Your organisation’s AI ambitions hinge on one critical factor: the technical foundation that supports them. With data scattered across legacy systems, cloud platforms and applications, the pressure is on infrastructure teams to create order from chaos. Microsoft Fabric changes how modern organisations tackle this challenge.
For IT infrastructure leaders, AI is a new frontier in professional development. Beyond just making systems work, you are now asked to:
Integrate data from multiple disparate sources without sacrificing performance
Ensure consistent data definitions across business units
Meet compliance and governance frameworks while maintaining accessibility
Manage identity and access controls with precision
Maintain enterprise-wide data quality to prevent ’garbage in, garbage out’ scenarios
These challenges are amplified when working with legacy systems, manual processes and teams with varying technical capabilities.
Microsoft Fabric: The unified data platform
Microsoft Fabric, a unified SaaS platform designed specifically for the AI era, is a new approach to data management. As an end-to-end analytics solution, it brings together data integration, engineering, warehousing, science, real-time analytics and business intelligence under a single architecture.
For example, key capabilities include:
- OneLake: A unified data lake acting as ‘The OneDrive for Data’
- Universal compute: Shared processing resources across all analytics workloads
- Shortcuts: Virtual references to data allowing access without duplication or movement
- Mirroring: Simplified data management with zero-ETL (a process traditionally used to extract, transform and load data into systems) and serverless change data capture
These innovations significantly reduce deployment time compared to traditional approaches while providing the flexibility to scale as your AI initiatives expand.
Technical advantages: Simplification with control
For IT infrastructure teams building on the Microsoft ecosystem, Fabric delivers several advantages:
- Unified governance: Implement consistent security and access controls across all data assets
- Reduced integration complexity: Eliminate custom connectors and complex ETL processes
- Universal data definitions: Create standardised data models that ensure consistency
- Simplified infrastructure management: Focus on strategy rather than maintaining multiple systems
- Enhanced security: Implement robust protection for sensitive data while enabling analysis
By reducing the technical complexity of data management, Fabric allows your team to focus on higher-value activities that drive innovation rather than just maintaining existing systems.
Do more with your existing team and technology
One significant challenge in AI implementation is balancing internal capabilities with external expertise. According to Boston Consulting Group, 74% of organisations struggle to scale AI initiatives effectively, with resource and capability constraints cited as key barriers*. Microsoft Fabric helps address this by:
Providing familiar interfaces that leverage existing SQL and Power BI skills
Offering integrated development environments for data engineers and scientists
Enabling self-service capabilities for business users while maintaining centralised control
Supporting hybrid approaches that combine on-premises, cloud and multi-cloud data
In a tight IT talent market, this approach allows you to maximise your existing team’s productivity while strategically filling skill gaps only where needed. When combined with Nexon’s expertise, you can accelerate implementation while developing internal capabilities for long-term success.
AI Impact: Technical integration cuts reporting time by two-thirds
When a growing technical services group needed to unify operations across three distinct businesses, Nexon helped implement a standardised data framework using Microsoft Cloud.
Creating a common data architecture that integrated siloed information enabled the organisation to cut reporting time from six weeks to just two weeks and deliver real-time project analytics. This provided immediate visibility into cross-business operations, creating the foundation for future AI initiatives that would have been impossible with their previous fragmented approach.
The key to success isn’t just the technology but the implementation approach:
- Start with high-impact, manageable projects
- Build in security and governance from the start
- Establish clear data ownership and quality controls
- Implement phased migration of critical systems
- Balance quick wins with strategic long-term goals
The pathway to success with Microsoft Fabric
For IT infrastructure leaders looking to strengthen their data foundation, Nexon recommends a stepped approach:
- Assess your current environment to identify priority integration points
- Implement Microsoft Fabric starting with high-value use cases
- Establish governance frameworks that balance security with accessibility
- Develop a phased migration plan for legacy systems
- Build internal capabilities through knowledge transfer and training
Is your technical infrastructure ready for AI?
Take our comprehensive AI Readiness Assessment to identify specific opportunities to consolidate your data architecture with Microsoft Fabric and receive a technical readiness score with actionable migration recommendations.
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* Boston Consulting Group: AI Adoption in 2024: 74% of Companies Struggle to Achieve and Scale Value
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