Everyone agrees that AI is essential to unleashing and accelerating data value. But before you can reach new heights of AI innovation, it’s critical to have a strong data foundation in place.

Intelligent data platforms form the bedrock of an AI-first operating model. The best of them can help organizations break down silos and harness the full potential of data, analytics and AI. There can be no doubt that now is the time to embrace data transformation. What might be harder to agree on, however, is the direction to choose.

At Avanade, we’re experts in both Databricks and Microsoft Fabric. We know both platforms inside out. And we know that, actually, you don’t have to choose between them at all. That’s why I’m excited to launch our new guide “Databricks and Microsoft Fabric: Get the best of both worlds for your data,” available now for download.

I’m also excited to announce that Avanade and Accenture are proud top-tier sponsors of the upcoming Databricks Data + AI Summit, taking place in San Francisco, California from June 10-13th. Read on for more details.

What we’re hearing from clients 

Business leaders recognize AI’s potential to shift the business landscape. In fact, 92% of leaders say their organizations need to shift to an AI-first operating model in the next 12 months to remain competitive. This is driving a surge in tech adoption, with 94% of organizations increasing investment in digital tools like intelligent data platforms.

Despite this, 63 percent of business and IT leaders say they don’t completely trust the data their company uses today, so it can be hard for many to know which platform to choose and how to get started.

When it comes to implementing an AI-first operating model and the intelligent data platform on which to build it, I believe two stand out as exceptional: Databricks and Microsoft Fabric.

Choosing the best data platform to achieve your AI ambitions 

Though each platform offers its own unique advantages, Databricks and Microsoft Fabric can work together to drive data transformation and AI innovation to new heights.

Databricks is a best-in-class data platform where your organization can use data and AI. It is built on the lakehouse, which it created, and uniquely provides an open, unified foundation for data governance throughout all aspects of data engineering, data analysis, data science, machine learning and generative AI. Databricks’ customer use cases span data and AI needs for every industry from batch and real-time data ingestion, efficient transformation, fully integrated end-to-end machine learning, leading data warehouse performance, and full spectrum generative AI functionality allowing you to govern, build, and serve your own models using data. Databricks has infused AI into all aspects of the lakehouse platform, which it calls a Data Intelligence Platform. Microsoft Fabric is a SaaS-based data platform that simplifies and unifies disparate data sources and types. It provides a low-code solution and user-friendly interface that makes it easy for business users to explore data and visualize results. Adopting Microsoft Fabric can boost your data ROI and optimize costs across your operations.

Databricks and Microsoft Fabric are both impressive alone. But they’re exceptional together. This is especially true if you want to make data-driven insights available to everyone no matter their technical level, without compromising on depth of insight. Working together, the two platforms can empower your data experts and business users with familiar tools to carry out analytics and enable AI. So, more of your people can put more of your data to work.

Find us at the Databricks Data + AI Summit 

We will showcase what’s possible with data transformation at the Databricks Data + AI Summit, the flagship event from our close partners at Databricks. The summit gathers thousands of data practitioners and executives to learn, explore and act on data transformation made possible by Databricks’ data platform and ecosystem.

Our team will be onsite to meet with clients and showcase our data platform capabilities and differentiators. Highlights of our presence at the summit will include:

• A 40-minute client spotlight demonstrating real-world client success with Databricks.
• Four additional speaking sessions with Avanade thought leaders and our Databricks technical champions.
• Opportunities to engage directly with Databricks senior leaders and product experts as well as Avanade’s own Databricks specialists and Intelligent Data Platform leadership.
• An expo hall presence where we’ll showcase our proprietary solutions and share insights from industry leaders working to build the future with data innovation.

Why Avanade is the partner for your data transformation journey 

When it comes to implementing Databricks and Microsoft Fabric, you need an expert partner that knows both platforms inside and out.

At Avanade, we’re recognized as an industry leader in helping our clients use Databricks to create greater business value in data, analytics and AI. We’ve also launched the industry’s most comprehensive suite of Microsoft Fabric solutions, in partnership with Accenture. This means we’re uniquely positioned to design and implement a hybrid data engine that meets your specific business requirements. And we’ve received recognition for our efforts, winning Microsoft GSI Partner of the Year and Databricks Global Partner of the Year multiple times.

So, just as there’s no need to choose between Databricks and Microsoft Fabric, there’s no need to choose between us and anyone else.

Start maximizing the value of your data, analytics and AI 

The drive to advance with AI is clear. With Avanade, the path is, too.

Of course, this is only a taste of what’s possible. To show you more about how Avanade can help you get the best of both Databricks and Microsoft Fabric for your data, we’ve created a POV guide. Inside, you’ll learn more about the strengths of each solution, as well as how we’ve teamed up with Accenture to deliver them in organizations like yours.

If you’re ready to lay the data foundations for the AI era, and harness the best of both worlds, download your copy of our POV today.