Microsoft Fabric: The Platform That Turns Data into Competitive Advantage

Microsoft Corporate VP of Fabric, Yitzhak Kesselman, joins Josh and Tom to explain why operational efficiency — not just productivity AI — is the real multiplier, and how Fabric delivers the fresh data and context needed to make it happen. Drawing on conversations with hundreds of customers, Yitzhak explains how most companies are still stuck in front-end AI use cases while the bigger opportunity lies in using their own business data to drive better decisions and automated actions. He walks through why fresh, high-granularity data and curated business context are essential for AI agents to reason effectively, and how Microsoft Fabric brings these pieces together through OneLake, Real-Time Intelligence, and Fabric IQ. The discussion covers practical advice for mid-market CIOs, the shift from pure analytics to operational systems, the role of ontologies in making AI more accurate and cost-efficient and why speaking the language of business outcomes is critical when making the case for investment.