Databricks to run its business on Azure and integrate Genie with the Microsoft ecosystem

Microsoft and Databricks have extended their strategic partnership into the 2030s and deepened their integration of cloud infrastructure and AI to help companies build AI grounded in their own data and business processes. Databricks will move its core operations to Azure Databricks and expand its use of Azure Cobalt Arm-based infrastructure, including the new Cobalt 200 generation (up to 50% better performance and default memory encryption). The Databricks Genie assistant and Unity AI Gateway will gain native integration with the Microsoft ecosystem — Entra, OneLake, Power BI, Purview, Microsoft 365, Teams, and Copilot — providing governed access to data and AI directly within workflows. The goal is to tie AI to trusted enterprise knowledge and keep costs under control. Thousands of companies already use Azure Databricks, among them Unilever, Electrolux, and SMBC.