The News: Teradata’s new Teradata AI Unlimited serverless, cloud-based AI and machine learning (ML) engine is now available in private preview to some customers to assist them in experimenting with more AI application features outside of a production environment. The new Teradata offering, which was unveiled at Microsoft Ignite, is natively integrated into Microsoft Fabric and its OneLake unified, multi-cloud data lake. The private preview is available through Azure Marketplace and will be available within Microsoft Fabric in the second quarter (Q2) of 2024. Read the full press release on the announcement from the cloud analytics and data platform vendor on the Teradata website.

Teradata AI Unlimited Serverless Analytics Coming to Microsoft Fabric

Analyst Take: Teradata AI Unlimited’s integration in Microsoft Fabric and in the OneLake multi-cloud data lake is a big move that will give enterprise developers and data scientists broad new capabilities to try out new AI use cases within safe, nonproduction environments where they can unleash their creativity. At its core, Teradata AI Unlimited includes the company’s high-performance compute mated with its Teradata ClearScape Analytics in a serverless AI/ML engine, bringing together valuable services that can help enterprises dive more deeply into their own AI use cases and strategies.

I believe this functionality is particularly useful because the resources can be spun up quickly for data evaluation, testing, and experimentation while allowing enterprises to move their AI work into production when it is ready, speeding innovation and lowering costs. Bringing together flexible Teradata tools with powerful Microsoft platforms such as Microsoft Fabric and OneLake will, I believe, encourage new creativity while delivering more value in these investments. Such is even more the case using Microsoft OneLake because the data can be accessed with Teradata AI Unlimited without having to move it – again reducing costs, complexity, and data infrastructure management.

How Teradata AI Unlimited Works with Microsoft Fabric

In my view, the integration of Teradata AI Unlimited into Microsoft Fabric and OneLake is valuable because this integration delivers deep analytics capabilities in a self-service environment that also includes valuable native integration to the Microsoft ecosystem. The integration of these critical parts means that they provide enterprises with broad, deep analytics along with shared data storage access in OneLake. I believe this one-two power punch will make this built-in integration a desired scenario for enterprises because it simplifies the management of these core features. IT leaders are going to like this simplicity and these easier workflows, which will allow developers and other users to just get their work done.

Teradata AI Unlimited also gives developers choice by leveraging native integration with Python to call analytics functions, execute Python code, and import Python models directly into Teradata AI Unlimited. In addition, users can employ large language models (LLMs) by connecting Teradata AI Unlimited with Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, or they can also use any model trained by Azure’s ML services, according to Teradata.

All the work done with Teradata AI Unlimited can later be brought into the Teradata VantageCloud cloud analytics and data platform when the new AI development work is ready for production, again making the transition easier for users. I believe this feature is another benefit to users of Teradata’s broad open and connected ecosystem, which promotes continuing development and project continuity and quality.

For enterprises that are diving into bringing useful and imaginative AI innovations into their operations, I believe that the Teradata AI Unlimited integration with Microsoft Fabric and OneLake is a promising new service that can make the transition to AI easier and quicker. It is one more useful option that IT leaders should consider as they broaden their use of AI services to drive continuing business improvements.

Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.

Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.