This week’s Databricks Data + AI Summit 2023, held in San Francisco, showcased the convergence of open-source technologies, multicloud strategies and the accelerating power of data and artificial intelligence.

With a strong focus on open-source adoption, Databricks Inc. aims to redefine the industry’s approach to data management and analytics. As the industry’s key players vie for mindshare and market dominance, Databricks is positioning itself as a leading force in driving innovation and shaping the future of data and AI.

“How do you decide how to run this stuff?” asked analyst John Furrier (pictured, right). “On cloud, do you run it on Databricks, on which cloud? That becomes an interesting factor here. The clouds are enabling, at the end of the day, all this innovation.”

Furrier spoke with fellow industry analyst Rob Strechay (left), during the keynote review at the Databricks Data + AI Summit, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the keynote by Databricks Chief Executive Ali Ghodsi, which focused on generative AI development, unified governance and democratization of analytics.

Databricks accelerates open-source adoption and aims to end format wars

During the keynote, Ghodsi emphasized the significance of open source in Databricks’ history, present and future, further highlighting it as a major theme of the event. Ghodsi made a bold announcement, stating that Databricks plans to end the format wars by introducing a uniform layer that brings different formats together on metadata.

This move aims to accelerate the game in the open and directly compete with industry giant Snowflake Inc. With the growing adoption of open-source technologies, it remains to be seen how these initiatives will shape the industry landscape, according to theCUBE analysts.

“I think a lot of it was around how is generative AI going to develop, and how do you make it easier?” Strechay said. “Also, it was unified governance, and how you can bring that together, and democratization of analytics as well? I think that’s a big piece of it. Those were kind of the three big themes that they’re taking with them.”

Databricks expands multicloud strategy in collaboration with Microsoft Azure

The presence of Microsoft Inc. CEO Satya Nadella at the Databricks Data + AI Summit, at least by video, underscored Databricks’ expanding multicloud strategy. Although Amazon Web Services Inc. has been a prominent partner for Databricks in the past, the company is now focusing on strengthening its partnership with Microsoft Azure, the analysts pointed out.

This move allows Databricks to tap into a broader customer base and increase its total addressable market. The collaboration aligns with Microsoft’s messaging and marketing prowess, positioning it as a frontrunner in the supercloud paradigm. The partnership offers a compelling proposition for customers, enabling them to leverage unified data layers across multiple clouds and emphasizing the ease of use and accessibility of AI and machine learning capabilities, according to Furrier.

“Smart move by Databricks,” he said. “By expanding in with Microsoft, they increase their total addressable market. They increase their customer base.”

Here’s the complete video analysis, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the Databricks Data + AI Summit:

Photo: SiliconANGLE