Microsoft announces partner ecosystem for its Intelligent Data Platform

Microsoft has launched a new partner ecosystem for its Intelligent Data Platform, which it says is the “first approach of its kind” in the industry.

Integrated with the Microsoft Cloud, its Intelligent Data Platform weaves together the tech giant’s databases, analytics, business intelligence (BI), and data governance products into a single, unified platform.

Microsoft says the offering is ideal for independent software vendor (ISV) partners to build and deliver integrated solutions, thanks to its open and governed foundation.

“The partner ecosystem enables customers across all industries to take advantage of the Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform capabilities,” said Rohan Kumar, CVP of Azure data engineering at Microsoft. “Together with our partners, we’ll build upon decades of experience in helping our customers digitally transform.”

First announced back in May, the Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform is designed to facilitate a seamless experience and easy collaboration for the likes of developers, data engineers, business analysts, and more.

The offering helps users add layers of intelligence to their applications, as well as unlock predictive insights, drive relevant action, and govern their entire data estate.

Announced at this week's Ignite 2022 event, Microsoft did not go into too much detail regarding how the platform’s new ecosystem will operate, but it did unveil the initial pool of ISV partners aligned with its Intelligent Data Platform, categorised into three layers.

The first - Operational Databases - includes MongoDB as a leading NoSQL database and Yugabyte as a cloud-native NoSQL and distributed SQL database. These enable integrations into the broader enterprise data for analytics and AI/ML, as well as govern data estates with Microsoft Purview.

Second is the Analytics group, which Microsoft says will enhance the low code/no code experience to automate building and operating complex enterprise-grade pipelines, as well as govern data integration and transformation pipelines in Purview. ISVs in this category include Informatica, Qlik, Confluent, Fivetran, Striim, and dbtLabs.

Lastly, the Data Governance layer includes Profisee and CluedIn for master data management, Delphix for data masking and pipeline data compliance, as well as OneTrust for privacy and security.

Microsoft also revealed that Azure Databricks, which is aligned to the open and governed paradigm of its Intelligent Data Platform, will also benefit from this ecosystem. More ISVs are expected to be added in the coming months.

“Thanks to partner solutions that span every layer of the Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform, we ensure our wide range of customers get a seamless, enriched, and cost-optimised experience that meets their specific needs,” said Kumar.