Microsoft Ignite 2025: AI + Databases = The Next Big Shift with Microsoft’s Shireesh Thota

I’m here at Microsoft Ignite!!!! Excited to cover every announcement on ground. Before the big keynotes, I sat down with Shireesh Thota, VP of Azure Databases at Microsoft, for an exclusive conversation that sets the stage for what’s coming.

We talked about how Microsoft is redefining databases for the AI era, moving beyond just compute to focus on data power as the real foundation of AI.

Shireesh walked me through the key differentiators of Azure Database offerings, how they’re being built to handle the next wave of intelligent workloads, and how Microsoft Fabric is bringing everything together as a unified data platform.

We also discussed how Microsoft is infusing AI directly into databases, making them faster, smarter, and adaptive, while also enabling agentic AI systems that can act on insights in real time.

And something many don’t know: Microsoft is one of the top contributors to the PostgreSQL open-source project.

Shireesh shared how this community collaboration continues to drive innovation and scalability across the ecosystem.

We wrapped up with a look ahead, on what’s next in database innovation and how AI will continue to reshape performance, automation, and intelligence at the core of enterprise data systems.

This is just the beginning of an exciting week at Microsoft Ignite 2025, stay tuned for more coverage and interviews right from the floor.

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