Data & AI Digest – the AI newsletter (image generated with DALL-E)
Why You Can’t Afford to Miss the „Data & AI Digest“
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, keeping up with the ever-changing worlds of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be challenging. From breakthroughs in machine learning algorithms to ethical debates surrounding AI, the scope of what you need to know is vast and continuously expanding.
Enter the Data & AI Digest, a weekly newsletter curated to keep you updated on the most pertinent news, articles, and discussions in the realms of data and AI. Whether you are a seasoned professional, a student, or simply an enthusiast, this newsletter is designed with you in mind.
#DataVizEssentials 2023: The Must-Read Books to Master Data Visualization
Building on the previous #datamustread recommendations, I’m excited to present the data viz edition of #datamustread. In this post, we’re focusing on the indispensable skill of data visualization. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, these five books will guide you to mastery:
The Big Book of Dashboards: Visualizing Your Data Using Real-World Business Scenarios
A comprehensive guide filled with real-world solutions for building effective business dashboards across various industries and platforms. It’s a go-to resource for matching great dashboards with real-world scenarios.
Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic shares practical guidance on creating compelling data stories. Learn how to make your data visually appealing, engaging, and resonant with your audience.
Me at Microsoft Redmond campus – Celebrating 4 years at Microsoft
Today marks my 4-year anniversary at Microsoft. Reflecting on this milestone, I’m filled with gratitude for a year that has been the most turbulent and exhilarating of my career. The integration of AI into our products has been groundbreaking, and the velocity of development has been extraordinary. Here’s a look back at last year’s achievements.
The Year of AI: A Game Changer for Microsoft
AI Integration Across Products: This year, AI has found its way into almost every product, transforming the way we work, interact, and innovate. The collaboration with OpenAI has brought additional excitement and potential to our AI initiatives.
The Rise of Generative AI: Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI focuses on democratizing AI models like GPT and DALL-E. We’ve already integrated GPT into Power BI and are actively developing integrations across products, including Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Teams. Read more about The Rise of Generative AI here.
Power BI Mastery: My latest book, Teach Yourself VISUALLY Power BI (Amazon), is designed to help users of all levels master this robust data visualization software. It’s part of Microsoft’s commitment to making powerful tools accessible and user-friendly. The book is a testament to our shared mission to empower every person. Learn more about mastering Power BI here.
Looking Forward: Embracing the Future with a Growth Mindset
The people around me have made this journey truly special. From motivating work to a team I love and leadership I respect, the human aspect has been the cornerstone of my Microsoft experience. The future holds exciting challenges, and it’s the wisdom, creativity, and passion of our team that fills me with optimism.
I’m sure the coming years will continue to be fast-paced, filled with innovation and growth. With an extraordinary team by my side, I look forward to embracing the challenges and joys ahead.
Stay Connected: Follow Me for More Insights on Microsoft, AI, and Power BI
The experiences we’ve shared have shaped me, and I’m grateful for every moment. I invite you to join our ongoing conversation about AI, digital transformation, Power BI, and more. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn, and let’s continue learning together.
Power BI Data Visualization Mastery with the book „Teach Yourself VISUALLY Power BI“
If you’ve been on the lookout for a comprehensive guide to unlock the potential of data visualization using Microsoft’s Power BI, you’ve come to the right place. Our latest pick for the #DataMustRead book club is a special one – Teach Yourself VISUALLY Power BI (Amazon), which recently hit Amazon’s #1 New Release in Information Management. Authored by myself, this book is your pathway to understand and implement Power BI, regardless of whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional.
Why Choose „Teach Yourself VISUALLY Power BI“ for Your Power BI Journey?
Microsoft’s Power BI is a dynamic tool, breathing life into your company’s data through rich visuals and interactive dashboards. As powerful as it is, though, it can also present a daunting learning curve, especially if you’re new to data visualization. „Teach Yourself VISUALLY Power BI“ is designed to help you conquer this curve and emerge as a Power BI maestro.
This book is more than just a typical guide. It’s a visually-rich journey that transports you from Power BI basics to advanced features, equipping you with a strong foundation. Here’s a peek into what you can expect:
Connect with Various Data Sources: Learn to prepare your data for visualization and connect seamlessly to multiple data sources.
Transform and Process Data: Understand the transformation of raw data into valuable, decision-driving information.
Create Customizable Charts and Graphs: Design visually striking, easy-to-understand charts and graphs with hands-on guidance.
Apply Analytics and Machine Learning: Uncover the realm of analytics and machine learning, and learn how to apply these concepts in Power BI.
Craft Interactive Dashboards: Master the creation of interactive dashboards that effectively narrate your data’s story.
Each topic is presented using full-color screenshots, step-by-step instructions, and practical tips, ensuring that you’ll be able to follow along no matter your current skill level.
The Data Visualization Guide for Any Power BI Project
The reviews for „Teach Yourself VISUALLY Power BI“ speak for themselves. Many readers have found the book to be an excellent resource, praising its unique approach to teaching both, data visualization and Power BI. From the detailed explanation of requirements gathering – a crucial step in any Power BI project – to providing insightful exploration of the current BI job market, this book aims to equip readers with a comprehensive understanding of Power BI and its practical applications.
Your Next Step in Power BI Mastery
Whether you’re a data rookie or a seasoned expert seeking to upskill, „Teach Yourself VISUALLY Power BI“ is a must-read. It doesn’t just enable you to understand Power BI, it inspires you to craft your own data visualizations and drive impactful decisions.
Are you ready to dive deep into Power BI? Order your copy here to support my future book projects. Happy reading, data enthusiasts!
I’m eager to hear your thoughts as you delve into this comprehensive guide to Power BI. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #datamustread to share your insights and experiences on LinkedIn or Twitter!
What is Microsoft Fabric: The Data Platform for the Era of AI
In the complex world of data analytics, a data lake serves as a centralized repository where you can store all your structured and unstructured data at any scale. It offers immense flexibility, allowing you to run big data analytics and adapt to the needs of various types of applications. But imagine having more than just a data lake. Imagine having an entire suite of data management and analytics services that work seamlessly together. That’s where Microsoft Fabric comes in.
Microsoft Fabric is an all-in-one analytics solution designed for enterprises. It spans everything from data movement and data science to Real-Time Analytics and business intelligence. It offers a comprehensive suite of services, including a data lake, data engineering, and data integration, all conveniently located in one platform.
Use Cases of Microsoft Fabric in Data-Driven Companies
Microsoft Fabric covers all analytics requirements relevant to a Data-Driven Company. Every user group, from Data Engineers to Data Analysts to Data Scientists, can work with the data in a unified way and easily share the results with others. The areas of application at a glance:
Data Engineering: Data injected with the Data Factory can be transformed with high performance on a Spark platform and democratized via the Lakehouse. Models and key figures are created directly in Fabric.
Self-Service Analytics: Following the data mesh paradigm, a single data team can be provided with a decentralized self-service platform for building and distributing their own data products.
Data Science: Azure Machine Learning functionalities are available by default. Machine learning models for applied AI can be trained, deployed, and operationalized in the Fabric environment.
Real-Time Analytics: With Real-Time Analytics, Fabric includes an engine optimized for analyzing streaming data from a wide variety of sources – such as apps, IoT devices, or human interaction.
Data Governance: The OneLake as a unified repository enables IT teams to centrally manage and monitor governance and security standards for all components of the solution.
Users can also be supported at all levels by AI technologies. With Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Fabric offers an intelligent chatbot that translates voice instructions into concrete actions. Developers have the opportunity, for example, to create their program codes, set up data pipelines, or build models for machine learning in this way. In the same way, business users can use the copilot to generate their reports and visualizations for data analysis using voice input alone.
Simplifying Data Analytics: How Microsoft Fabric Offers a Unified, End-to-End Solution
With Fabric, you don’t need to piece together different services from multiple vendors. Instead, you can enjoy a highly integrated, end-to-end, and easy-to-use product that is designed to simplify your analytics needs. One conceivable deployment scenario for the future is data mesh domains with Microsoft Fabric that are connected to an existing lakehouse based on Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 and Databricks or Synapse. In this setup, the lakehouse continues to handle the core data preparation tasks.
Meanwhile, the decentralized domain teams can use the quality-assured Lakehouse data via Microsoft Fabric using shortcuts to create and deploy their own use cases and data products. Such an approach could prove to be an ideal option, as it optimally complements the advantages of both approaches. The platform is built on a foundation of Software as a Service (SaaS), which takes simplicity and integration to a whole new level.
Microsoft Fabric is not just another addition to the crowded data analytics landscape. Centered around Microsoft’s OneLake data lake, it boasts integrations with Amazon S3 and Google Cloud Platform. The platform consolidates data integration tools, a Spark-based data engineering platform, real-time analytics, and, thanks to upgrades in Power BI, visualization, and AI-based analytics into a single, unified experience.
Microsoft Fabric Pricing Streamlines Your Data Stack for Optimal Cost Efficiency
The rapid innovation in data analytics technologies is a double-edged sword. On one hand, businesses have a plethora of tools at their disposal. On the other, the modern data stack has become increasingly fragmented, making it a daunting task to integrate various products and technologies. Microsoft Fabric aims to eliminate this „integration tax“ that companies have grown tired of paying.
Microsoft Fabric is built around a unified compute infrastructure and a single data lake. This uniformity extends to product experience, governance, and even the business model. The platform brings together all data analytics workloads—data integration, engineering, warehousing, data science, real-time analytics, and business intelligence—under one roof.
Microsoft Fabric introduces a simplified pricing model focused on a common Fabric compute unit. This virtualized, serverless computing allows businesses to optimize costs by reusing the capacity they purchase. The multi-cloud approach, with built-in support for Amazon S3 and upcoming support for Google Storage, ensures that businesses are not locked into a single cloud vendor.
Enhanced Data Governance with Microsoft Purview
Data governance is another area where Microsoft Fabric excels. Using Microsoft Purview, allows businesses to manage data access meticulously. For instance, confidential data exported to Power BI or Excel will automatically inherit the same confidentiality labels and encryption rules, ensuring security.
Microsoft Fabric also offers a no-code developer experience, enabling real-time data monitoring and action triggering. The platform will soon incorporate AI Copilot, designed to assist users in building data pipelines, generating code, and constructing machine learning models.
My Personal Experience so far
Having personally demoed Fabric to over 20 enterprises, the excitement is palpable. The platform simplifies data infrastructure while offering the flexibility of a multi-cloud approach. Most notably, it’s built around the open-source Apache Parquet format, allowing for easier data storage and retrieval.
Microsoft Fabric is currently in public preview and will be enabled for all Power BI tenants starting July 1. The platform promises to be more than just a tool; it aims to be a community where data professionals can collaborate, share knowledge, and grow. So, when someone asks you, „What is Microsoft Fabric?“ you’ll know it’s not just a product; it’s a revolution in data analytics.
Join our Microsoft Fabric & Power Platform LinkedIn Group!
Our LinkedIn group has changed its name to Microsoft Fabric & Power Platform to reflect the evolving ecosystem and the seamless integration between Power Platform technologies like Power BI, Power Apps, and Power Automate with Microsoft Fabric tools like OneLake and Synapse.
If you’re as excited as I am about the future of data analytics and business intelligence, then I’ll invite you to join our LinkedIn group, Microsoft Fabric & Power Platform, a community dedicated to professionals who are eager to stay ahead of industry trends.
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