The Information reported on Sept. 29 that Microsoft (MS) has joined an industry group called Apache Ossie, which helps AI tools easily access data in applications and databases.
The report said Microsoft faced criticism about four months ago after blocking partners from connecting their data management tools to Power BI, a tool companies use to analyze data in charts and graphs.
Microsoft’s moves at the time were interpreted as an effort to check rivals such as Databricks and Snowflake and to maintain a competitive edge for its own data management product, Fabric.
A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed participation in Ossie but did not explain why it changed course. In a blog post, Microsoft said it would work with Snowflake and the industry to help customers define semantic context once and reuse it across ecosystems without duplicating data or business logic.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is currently not listed as a member on the Ossie website. Google is not on the list, but said it is going through the process of joining. The Information cited an official as saying Google moved to join after Ossie became an official organisation of the Apache Software Foundation in mid-year.
Chi-gyu Hwang
delight@d-today.co.kr