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By Matt DeLeon  Microsoft Fabric is reshaping how organizations manage, analyze and activate data. Before Fabric, analytics projects relied on multiple tools across Azure Data Factory, Synapse, SQL engines and separate BI platforms. Each workload operated in isolation, adding complexity and slowing insights.   Fabric changes that by unifying data engineering, analytics and AI into one integrated environment. Whether you lead operations, manage pipelines or build dashboards, Fabric provides a centralized platform to turn raw data into meaningful action.  This guide walks through how to get started with Fabric based on your role, how to build hands-on experience and how to develop confidence as you progress.  What Makes Microsoft Fabric Different  Fabric brings together capabilities from Power BI, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Factory and new Data Engineering workloads in a single analytics platform. Instead of moving across fragmented systems, teams work within one environment designed for speed, collaboration and scale.  Here’s how the core components work together:  Data Factory  Provides a streamlined experience for ingesting, preparing and transforming data from a wide range of sources.  Synapse Analytics  Delivers SQL-based analytics with support for open data formats and native integration with OneLake.  Data Engineering  Offers Apache Spark, notebooks and orchestration tools for large-scale processing and advanced transformations.  Power BI  Connects directly to data stored in Fabric, allowing teams to build dashboards and share insights across the organization. Fabric also includes additional workloads that elevate analytics:  OneLake  Unified, organization-wide storage that functions much like OneDrive for data. It centralizes files, improves governance and simplifies collaboration.  Data Science  Integrates with Azure Machine Learning so teams can build, deploy and operationalize predictive models directly within Fabric. These models can be incorporated into BI reports or downstream processes.  Real-Time Intelligence  Provides no-code connectors, streaming ingestion, geospatial tools and automated actions so teams can monitor metrics and act on insights instantly.  Where to Start Your Fabric Learning Journey  Because Fabric spans multiple workloads, the best starting point depends on your role. A focused approach will help you ramp up quickly and effectively.  Sales Managers   Begin with Power BI for sales performance, customer segmentation and pipeline visibility.  Finance Teams   Explore the Data Warehouse for consistent reporting, audit-friendly structures and financial modeling.  Data Engineers   Start with Data Factory and Data Engineering to build pipelines, transformations and orchestration workflows.  Business Analysts   Spend time in Power BI and Real-Time Intelligence for dashboarding and streaming insights.  Data Scientists   Dive into the Data Science workload to train and deploy models across Fabric.  Operations Leaders   Use OneLake and shared workspaces to manage data assets, streamline collaboration and support decision-making.  Choosing a role-aligned starting point makes the learning curve more manageable and sets clear direction for developing your skills.  How to Get Started  Create a Sandbox Workspace   Set up a trial workspace in Microsoft Fabric to safely explore lakehouses, build pipelines and experiment without touching production environments.  Use Microsoft Learn Modules   Microsoft provides free, self-paced training for each workload. Begin with “ Get Started with Microsoft Fabric ,” part of the DP-600: Microsoft Fabric Analytics Engineer course. These modules offer guided exercises and foundational knowledge.   Join Workshops for Practical Experience   Workshops like Fabric Analyst in a Day (FAIAD)  provide hands-on, scenario-based training. Sessions hosted by partners such as Interloop give real-world context and accelerate learning.  Connect with the Community   Participate in Microsoft Fabric forums , user groups or online communities to learn best practices and see how other professionals approach solutions.  Explore Official Documentation   Microsoft’s documentation  is comprehensive and updated frequently. Use it to validate concepts, study patterns and troubleshoot challenges.  Start Small and Build Confidence   Begin with simple datasets or workflows, then expand to more complex projects as you gain comfort with the platform.  Stay Curious and Experiment   Fabric evolves quickly, especially with the continued integration of AI. Testing new features helps deepen understanding and reveals innovative approaches to solving problems.  Set Clear Goals   Define what you want to achieve—building a dashboard, automating pipelines or integrating machine learning. Clear goals help you stay focused and measure your progress.    The Future of Analytics with Fabric  Unified Data Reduces Complexity and Cost   Fabric consolidates data tools into one environment, reducing licensing, maintenance and governance overhead. Teams gain consistency, fewer silos and stronger compliance.  Integrated Analytics Drive Faster Decisions   With unified storage, built-in AI and real-time processing, teams can move from reactive reporting to operational insight. Decisions become faster and more proactive.    Why Choose Fabric Over Other Platforms  End-to-End Integration   Unlike Snowflake or Databricks, which require assembling separate tools for ingestion, transformation, warehousing and BI, Fabric unifies the full analytics lifecycle with OneLake as a single storage foundation.  Built-In Business Intelligence   Power BI is natively integrated, removing the need for a separate BI layer and accelerating adoption for both technical and business teams.     AI Everywhere   Copilot is embedded across workloads, expanding access to predictive analytics and natural-language reporting without complex setup.  Enterprise-Grade Security   Fabric integrates with Microsoft Purview and Microsoft 365 security services, making governance and compliance more seamless for regulated industries.    Ready to activate your data?  Analytics is shifting from fragmented systems to unified platforms. Organizations adopting Fabric now will accelerate their ability to plan, automate and innovate in 2026 and beyond. Experimentation, hands-on learning and a role-aligned approach are the fastest ways to build confidence on the platform.  Get started with Interloop  — and see how we can help you connect Fabric, Fivetran and your customer tools for seamless, scalable impact.

Key Announcements: AI Innovations and IQ Platform Transformations  A Look Back at Microsoft Ignite 2025: The Era of AI and the IQ Suite  The energy from Microsoft Ignite 2025 continues to reverberate throughout the tech world. This year’s event was marked by a host of groundbreaking announcements, especially for those passionate about artificial intelligence, data platforms, and the evolving ways Microsoft empowers organizations to achieve more. Interloop was fortunate to be in attendance for this amazing event, and we didn’t want to keep our findings to ourselves. Below is a recap of what we have found as the most influential news for Microsoft users, with a special focus on the new IQ suite—including Fabric IQ, Work IQ, and Foundry IQ. Let’s dive into how these innovations are reshaping the future of productivity and analytics.  AI Everywhere: Smarter Workflows and Experiences  Microsoft reaffirmed its commitment to embedding AI in every aspect of the workplace. Keynotes showcased major advancements in Copilot, which is now more deeply woven into Microsoft 365, Teams, and Dynamics 365. These updates allow users to automate repetitive tasks, generate content, and extract richer insights from their data. With more sophisticated natural language capabilities and heightened context awareness, Copilot is positioned to become an essential tool for businesses of all sizes.  Introducing the IQ Suite: Intelligent Solutions for Every User  Among the most highly anticipated announcements was the debut of the comprehensive “IQ” suite. Microsoft IQ delivers a new layer of intelligence to its cloud and productivity platforms, offering predictive analytics, proactive recommendations, and dynamic automation integrated into daily workflows. The suite now features three flagship offerings: Fabric IQ, Work IQ, and Foundry IQ.  Fabric IQ : Microsoft’s latest evolution in unified analytics, Fabric IQ introduces AI-powered data integration, analysis, and visualization tools that seamlessly bridge data silos and accelerate business intelligence. Users can ask natural language questions and receive instant, actionable reports, all within a secure governance framework.   Work IQ : Work IQ is designed to elevate workplace productivity by using AI to optimize workflows, streamline collaboration, and personalize work experiences. Through smart automation and context-aware insights, Work IQ helps individuals and teams work more efficiently and make better decisions.  Foundry IQ : Foundry IQ brings intelligent automation and advanced analytics to manufacturing, supply chain, and industrial operations. By leveraging real-time data and AI-driven recommendations, Foundry IQ empowers organizations to innovate faster, increase operational agility, and drive transformative outcomes.  Democratizing Data and Decision-Making  Fabric IQ, Work IQ, and Foundry IQ collectively stand out by making advanced analytics and intelligent automation accessible to everyone—from data engineers and business analysts to frontline employees and industry specialists. These offerings are tightly integrated into Microsoft Teams, Power Platform, Azure, and other Microsoft services, democratizing data-driven decision-making across organizations and industries.  What’s Next for Microsoft Users?  Microsoft Ignite 2025 underscored the company’s dedication to putting AI-powered tools in the hands of every user. With the expanded IQ suite, including Fabric IQ, Work IQ, and Foundry IQ, Microsoft is making it easier than ever to access advanced analytics, automation, and actionable insights. As these new features roll out, expect smarter collaboration, more intuitive digital experiences, and a quicker journey from raw data to informed decisions.  Interloop is excited to be on the cutting edge of Fabric and helping organizations to realize the value that these additional IQ offerings are helping to support.  Stay tuned for continued updates as these innovations and how to make the most of your Microsoft Fabric and these IQ offerings by tuning into our monthly newsletters.

In 2025, AI may drive the headlines — but trust drives the results. For mid-market leaders, confidence in data is now the line between progress and paralysis. The Data Confidence Gap Is Growing Data is everywhere. Confidence in it? Not so much. In an era where business leaders are expected to back every move with data, trust in that data is eroding. According to Salesforce’s March 2025 Trust in Business Data Leaders Survey , fewer than half of U.S. executives say their data strategies align with business priorities — a drop of 14 percentage points from 2023. This disconnect isn’t just frustrating — it’s expensive. Bad data now costs U.S. companies more than $3 trillion annually . And the impact isn’t limited to dashboards: data-related trust gaps are directly slowing down digital transformation, AI initiatives, and cross-functional alignment. When leaders don’t trust their data, they delay action — or, even worse, act on assumptions. Why Mid-Market Teams Feel It More Mid-sized organizations face a unique challenge. They have enterprise-level complexity, but often without enterprise-level infrastructure or data teams. The result? A patchwork of systems, spreadsheets, and self-serve analytics that frequently operate on slightly different truths. The average mid-market company now runs nearly 900 cloud applications but integrates only 29% of them . It’s no wonder nearly half of mid-market CFOs say poor data integration is blocking timely, critical decisions. Trusted data isn’t just a tech-team problem — it’s the foundation every AI initiative depends on. It’s a confidence accelerator that spans the entire organization and determines whether insights actually turn into impact. What Makes Data Trusted? Trust doesn’t come from volume or visualization. It comes from consistency, clarity, and context — regardless of who’s asking the question. To earn confidence from decision-makers, data must be: Reliable:  Clean, complete, and accurate Governed:  Defined the same across systems and teams Traceable:  Easy to audit, explain, and reverse-engineer Accessible:  Available to the right people at the right time Integrated:  Not stuck in siloed apps or shadow spreadsheets In short, trusted data is data that people don’t need to second-guess. AI Is Only as Trustworthy as Its Data AI has become a boardroom priority — but too often, it’s launched without a stable foundation. In 2025, a whopping 95% of organizations report little to no measurable business return on their generative-AI investments ( MIT Media Lab / Campus Technology ). And according to Salesforce’s Your Data, Your AI  study, more than half of professionals don’t fully trust the data powering their company’s AI tools. Trusted data, on the other hand, turns AI from risky to ready: Predictive insights become believable Generative tools get smarter — and more explainable Self-service analytics (like Microsoft Fabric’s Copilot tools) deliver the same answer every time — regardless of who’s asking The message is clear: trust is the real unlock for AI adoption. Microsoft Fabric: Unifying Data for Trust at Scale Enter Microsoft Fabric  — a platform built from the ground up to unify your data stack. Fabric consolidates data engineering, transformation, warehousing, and analytics into one seamless experience. That means less duplication, fewer silos, and more transparency into where your numbers come from and how they were calculated. With OneLake , built-in lineage views, and centralized security, Fabric helps teams: Align on a single source of truth Trace metrics from dashboard to data source Streamline governance without slowing down access Microsoft Fabric isn’t just unifying your data stack — it’s redefining how trust scales. With OneLake and Copilot integrations, Fabric creates traceable, explainable systems that keep AI and analytics aligned with how teams think and make decisions. For mid-market organizations, it’s a chance to modernize without rebuilding from scratch. 🔗 Explore Interloop’s Microsoft Fabric Overview Interloop’s Role: The Bridge, Not the Bottleneck Many organizations think of trust-building as a compliance task. Interloop takes a different approach in that we design data systems that earn trust through architecture — not red tape. Our mission is simple: help mid-market teams activate data they can trust and AI they can scale. That means helping clients: Connect tools like Fivetran to automate clean, consistent ingestion Implement Microsoft Fabric to unify reporting and metrics Build integrated pipelines that surface trusted, explainable insights — not just data dumps Because Interloop is both technical and strategic, we serve as a bridge between systems and stakeholders, aligning IT, ops, and leadership around the same metrics and definitions. 🔗   See how we go from file drop to business action in 60 seconds Trusted Data in Action According to Gartner’s 2025 Future of Data & Analytics brief, organizations that establish clear data-trust frameworks are twice as likely to outperform peers in revenue growth and operational efficiency.  The takeaway is simple: trusted data drives better business performance. Interloop clients have seen similar measurable gains after adopting Microsoft Fabric — from cutting report latency from days to hours to strengthening visibility and consistency across key business metrics. Fabric’s built-in lineage tools help teams trace data in minutes instead of days, turning once-siloed information into shared understanding. Trusted data isn’t flashy — it’s foundational. How to Start Building Trust If your team is second-guessing data — or not using it at all — start here: Audit your core KPIs.  Are they defined and calculated the same way across tools? Check your lineage.   Can your analysts explain where your most-used metrics come from? Connect your systems.  Integrate critical data sources (CRM, ERP, finance) into a unified platform. Decide what “trust” means.  Set measurable goals for data availability, accuracy, and access. Bring in the right partner.  Choose a consultancy that can bridge strategy, systems, and team needs — not just implement tooling. The Bottom Line: Trust Moves Business Forward You don’t need more data dumps or dashboards — you need data you can count on. When your teams trust the numbers, decisions get faster, strategies get sharper, and AI turns from buzzword to business engine. Interloop builds that kind of confidence into your architecture — keeping every insight aligned and every decision on course. Ready to activate your data? Start with Interloop — and see how we can help you connect Fabric, Fivetran, and your customer tools for seamless, scalable impact. Get looped in today .

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A place to store the data accumulated from a wide range of heterogeneous Sources, generally used for data analysis and reporting. For example, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery or Snowflake. Interloop has both Data Lake & Data Warehouse capabilities baked in. Warehouse A place to store the data accumulated from a wide range of heterogeneous Sources, generally used for data analysis and reporting. For example, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery or Snowflake. Interloop has both Data Lake & Data Warehouse capabilities baked in. Ready To Get Started? You're one small step from starting your data-driven journey. LOOP ME IN

DATA SHEET Who Is Interloop DATA SHEET Get To Know Us Get To Know Us Get To Know Us Get To Know Us Interloop is a dynamic team of data engineers, data analysts, data scientists, and delivery experts dedicated to transforming how organizations leverage their data. With years of experience delivering data-backed solutions, we’ve honed our skills and insights to create professional service offerings and tools that empower organizations to make informed, data-driven decisions. Learn more about our Mission, Team and Offerings. VIEW YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY LOOP ME IN Boldly go! Get in touch with our team of data experts today. Ready to Achieve More With Your Data? GET LOOPED IN GET LOOPED IN GET LOOPED IN GET LOOPED IN PREVIOUS NEXT