What is Microsoft Fabric? A guide for companies

What if every piece of information coming into your business from devices, apps and digital tools helped you make better business decisions and strengthen your position in the market? Effective use of data is a skill of the future that your organisation can implement today, driving the digital transformation associated with AI.

Analysed in the right way, data is the key to understanding customer needs, optimising internal processes and predicting market trends. It is the most important element of the competitive advantage you are looking for. Microsoft Fabric will help you get it.

Microsoft Fabric is a tool that makes it easy for organisations to work with data - from collection to storage to analysis.

Whether you are looking to implement a data lake or data warehouse architecture, Microsoft Fabric will provide you with the flexibility and functionality to fit your business needs.

What is Microsoft Fabric?

Microsoft Fabric is the remedy to your organisation's data chaos.

It is a comprehensive and integrated platform designed for businesses looking for a simple yet comprehensive solution to collect, process and analyse information. Offering a SaaS (Software as a Service) model, it provides not only high scalability, but also ease of use and security.

With Microsoft Fabric you will streamline the work of your business, analytics and development teams. Instead of juggling solutions from different vendors, you gain the convenience of an integrated technology stack based on the Microsoft Azure cloud, which puts all services and resources at your fingertips at all times.

Information in Microsoft Fabric is stored in OneLake, a central repository, eliminating the need for multiple, often dispersed data stores. This means you can manage access to information more efficiently, ensure data integrity and be confident of regulatory compliance.

Built-in AI mechanisms will help you better understand and use your data in Microsoft Azure AI Services and specific applications - from real-time reporting to advanced Machine Learning (ML) modelling available in Microsoft Azure AI Foundry.

The real revolution available within the platform, however, is Microsoft 365 Copilot - your personal AI assistant and intelligent Data Agent based on Generative AI that completely transforms the way you work with data.

Copilot automates routine tasks, fills in gaps in expertise and suggests optimal solutions as you work. As a result, you can create reports even faster, as well as formulate queries and implement data engineering processes, without having to write complex scripts.

What's more, Copilot truly understands your business - it analyses the context of your data and tailors its suggestions to the specific needs of your organisation.

Data Agent in Microsoft Fabric is a service that creates conversational systems using generative AI. It facilitates access to data in OneLake through simple natural language questions. It enables accurate, contextual answers even for non-technical people, supporting organisational decision-making.

As a result, organisations using Microsoft Fabric, powered by Microsoft Copilot, gain an integrated environment for seamlessly combining data from disparate sources (such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales), designing advanced analytics pipelines and using machine learning algorithms and ready-made large (LLM) and small (SLM) models in their day-to-day work.

The result? A significant reduction in administrative costs, faster deployment of new projects within Power Platform and Microsoft Copilot Studio, and support for teams at every level in maximising the potential of information.

What applications are included in Microsoft Fabric?

Microsoft Fabric is a set of state-of-the-art services and tools with broad applicability across the entire data processing and analysis cycle. You get everything your organisation needs in a single platform - and each element perfectly complements the overall ecosystem.

This gives you comprehensive tools to migrate, manage and analyse your data and create innovative AI-powered solutions.

• Fabric Data Factory is a state-of-the-art tool for integrating and preparing data from multiple sources. It allows you to automate ETL/ELT processes, schedule tasks and quickly move even gigantic volumes of information to target data stores. In addition to a rich library of connectors, Data Factory offers mechanisms useful for AI transformation, such as built-in support for intelligent data flows. Thanks to its simple interface, both unfamiliar developers and business workers can quickly create data pipelines without having to write complex scripts.

• Fabric Data Engineering is a module tailored to the needs of teams specialising in advanced computing and data engineering. It offers an environment based on Spark clusters, enabling rapid processing of huge data sets and integration with other Fabric components. It fosters scalable machine learning projects, supporting them with easy-to-configure tools and libraries.

• Fabric Data Warehouse is a high-performance data warehouse designed with scalability and flexibility in mind. It enables decoupling of compute and storage resources, allowing users to manage performance and costs independently. It supports the native Delta Lake format and integrates seamlessly with other services.

• Fabric Databases are databases that facilitate the management of relational and custom data structures in a centralised environment. They allow rapid replication of data from different sources and consistent scaling for transactional and analytical applications.

• Fabric Data Science is a module that facilitates the design, training and deployment of machine learning models. It supports integration with Azure Machine Learning, and provides a set of tools to facilitate experimentation and lifecycle management of models.

• Fabric Real-time Intelligence enables instantaneous collection and processing of streaming data, greatly improving ongoing event monitoring and log analysis. This enables organisations to react quickly enough to dynamically changing business conditions, based on up-to-date data.

• Fabric Power BI is a well-known and respected tool for visualisation and interactive data analysis. In a Fabric environment, it provides easy access to any resource in OneLake, speeding up the creation of reports and dashboards.

• Copilot in Fabric is an AI assistant that supports users in automating data transformation, cleaning and modelling tasks. Its ability to generate suggestions and lines of code significantly accelerates the implementation of new analytics processes, as well as learning how to use the platform.

• Fabric OneLake is the central data repository where all files and tables are stored. With a single, consistent repository, users can easily share information across Fabric modules and avoid data duplication.

• Microsoft Purview is a comprehensive solution for managing data order and ensuring data security. It allows you to monitor the flow of information within Fabric and establish governance and regulatory compliance.

• Fabric Industry Solutions provides industry-dedicated data solutions that provide a solid foundation for data management, analysis and key decision-making. These solutions address the specific challenges of different sectors, enabling companies to optimise processes, combine data from multiple sources and leverage advanced analytics tools.

• Fabric Data Agent - Data Agent enables the creation of custom, conversational question and answer systems using generative artificial intelligence. The Data Agent allows teams to have conversations about the data stored in Fabric by asking simple questions in natural language (e.g. English) and receiving relevant answers.

Microsoft Fabric combines all the aforementioned tools in an integrated platform, offering the most comprehensive big data analytics system in the entire industry.

The platform enables organisations and individuals to transform complex data repositories into practical working solutions and business analytics.

Forrester report - Benefits of a Unified Analytics Platform

How does the implementation of Microsoft Fabric impact the business? According to the Forrester report - The Total Economic Impact Of Microsoft Fabric (TEI), implementing the platform represents up to a 379% return on investment over a three-year period with a net present value of $9.79 million.

Key findings of the report

The Forrester TEI study, commissioned by Microsoft, was based on interviews with actual users of the Microsoft Fabric platform. Based on interviews with organisations, a model was created of a typical company with annual revenues of $5bn and a team of 10,000 people.

The organisation deployed the Fabric solution gradually - first covering half of its business, expanding to 85% in the second year, and finally rolling out the platform across the entire organisation in the third year.

Increased productivity and efficiency

According to the study, Microsoft Fabric increases the productivity of data engineers by 25%. How is this possible?

Among other things, the platform enables a reduction of up to 90% in the time spent searching, integrating and debugging data. For the model organisation, this translated into savings of $1.8 million.

In addition, easy access to data has seen business analyst performance improve by an astonishing 20%, generating a further $4.8 million in savings.

Improving business performance

The use of high-quality data led to better, more informed business decisions and increased profits by around $3.6 million over three years.

Employee satisfaction and infrastructure savings

The report also identified an 8% reduction in employee churn and infrastructure savings of up to $779,000 due to the elimination of outdated systems and technology consolidation.

Benefits of integrated analytics platforms

If you want to realise the full potential of data in your organisation, Microsoft Fabric can help you achieve this.

• Microsoft Fabric integrates key analytics areas such as data engineering, data warehousing, data science and real-time data analytics, allowing information to flow freely. The platform eliminates data silos, supporting collaboration and a more informed approach to business analytics.

• The SaaS model simplifies the deployment of Fabric, offering a cost-effective solution for companies at various stages of development. A user-friendly interface democratises data analysis, making it accessible to non-specialists.

• Integrated analytics platforms such as Microsoft Fabric are a strategic investment for modern, forward-thinking organisations seeking to make full use of available data resources.

How do you use Microsoft Fabric in your business?

Microsoft Fabric is designed for small and large companies that want to use their data to gain a competitive advantage in business. How do professionals benefit from it?

• Data engineers can use the platform to combine and manage data from disparate sources, create customised analytics for the entire company, and manage powerful AI models without having to move data from other systems.

• Data warehouse specialists can use Fabric to create scalable data warehouses using SQL or Apache Spark, executing complex queries across structured and unstructured data sources and optimising performance with intelligent caching.

• Data analysts can use Fabric to develop artificial intelligence models using Python or R without the need for data portability. In addition, they can also use generative artificial intelligence and language model services from the Azure OpenAI service. With the help of the platform, they can explore and analyse data using notebooks, SQL queries or Apache Spark, and create powerful visualisations using the Microsoft Power BI service.

• Business users using Microsoft Fabric from within Microsoft 365 platform applications (using Microsoft Copilot) can access detailed information and natural language queries or ready-made reports and dashboards created by analysts in Power BI.

What are the benefits of using Microsoft Fabric?

Data professionals are expected to work with (often) huge data sets in a secure, compliant and cost-effective manner. What's more, companies want to use data even more efficiently and quickly to make better business decisions. Microsoft Fabric is the answer to their needs.

How does the platform improve an organisation's operations?

• It simplifies analytics by providing all the elements needed to extract valuable information from large data sets and presenting data in a way that the business user can understand.

• Enables faster innovation by helping everyone in your organisation act and make decisions based on relevant data analysis from Microsoft 365 applications such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Teams.

• Reduces costs by eliminating redundant data and creating customised analytics for all stakeholders in your organisation.

• Supports open and scalable solutions, giving data engineers additional control and security with the ability to manually manage and maintain regulatory compliance.

• Accelerates data analysis by supporting the development of new artificial intelligence models based on a single foundation - without the need to move data from other systems.

How much does Microsoft Fabric cost?

The costs associated with implementing and running the tool depend on your needs.

Microsoft Fabric offers companies varying pricing packages based on their business requirements and the features required for their organisation. For details on licensing and pricing, please refer to the Microsoft Fabric licensing and pricing guide. Why is it worth reading?

To help organisations optimise their data management costs, the material discusses Microsoft Fabric service pricing strategies, including capacity tiers, SKUs and lease hierarchy, among others. It also addresses the differences between reserved and pay-as-you-go models, including capacity units  and detailed pricing information.

With differentiated plans, organisations can make even more informed decisions and take full advantage of available features, increasing process efficiency and building better customer experiences.

How does Microsoft Fabric integrate with other Microsoft products?

Microsoft Fabric easily joins forces with the company's other cloud products such as:

• Dynamics 365 Sales, Customer Insights, Customer Service and Contact Centre - Microsoft Fabric integrates with Dynamics 365 via a direct connection to the Dataverse, allowing access to data without the need to export or build ETL processes. Data from Dynamics 365 applications, such as finance or operations, is available in OneLake, Fabric's built-in data lake. This allows users to analyse real-time data, create Power BI reports, and automate business processes with Power Apps.

• Microsoft 365 - Users can access detailed information from Fabric in Microsoft 365 applications, such as Excel or Teams, using natural language queries or pre-built templates. Microsoft Fabric integrates with applications through the use of Microsoft Graph Data Connect, enabling access to organisational data in a scalable way.

• Microsoft 365 Copilot - Combining Microsoft Fabric with Microsoft 365 Copilot, enables users to generate code, queries and data visualisations using natural language. Copilot in Fabric supports areas such as Power BI, Data Factory or Data Warehouse, offering intelligent suggestions and task automation, among others. By integrating with Microsoft 365 Copilot, users can quickly transform data into reports, analytical models and SQL queries, speeding up decision-making processes and increasing the efficiency of working with data.

• Microsoft Azure AI Services - Integration with Microsoft Azure AI Services provides users with the ability to use advanced Azure AI Document Intelligence Studio services and AI models such as Azure OpenAI Service, Text Analytics and Translator. Through integration, data in OneLake can be enriched with AI features such as sentiment analysis, text classification and response generation. Users can also use GPT-4.5 models to process data. The integration supports SynapseML and RESTful APIs, allowing for flexible use of AI in data analysis and business processes.

• SharePoint - By integrating with Microsoft SharePoint, users can store, share and manage data in a secure environment. Connecting to Data Factory allows SharePoint folders to easily transfer data to OneLake. Users can also use Power Query to combine data from SharePoint with other sources to create comprehensive reports and analytical models. The integration improves team collaboration by providing real-time access to data.

• Power Platform - Microsoft Fabric integrates with Microsoft Power Platform via Dataverse and Synapse Link, providing users with direct access to data in OneLake. Users can create applications in Power Apps, automate processes in Power Automate and visualise data in Power BI using real-time information. With virtual tables in Dataverse, data from Fabric does not need to be copied. Integration is also supported by Power Pages, enabling the construction of web pages based on data from Fabric.

Comparison of Microsoft Fabric with other solutions

What if not Microsoft Fabric? There are several competing solutions on the market offering similar functionality to Microsoft Fabric.

Among the five most popular platform competitors we find:

• Databricks - a powerful, scalable and versatile data platform with strong support for advanced analytics and machine learning. It stands out for its maturity, open-source code, multi-cloud flexibility and comprehensive feature set. All of this makes it suitable for enterprises with complex data needs, ambitious AI/ML goals and demanding big data processing.

• Snowflake is a platform that primarily offers batch processing and SQL-based queries. It stands out for its ease of use and clean SQL-based analytics - albeit more expensive than Databricks. Snowflake also enables searching of data sources, support for semi-structured queries and efficient data storage.

• SAP Business Data Cloud - SAP's cloud-based data platform that stores, processes and analyses real-time data on a petabyte scale. It combines different types of data in a single system, managing it efficiently through integrated multi-level storage. The platform enables the combination of corporate and external data for business analytics, offering a cost-effective solution that meets security standards.

• IBM Cloud Pak for Data is an integrated analytics platform for advanced data analytics, often listed as a major competitor to Microsoft Fabric in lists of analytics alternatives. This platform offers data and business analytics tools, enabling organisations to make better data-driven business decisions.

• Google BigQuery - a serverless, multi-cloud data warehouse that simplifies the process of working with different types of data, allowing users to focus on getting valuable business insights quickly. It is a central part of Google's data ecosystem, enabling seamless data integration, cost-effective and secure analytics scaling, and sharing rich data experiences through built-in BI solutions.

• Amazon Redshift is a fully managed data warehouse service in the AWS cloud that is scalable to petabytes. It allows you to analyse huge datasets quickly and cost-effectively using standard SQL. It uses columnar storage and parallel processing to provide high query performance for business analytics and reporting.

• Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse - is a self-service, fully managed data warehouse service in the Oracle cloud. It automates key tasks: deployment, security, backup, upgrades and performance tuning. Optimised for analytics and business intelligence, it offers flexibility, speed and simplified data management at scale.

• KNIME Analytics Platform - is free open source software for data analytics and data science. It enables the visual creation of workflows (workflows) by combining pre-built modules (nodes) for data integration, transformation, modelling and visualisation. It allows building end-to-end analytics solutions, from data preparation to machine learning, without the need for coding.

Choosing the right analytics platform depends on an organisation's specific needs, existing infrastructure and business objectives.

While Microsoft Fabric offers a comprehensive and integrated SaaS environment with OneLake data centralisation and built-in AI support, competing platforms can also provide companies with unique capabilities that address specific business requirements.

Summary

Analysing an organisation's data is often a complex and expensive process. With Microsoft Fabric, however, you don't have to waste valuable time integrating services from multiple vendors. Instead, you can benefit from a single, intuitive product.

Microsoft Fabric offers optimised tools in an integrated user interface, and by implementing Microsoft 365 Copilot, and running Microsoft Power BI, it enables you to use a Low-/No-Code approach to create analytics solutions, supported by AI.

Implementing Microsoft Fabric can bring numerous benefits to an organisation, such as centralising data in OneLake, eliminating data silos and reducing management costs. The platform enables real-time data analytics and supports advanced analytics through integration with Microsoft Azure AI Services and business process automation with Power Platform. Through integration with Microsoft 365, SharePoint and Dynamics 365 tools, Fabric improves team collaboration and decision-making. The platform's scalability and flexibility allow it to be tailored to meet the needs of different industries, increasing operational efficiency and supporting innovation within the organisation.

As a SaaS platform, Microsoft Fabric allows any type of workload or task to run smoothly, without the need to implement complex approval procedures or investment planning.

Moreover, it enables flexible scaling of resources, adapting to rapidly changing business needs in a digital world.