risk-prone their clients are and then use those insights to determine the insurance rates for those customers. Azure Maps enables users to incorporate data from multiple sources, including: GeoJSON, KML, WKT, or SHP formats. In the July 2024 update for Power BI, we also introduced data source support for CSV files and dynamic URLs Learn more about reference layers here. 

Traffic layers enables Power BI report creators to overlay real-time traffic data on maps within Power BI by turning the traffic layer slider in the format pane on. By selecting “Show Incidents,” you can visualize traffic flow and incidents such as road closures and construction on the map. Logistics companies often overlay their telematics data and then use traffic layers to optimize their routes. They can determine where potential delays in deliveries can occur or where incidents such as harsh breaking are likely to take place. Learn more about traffic layers here.

The Range Selection capability enables means report creators to can place a pin on a map and define a search area either by time or distance. For example, a coffee chain trying to open a new location in the downtown Seattle area can use the “Distance” metric to determine how many other competitor coffee shops are within a two mile radius of the city-center. Alternatively, the coffee chain can use the “Time” metric to determine how much time it will take for their target customers to reach the coffee shop from a given location. With these location-based insights, the coffee chain can make informed decisions ranging from determining where to open the next store, to analyzing store performance, or to planning for inventory to meet customer demands. Learn more about range selection here. 

Azure Maps visual also includes other data visualization tools that help report creators in impactful storytelling. Heat Maps, also known as Density Maps, are a type of overlay on a map used to represent the density of data using different colors. Heat maps are often used to show the data “hot spots” on a map. Heat maps are a great way to render datasets with large number of points. For example, a heat map can be created to identify the frequency with which customers visit shopping centers in different locations. Learn more about heat maps here. 

Learn more about the Azure Maps visual in Fabric

We are constantly updating the Azure Maps feature to improve location intelligence within Power BI. Upcoming updates for Azure Maps visual will include more location data visualization and intelligence capabilities. As businesses continue to embrace data-driven decision-making, the combination of Azure Maps and Microsoft Fabric will play a crucial role in unlocking the full potential of location data.

To learn more about Azure Maps visual and to get started, visit our documentation page.

The post How Azure Maps can help you unlock location intelligence in Power BI appeared first on Microsoft Fabric Blog.

Following the success of the first-ever Microsoft Fabric Community Conference, which took place in Las Vegas in March 2024, the event is now coming to Sweden for the European community. On September 24-27, 2024 in Stockholm, the European Microsoft Fabric Community Conference will be an immersive experience exploring the limitless possibilities of Microsoft Fabric and the latest developments in data, governance, analytics, and AI.  

The conference features 120+ track sessions, four keynotes, 10 workshops, a vendor expo hall, Community Lounge, Ask the Experts community zone, DE&I sessions and luncheons, a Women in Tech luncheon, and much more! This is your chance to connect with Microsoft Fabric experts and Fabric community leaders from around the world to learn from and expand your network. 

Here are just a few of the can’t-miss sessions taking place at this year’s conference. 

Fabric fundamentals and beyond 

One year in Fabric: Lessons learned from implementing real-world projects with Cathrine Wilhelmsen, MVP, Evidi and Anders Krohn, Evidi. Discover the lessons Evidi learned during its Fabric implementation journey, from figuring out the optimal architecture in its first solution to becoming an international team working on multiple projects in parallel. 

Navigating Microsoft Fabric – Choosing the right workload for your needs with Adam Saxton and Patrick LeBlanc, Microsoft. Take a deep dive into the Microsoft Fabric ecosystem, from Lakehouse to Warehouses and Microsoft Power BI, to ensure users can make informed decisions about their data processing needs. 

The latest in AI 

From Datasets to Visuals – Turbocharge your Power BI report Development with AI with Ben Howard, MVP, Applepark Ltd. Explore how to use AI to build better quality, faster, and more engaging reports, from demo datasets to compelling visuals, writing M and DAX, and even modelling. 

The future is now for SQL with AI and Microsoft Fabric with Asad Khan and Bob Ward. Discover the latest innovations in SQL that are powering AI and Microsoft Fabric with security and scale. Learn how to integrate all your SQL data with Microsoft Fabric so your entire organization can get maximum value from your SQL data, using AI for faster, smarter insights. 

Security and governance 

Getting started with Data Governance in Microsoft Fabric with Joey D’Antoni, MVP, Denny Cherry and Associates Consulting. Push your business into adopting a data governance culture, implementing processes in Microsoft Fabric using tools like Microsoft Purview and Microsoft Entra ID security, to drive towards data-driven decisions and solutions. 

Beyond a Data Catalogue: An in-depth tour of the Microsoft Purview Universe with Wolfgang Strasser, MVP, ACP CUBIDO. Explore the Microsoft Purview ecosystem, its seamless integration with Microsoft Fabric, and the capabilities of an end-to-end data compliance, governance, and protection solution. 

Microsoft OneLake—the OneDrive for data 

Demystifying the Data Lakehouse in Fabric with Just Blindbæk, MVP, twoday capacity. Delve into the Data Lakehouse to find out exactly what it is, its capabilities, and how to make the right choices for your data development journey. 

Building a Modern Data Lake with OneLake: The OneDrive for Data with Elizabeth Oldag and Matthew Hicks, Microsoft. Learn about the core concepts of OneLake and how its designed to be the single place for all your analytics data, using the same data across multiple analytical engines in the open Delta Parquet format. 

Data warehousing and integration

Microsoft Fabric: Building a data ingestion and processing framework to drive efficiency with Erwin de Kreuk, MVP, InSpark. Learn how to use a metadata-driven approach to manage your data pipelines and notebooks in Microsoft Fabric, including key learnings, best practices, and patterns. 

Tips and tricks for Microsoft Fabric Data Warehouse with Chris Hyde, MVP, Hydrate Technologies LLC. Uncover tips and tricks for designing a high-performance Fabric Data Warehouse and mitigate potential issues to get the most out of your solution. 

Save your seat—register today 

The European Microsoft Fabric Community Conference 2024 is an in-person only event. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn about Fabric and see firsthand how Microsoft can help your organization prepare for the era of AI. I can’t wait to see you all in-person in Stockholm, Sweden next month! 

Sign up here using the code MSCUST to save €200 off your registration. 

Sign up for a pre-conference tutorial 

Get a head start on your learning by signing up for one of six FabCon Europe tutorials, covering: Data Factory, Lakehouse, Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, Real-Time Intelligence, and Managed Self-Service Analytics. Participating in a pre-conference full-day tutorial provides a unique chance to immerse yourself in your chosen topic, unleash your data’s full potential, and gain insights from masters in their field. Tutorials take place September 24, 2024 from 9AM-5PM CEST. 

Learn more about the tutorials on offer at this year’s conference and discover which one will give you the expertise you need to excel in your data and AI projects. 

Can’t wait to get started learning about Fabric?  

Want to learn more about Microsoft Fabric? Check out the Fabric Career Hub for training, skills challenges, career insights, certifications, and more. 

European Microsoft Fabric Community Conference 2024

 Unlock the potential of your data.

Register now

The post Can’t-miss sessions at the European Microsoft Fabric Community Conference appeared first on Microsoft Fabric Blog.