The European Microsoft Fabric Community Conference (FabCon) held in Stockholm from September 25-27, was a gathering of tech enthusiasts, industry leaders, and enterprises, all focused on the future of data infrastructure modernization.
As a Gold Sponsor, Sonata Software played a pivotal role at the event, showcasing its innovative accelerators on Microsoft Fabric. These solutions help businesses streamline data processes, deliver comprehensive business insights, and transform legacy tech environments into a unified SaaS-based platform within the Azure ecosystem.
FabCon Europe provided an invaluable platform for connecting with hundreds of prospects, industry personas, and technology leaders. Attendees had the opportunity to gain insights into how organizations view Microsoft Fabric technology, their business expectations, and the challenges they face. These interactions offered a deeper understanding of the market landscape and helped businesses strategize better approaches for adopting data modernization solutions.
So, what were the key takeaways from this event? Let’s dive into the top five.
1. Enhanced Flexibility with Iceberg Tables:
One of the most talked-about updates at the event was the integration of Iceberg tables. Microsoft Fabric engines will soon be able to access Iceberg data from Snowflake or other Iceberg-compatible services using OneLake shortcuts. OneLake will virtualize these tables as Delta Lake tables, ensuring broad compatibility across Fabric engines.
2. Seamless DevOps Management
Fabric’s integration with Git was another highlight, offering businesses enhanced capabilities in DevOps management. Fabric’s Git integration will allow workspaces to sync with Git repositories, providing version control and enabling smooth collaboration through Azure DevOps or GitHub.
3. Improved Integration with Microsoft Purview
Data security and governance were central themes at the conference, with Microsoft Purview playing a significant role. Security administrators will be able to use Microsoft Purview Information Protection sensitivity labels to control access to Fabric items, similar to the functionality available in Microsoft 365.
4. Enhanced User Experience with Copilot and Real-Time Intelligence
During the conference, Microsoft introduced Copilot to Dataflows Gen2, providing a richer experience for building and consuming Power BI reports. Additionally, the real-time intelligence feature has been redesigned, significantly enhancing user experience in the Real-Time hub.
5. Unity Catalog Integration with Fabric
One of the standout discussions was about configuring Databricks Unity Catalog integration with Fabric. This enables data traceability, ingestion, and compliance management. Attendees discovered the advantages of combining Databricks Unity Catalog with Fabric, showcasing how this integration provides businesses with a comprehensive view of their data flow and governance, enhancing transparency and ensuring compliance.
A bonus takeaway! Attendees interacted directly with Microsoft product leadership, allowing them to discuss issues, share ideas, and gain firsthand knowledge of upcoming features and improvements.
The conference featured keynote sessions that offered insights into the breadth and roadmap of Microsoft Fabric. With numerous announcements and updates, attendees gained a comprehensive understanding of Microsoft's vision for the future of data management and analytics. As businesses continue to grapple with fragmented data, inconsistent governance, and the growing demand for AI-ready data, the insights and solutions presented at FabCon Europe, including Microsoft Fabric and Sonata's accelerators, emerge as critical game-changers in the evolving landscape of data management and analytics.
Explore Sonata's Fabric offerings here, and if you'd like to learn more specific to your organization, schedule a call with our experts.