Fabric Can Unify Client Data for AI Success
AI is only as good as the data it’s grounded in. As SMBs prepare for AI adoption, data organization is just as important as setting up security controls and access management. In fact, 94% of SMB leaders recognize they need to modernize their data infrastructure to stay competitive. Before SMB clients can unlock the transformative potential of AI and optimize tools like Microsoft Copilot, they need a solid data foundation.
That’s where Microsoft Fabric comes in.
The SMB Challenge
SMBs face the unique challenge of having the same data complexity as large enterprises but with limited IT capacity. They’re juggling multiple SaaS applications, spreadsheets that are scattered across departments, disparate legacy databases and have limited technical staff to manage it all. Instead of piecing together separate ETL (extract, transform, load) tools, databases, data lakes and BI software, Fabric brings enterprise-level analytics to SMBs without the enterprise-level overhead.
Unified Platform, Minimal Overhead
Fabric is essentially an all-in-one analytics platform delivered as a cloud service—think of it as Power BI on steroids—but turnkey. Fabric provides a single integrated environment for:
- Data integration (Data Factory with over 300 connectors)
- Unified storage (OneLake—your single source of truth)
- Analytics and BI (Power BI with premium capabilities)
- AI and automation (built-in Copilot assistance)
- Advanced capabilities (data warehousing, real-time analytics, machine learning)
Everything runs in a SaaS model, so SMBs don’t need to provision or manage infrastructure for each workload. This unified approach matters for a 10–20-person company, as a lean IT team or even a savvy business user can oversee the entire data estate from one portal, rather than juggling multiple complex systems.
Built for the Agentic Future
Microsoft Fabric was built to unify data for AI innovation. It includes a Copilot integration and AI assistance features that let non-experts use natural language to get insights, generate reports and even build data pipelines. This is crucial for SMBs who likely don’t have a dedicated data science team.
With Fabric’s AI capabilities, existing analysts or managers can:
- Ask questions in plain English and get instant visualizations
- Automate complex data transformations without coding
- Generate DAX measures and SQL queries on the fly
- Experiment with Azure OpenAI using unified company data
- Build custom AI agents in Copilot Studio
Fabric lowers the skills barrier, enabling users and small IT teams to implement modern analytics and AI solutions that were previously out of reach.
Fabric OneLake vs SharePoint for SMB Storage
MSPs often face a critical decision about where to store client data. While SharePoint/OneDrive is great for everyday document storage and collaboration, if data volumes start pushing beyond the Microsoft 365 storage limits, or your clients need analytics, Microsoft Fabric’s OneLake becomes a more cost-effective and scalable solution. Once you’re considering buying a significant amount of extra SharePoint storage (hundreds of GBs), storing that data in OneLake can be ~10× cheaper and unlocks better performance for large datasets.
The simple answer? Use both.
The recommended approach is to use SharePoint for what it’s best at, and offload to OneLake for heavier duties. For example, you might keep all working documents and customer-facing content in SharePoint, but move large “cold” data (old archives, large multimedia files, system backups) to OneLake. Users can still get to them when needed, but they’re not cluttering the SharePoint sites or consuming costly storage.
Similarly, you might have raw data flowing into OneLake for analysis, while the summary reports or results of that analysis (say an Excel or Power BI file) are shared via SharePoint for easy consumption. Fabric and Microsoft 365 can coexist, so employees see the result in a familiar interface, even though the heavy data lifting happened in Fabric OneLake behind the scenes.
Most Effective Fabric Workloads for SMBs
Not every Fabric component is relevant for every small business. Here’s where to focus for maximum SMB impact:
High Impact
Data Factory
- Connects over 300 data sources (QuickBooks, CRM, Excel, databases)
- Visual, low-code interface similar to Power Query
- Automates data pipelines for regular reporting
- Eliminates manual data wrangling and errors
Copilot and AI Assistance
- Augments limited human resources
- Answers questions in plain English
- Generates SQL queries, DAX formulas, Python scripts
- Built-in at no extra charge
OneLake (Unified Storage)
- Single source of truth for all data
- Open format (Delta/Parquet) for analytics
- Multicloud and on-prem friendly via Shortcuts
- Automatically provisioned—no setup needed
Power BI
- Immediately useful for SMBs—turns data into dashboards
- Direct Lake mode for instant query performance
- Copilot assistance for natural language queries
- Embeds easily in Teams, Outlook, Excel
Moderate Impact (As-Needed)
Data Warehouse (Synapse SQL)
- Useful as data volume and complexity grow
- Combines data from multiple sources into a structured model
- Familiar SQL interface for technical users
- No separate fee—uses Fabric capacity
Real-Time Analytics (Kusto)
- For businesses with streaming data needs
- E-commerce sites tracking live web traffic
- Logistics companies monitoring delivery telemetry
- Retail stores doing real-time inventory checks
Advanced Components (Future-Proofing)
Data Engineering (Spark)
- For heavy data crunching or custom ML models
- Not a starting point for most 10-20 employee businesses
- Available when needed without a separate environment
- Future-proofs as the business grows and hires data talent
Start the Conversation
Microsoft Fabric isn’t just for Fortune 500 companies. It’s a practical, cost-effective solution for SMBs ready to become truly data-driven. By unifying various data tools into one platform, Fabric enables:
- Faster decision-making with real-time insights
- Greater efficiency through AI automation
- A foundation for AI innovation with Copilot integration
- Significant cost savings on large data storage
For MSPs, Fabric introduces an opportunity to add value for SMB clients, while building recurring revenue and laying the groundwork for future AI adoption. Position Microsoft Fabric as the unified platform that transforms scattered data into their most valuable asset — and the foundation for AI-powered growth.
- Identify clients with data pain points (scattered data, slow reporting, hitting SharePoint limits)
- Start conversations about data organization as the foundation for AI
- Propose pilot projects focusing on one clear use case
- Leverage a 60-day Fabric trial to prove value
- Scale up as clients see ROI
Getting Started
Get started with Microsoft Fabric today. It’s the foundation you need to drive innovation with AI. Explore the capabilities of Microsoft Fabric with Pax8. Register now for a hands-on lab.
