Is this Real-Time? Or is this just Fantasy?

The demand for "instant data" in Microsoft Fabric presents a critical architectural choice: Real-Time Intelligence, Mirroring, Shortcuts, or Direct Lake? Each option carries a different meaning of "real-time", with major implications for latency, cost, and complexity. Critically, we'll examine end-to-end latency from source to dashboard - because to your business users, data isn't "real-time" until they can actually see it.

Too often, teams face a fundamental disconnect: Business stakeholders want their data now, without a clear understanding of the trade-offs, while data teams struggle to translate those needs into the right technical patterns.

This session cuts through the confusion with hard data. We move beyond theory and marketing terms to benchmark what "real-time" actually means across Fabric's ecosystem. You'll see a direct comparison that answers the critical questions:

• Which option delivers true real-time, and which are "close enough"?
• What is the concrete latency and cost of shaving off additional seconds?
• When does a "pseudo real-time" solution like Mirroring or a Shortcut become the smarter, more pragmatic choice than a full streaming pipeline?

We'll present a clear decision matrix, empowering you to match your architecture to actual requirements - not fantasies. Learn how to deliver the speed your business genuinely needs, without over-engineering or overspending.