Unlocking business value with data sharing in Databricks

 

In today’s data-driven economy, the ability to share insights securely and efficiently is a game-changer. Whether you’re empowering internal teams, building new revenue streams, or collaborating with strategic partners, Databricks offers robust solutions that turn data sharing into a competitive advantage. At MAQ Software, we help enterprises implement and optimize these Databricks capabilities—ensuring your data sharing strategy is secure, scalable, and aligned to your business goals.

Why data sharing matters for businesses

·            Accelerate innovation: Seamless access to governed data enables faster decision-making and drives innovation across departments.

·      Monetize data assets: Transform your data into new products and revenue streams by securely sharing with customers and partners.

·      Strengthen partnerships: Collaborate on sensitive projects without compromising privacy or compliance, unlocking joint opportunities.

Databricks' data sharing solutions

Databricks provides three powerful approaches, each designed to address specific business needs:

1. Delta sharing: Real-time, secure data exchange

   • Open, flexible protocol: Share live data instantly with internal teams or external partners—even if they’re not on Databricks.
   • No data movement: Recipients access up-to-date data directly, reducing risk and operational overhead.
   • Enterprise-grade governance: Unity Catalog ensures centralized control, compliance, and auditability.

   Business impact: Enable real-time analytics, streamline collaboration, and reduce IT complexity.

   Steps

   • Enable unity catalog in your Databricks workspace and register your tables under it.
   • Create a share object: Use the Databricks UI or SQL to create a share and select which Delta tables or views to include.
   • Add recipients: Specify internal teams, other Databricks workspaces, or external partners (using sharing tokens).
   • Set permissions: Define read-only access for recipients.
   • Share access details: Recipients use supported tools (e.g., Pandas, Power BI, Apache Spark) to query the shared data in real time—no need to copy or move data.



2. Monetize and scale your data products on Databricks Marketplace

   • Discoverability & reach Publish data products, ML models, and notebooks to a global audience.
   • Flexible monetization: Define pricing, offer trials, and manage subscriptions—all within a secure, governed environment.
   • Built on delta sharing: Ensures seamless delivery and compliance.

Business impact: Expand your market, create new revenue streams, and accelerate go-to-market for data-driven offerings.

Steps

• Register as a data provider: Apply through the Marketplace UI.
• Package your data product: Include Delta tables, ML models, or notebooks; define subscription terms (pricing, trials, previews).
• Publish your product: Use the Marketplace UI to make your offering discoverable to consumers across Databricks.
• Manage access via unity catalog: Ensure all assets are governed and securely shared.
• Monitor subscriptions: Consumers can subscribe, explore, and access your data products through the Marketplace.



3. Clean Rooms: Privacy-Preserving Collaboration

   • Secure Joint Analytics: Collaborate with partners on sensitive data without exposing raw information.
   • Fine-Grained Controls: Set precise query permissions and filters to protect business-critical data.
   • Shared Compute Environment: Data never leaves your control, ensuring compliance with the strictest regulations.

Business impact: Unlock new partnership opportunities, drive joint insights, and maintain trust with customers and regulators.

Steps

• Set Up Unity Catalog: Register the datasets you want to collaborate on.
• Create a Clean Room Instance: Use the Databricks UI or API to set up a Clean Room and invite your partner organization (must also be on Databricks).
• Define Query Permissions: Set row- or column-level filters to protect sensitive data.
• Establish Secure Collaboration: Partners run approved queries in a shared compute environment; raw data is never exposed or extracted.
• Review and Audit: Maintain compliance and privacy by auditing query activity and access controls.



Feature comparison

Solution	Best for	Key benefits	Governance & control
Delta Sharing	Real-time, governed sharing	No data movement, broad tool compatibility	Centralized, auditable
Marketplace	Monetizing data/AI assets	Global reach, flexible pricing, easy discovery	Marketplace-level permissions
Clean Rooms	Sensitive, joint analytics	Privacy-preserving, secure compute	Fine-grained, partner-specific




Drive growth and innovation with Databricks

Databricks’ data sharing solutions empower organizations to unlock new business models, accelerate innovation, and build trusted partnerships—all while maintaining control and compliance. As a registered tier partner for Databricks, MAQ Software helps organizations put these capabilities into action—whether through Delta Sharing for real-time collaboration, Marketplace for monetizing data assets, or Clean Rooms for secure joint analytics. Together, we help you maximize the value of your data and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.




Ready to transform the way you share and monetize data?

Contact us at CustomerSuccess@MAQSoftware.com to get started.