Microsoft, Google back Apache Ossie to make enterprise data and AI platforms more interoperable
Executive Take
This could cut the cost of rebuilding business metrics every time you switch analytics platforms. But don't expect it to end vendor lock-in, lock-in will just move to execution engines and proprietary extensions instead.
Executive Summary
Microsoft and Google are joining Apache Ossie, an open specification for exchanging semantic models across data and AI platforms, backed by over 60 companies including Databricks, Salesforce, and Snowflake. Microsoft is building a two-way Power BI converter. Analysts warn portability won't guarantee full interoperability or end vendor lock-in.
Why It Matters
Technology leaders managing data and AI platforms should care because this could reduce engineering rework when moving between BI tools like Power BI, Snowflake, and Tableau. CIOs will still need to validate that converted metrics behave the same way before trusting them in production.
Bizquad Perspective
The real story isn't portability of definitions, it's that vendors will compete on proprietary execution behavior once the semantic layer becomes a commodity, so lock-in moves rather than disappears.