Notts IoT

Azure IoT Operations and Fabric app, living together in electric dreams - Sander Van de Velde

In the 1980s synth-pop hit "Together in Electric Dreams," the lyrics tell of a connection that transcends physical distance through a shared vision. Today’s industrial landscape faces a similar challenge: Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) have long been "miles apart," separated by legacy protocols and data silos. This presentation demonstrates how Microsoft’s ecosystem finally brings these worlds into perfect sync.

The journey begins at the edge with Azure IoT Operations. By leveraging Azure Arc-enabled services, we synchronise chaotic data from industrial protocols into a clean, unified stream. This creates the "Electric Dream", a digital heartbeat of the factory that is consistent, scalable, and cloud-ready.

Once the data flows, we transition to Microsoft Fabric Real-Time Intelligence (RTI). If IoT Operations is the nervous system, Fabric RTI is the brain. We explore how the Real-Time Hub captures high-frequency events using KQL (Kusto Query Language) and visualizes them.

Finally, Microsoft Fabric Apps is introduced as a pro-code layer for visualizations and taking action. This way, we can go beyond what Fabric offers for end users and citizen developers.

By the end of this session, attendees will see that through edge connectivity, IT and OT will "always be together" in a seamless, electric dream of operational excellence.

This session is for data professionals, architects, and Fabric enthusiasts who want to see how Real-Time Intelligence becomes truly powerful when streaming analytics, vibe coding, and business context come together.

Our Speaker:

Sander Van de Velde:

Hello, his name is Sander, short for Alexander.

For eleven consecutive years, Sander has been honored with the 2017-2026 Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award for his contributions to the Azure IoT (2017-2026) and Real-Time Analytics (2024-2026) communities.

He specializes in Microsoft Azure IoT solutions. He is involved with all aspects of the Azure IoT Platform, together with Microsoft Fabric Real-Time Intelligence. He works on IoT innovations, adding IoT value by working together with clients, partners, Microsoft product groups, and the community.

For him, it is important to share knowledge because this, in turn, yields new knowledge. He is committed to this by writing blogs, articles for magazines, workshops, and giving lots of presentations. He also works together with the Azure IoT and Fabric RTI product teams on several topics.

He is a Principal IoT Architect, and he advises customers regarding IoT projects in his daily work for the SDG group (an ALTEN company). ALTEN is a consulting and engineering organization for the high-tech sector. SDG Group is the catalyst of innovation, combining its unique Data & AI approach to business challenges with the synergies and reach of a truly global firm.

How to find Sander:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandervandevelde/

GitHub: https://github.com/sandervandevelde

Personal Site: https://sandervandevelde.wordpress.com/

How to find us:

We'll be live on Zoom from 6:30 PM UK Time.