# Microsoft announces Fabric IQ, a shared business context layer for AI

DevFeed: [Microsoft announces Fabric IQ, a shared business context layer for AI](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/microsoft-rewires-ai-s-context-layer-for-business-62197.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.cio.com/article/4228492/microsoft-is-pivoting-toward-a-unified-data-and-ai-platform-with-fabric.html>)

Author: Gonzalo Díaz Bonet

Published: 2026-09-29T23:15:32Z

Content type: news

Language: en

Sources: [CIO](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/cio.md>)

Topics: [AI Context Management](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai-context-management.md>), [semantic-layer](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/semantic-layer.md>), [Local AI](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/local-ai.md>), [microsoft 365](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/microsoft-365.md>), [bi-tools](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/bi-tools.md>)

Tags: [ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai.md>), [artificial-intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/artificial-intelligence.md>), [artificial-intelligence-data-management-generative-ai-industry](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/artificial-intelligence-data-management-generative-ai-industry.md>), [azure-sql](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/azure-sql.md>), [context-layer](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/context-layer.md>), [data-management](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/data-management.md>), [fabric](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/fabric.md>), [generative-ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/generative-ai.md>), [industry](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/industry.md>), [microsoft](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/microsoft.md>), [power-bi](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/power-bi.md>)

## AI overview

Microsoft announced new Fabric, Power BI, OneLake, and Azure SQL features aimed at unifying organizational data, business meaning, and AI. Fabric IQ connects data, semantic model metrics, and operational context, and is available in Copilot Chat and Cowork; integration with the Code experience is planned through the Frontier program.

## Source excerpt

Microsoft used its Fabric + SQL European Community Conference in Barcelona today to unveil a new vision for its customers' agentic future. Before a crowd of more than 5,000 people from 71 countries at the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB), the company announced a comprehensive set of new features across Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, OneLake, and Azure SQL. The theme: Microsoft wants data, its business meaning, and artificial intelligence to evolve toward a unified platform. Arun Ulag, executive vice president of Azure Data, kicked off the convention with some key data. Fabric boasts over 40,000 customers, 2.6 million active users, and certifications in this area are the fastest growing within the Microsoft ecosystem. Meanwhile, SQL continues to be a core technology for enterprise workloads, used by over 90% of Fortune 500 companies. But to get the most out of AI, Microsoft's goal is to make the technology part of its customers' core processes, and this is where the key word of FabCon comes in: context. Organizations, Arun Ulag, need more than just AI models and agents: They need reliable data, shared business definitions, operational knowledge, security, and governance. At the center of that effort is Fabric IQ, a shared intelligence layer that connects OneLake data, Power BI semantic model metrics, and context from ontologies and real-time intelligence. Fabric IQ integration with the new Microsoft Copilot One of the most significant announcements Microsoft made today in Barcelona is the integration of Fabric IQ with the new Microsoft Copilot. The intention is for Microsoft's assistant to work not only with generic information, but with a shared business view built on each organization's data and knowledge. Fabric IQ is now generally available in Copilot Chat and Cowork, with no additional token costs, while its integration with the new Code experience will be coming soon through the Frontier program. For Power BI users, the business definitions, metric