Our FabCon 2025 Key Takeaways: Essential Updates for Enterprise Analytics Leaders

We were thrilled to exhibit at Microsoft FabCon 2025 in Las Vegas last month! With over 6,000 attendees, the energy around Fabric was electric. Our team spent three days talking with organizations about their migration challenges and soaking up Microsoft's latest innovations. Here's everything you need to know!

1. Copilot Now Available Across All F SKUs

One of the biggest announcements: Copilot is no longer restricted to F64+ SKUs. It's now available across all F SKUs. This democratizes access to AI-assisted development, transformation, and analysis—unlocking broader productivity gains and accelerating adoption across teams.

2. OneLake Security Simplifies Data Governance

Microsoft has introduced OneLake Security, consolidating data security configuration into a single, centralized layer. Previously, security rules had to be manually replicated across multiple parts of Fabric—an error-prone and inefficient process. Now, with OneLake Security, data protection is more consistent and easier to manage at scale.

3. User Data Functions Enable Write-Back in Power BI—No Third-Party Tools Needed

Power BI just got more powerful. With the introduction of User Data Functions, organizations can now support write-back capabilities natively—eliminating the need for external tools. This is a game-changer for use cases like planning, forecasting, and collaborative data workflows directly within reports.

4. Custom SQL Pools Enable Smarter Workload Management

Fabric used to require separate warehouses for handling different workloads (ingestion, transformation, reporting)—a major pain point that required redeployment. Now, Custom SQL Pools let teams assign compute limits within the same warehouse, allowing more flexible and efficient resource management without service disruption.

5. FinOps and Fabric Capacity Planning Are Front and Center

Optimizing your Fabric investment is more important than ever. Sessions were packed with customers discussing FinOps strategies, including how to mix SKUs for isolation (e.g., F64 for Prod, F32/F16 for Dev/Test/scheduling). Organizations are also encouraged to reserve SKUs annually to unlock up to 41% in savings, while still retaining pay-as-you-go flexibility for burst usage.

Looking Forward

Microsoft is clearly focused on making Fabric more secure, flexible, and cost-efficient. Whether you're just beginning your Fabric journey or refining an existing deployment, these updates warrant a fresh look at your Fabric architecture and governance strategy.

Need help evaluating your current setup or designing a Fabric deployment optimized for security, scalability, and cost control? Our team of Microsoft Fabric and Power BI experts can help you navigate these changes while ensuring a smooth transition from legacy BI platforms.

Contact us today to learn how Axis Group can help you operate scale and empower your Fabric ecosystem and help you capitalize on these exciting new capabilities.