This may sound surprising, but data fabric is not an actual fabric – it’s a term used to describe an integrated approach to managing and accessing data in a singular environment by considering data as a product.
“Data Fabric is a data management architecture that enables organizations to unify and integrate data across multiple systems, platforms, and locations.”
A data fabric architecture enables organizations and businesses to manage and access data seamlessly across different environments, depending on the needs and capabilities of specific teams. Data fabrics gather data from:
- Cloud
- Cloud-hybrid environments
- On-premises
Data Fabric has a wide range of applications across various industries, and the key elements of this kind of architecture help optimize data analysis procedures, while simultaneously offloading IT pressure and reducing overall costs for the business.
Several companies and industries have shifted towards a Data Fabric approach to managing their data. Some well-known examples include:
- Dell Technologies – Dell Technologies’ Data Fabric solution enables customers to manage data across hybrid cloud environments, making it easier to keep track of and move data between different platforms/locations.
- Microsoft – Microsoft’s Azure Data Fabric provides a unified and consistent view of data across different cloud and on-premises environments, enabling customers to manage their data with the highest efficiency possible.
- In the finance industry, Data Fabric can be used to unify data from multiple sources to provide a well-rounded view of customer transactions to improve fraud detection and protect their customers effectively.
- In healthcare, Data Fabric can be used to pull patient data from multiple sources to provide a holistic view of patient health, to improve patient care and overall health outcomes.
This standardized method of quantifying and measuring data allows organizations to utilize data that meets their relevance and trust standards, providing them with more confident insights, and resulting in successful financial outcomes.