Microsoft Joined Apache Ossie Data Standards Group

The company contributed a converter to improve interoperability for its Power BI and Fabric platforms.

Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Isometric editorial illustration of two interconnected geometric storage blocks joined by a modular bridge, representing data interoperability. — Microsoft has joined the Apache Ossie standards group, releasing a new data converter to improve interoperability between its Fabric platforms and external ecosystems. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Microsoft has joined the Apache Ossie industry group, an organization focused on establishing vendor-neutral standards for data metrics using YAML and JSON. As part of the move, the company released a bidirectional converter to allow data portability between Power BI, Fabric, and the broader Apache Ossie ecosystem.

Why it matters

By adopting open standards, Microsoft seeks to reduce customer friction and lock-in, while ensuring consistent semantic definitions for AI agents. This strategy aims to position Fabric as a primary foundation for enterprise AI operations.

Microsoft's new contribution supports integration across more than 20 million existing Power BI semantic models. The converter maps tables and relationships into the Apache-licensed YAML and JSON format utilized by the standard.

The players

Microsoft

A global technology company providing cloud services, enterprise software, and AI infrastructure via its Azure and Fabric platforms.

Apache Ossie

An industry group fostering vendor-neutral standards for data metrics and semantic models using open formats.

Databricks

A data and AI company focused on lakehouse architecture that previously sought direct integration with Microsoft's semantic layers.

The details

The converter works by mapping internal data schemas—the organizational structure of a database—into the vendor-neutral format maintained by Apache Ossie. This process enables governed data and business logic sharing across partner environments. The effort represents a shift from earlier company practices, where Microsoft had blocked external platforms like Databricks from integrating directly into the Power BI semantic layer.

Earlier this year: Microsoft restricted Databricks integration in Power BI.
Last week: The converter was officially contributed to the Apache Ossie project.
Tuesday: Microsoft launched Fabric IQ.

The Tech Race

The transition to open standards follows years of siloed data environments that limited interoperability between rival analytics platforms. By joining the Apache Ossie consortium, Microsoft is attempting to align its enterprise AI roadmap with broader industry-wide data conventions.

Power BI users and enterprise data architects can expect improved compatibility when moving logic and metrics between Fabric and other systems. These changes should simplify data governance, though the rollout of full interoperability features is an ongoing process.

The takeaway

Microsoft is pivoting toward a more open ecosystem to maintain its platform's relevance in enterprise AI. Interested observers should monitor the Artificial Intelligence section for future updates regarding the adoption of these standards across other major cloud analytics providers.