Snowflake Deepens Apache Iceberg Support to Unify Open Data with Enterprise-Grade Performance
Snowflake has unveiled expanded support for Apache Iceberg tables, reinforcing its commitment to open data formats while delivering the performance, security, and governance its platform is known for.
The move empowers organisations to work with open-format data without compromising on compute power or control.
“With Snowflake’s latest Iceberg tables innovations, customers can work with their open data exactly as they would with data stored in the Snowflake platform, all while removing complexity and preserving Snowflake’s enterprise-grade performance and security,” said Christian Kleinerman, EVP of Product at Snowflake.
The new capabilities allow enterprises to manage, analyse, and securely share Iceberg-formatted data using the same tools and features available for native Snowflake tables. Enhancements include secure data sharing, built-in governance, and support for lakehouse analytics—backed by the upcoming general availability of the Search Optimisation Service and Query Acceleration Service.
Snowflake now also offers managed Iceberg tables, combining the flexibility of open formats with Snowflake’s performance standards. Additional features, such as replication and syncing for Iceberg tables (currently in private preview), bolster resilience in the face of outages or cyber threats.
Thousands of organisations—including Illumina, Komodo Health, Medidata, and WHOOP—rely on Snowflake to activate open-format data for AI and analytics workloads. With extended secure sharing to Iceberg tables, these organisations can apply the same data distribution and monetisation workflows used on native tables.
As part of its long-term support for open source, Snowflake noted that 35% of its acquisitions over the past four years focused on open data technology. It actively contributes to projects like Apache Iceberg for open lakehouse management, Apache NiFi (via 2024’s Datavolo acquisition) for real-time pipeline orchestration, and Apache Polaris (Incubating) to promote Iceberg cross-cloud interoperability.
Other contributions include:
- Modin (acquired in 2023) to scale pandas-based data processing,
- Streamlit, enabling data app and dashboard development,
- TruEra (acquired in 2024), advancing AI explainability, bias detection, and compliance.
In India, Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation Limited (DFPCL), a leading Indian manufacturer of fertilisers and industrial chemicals, has selected Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud for Manufacturing to drive its digital transformation journey. As part of the initiative, DFPCL is migrating from its legacy data warehouse to Snowflake, aiming to build a modern, scalable, and AI-ready data foundation.
The move is designed to streamline DFPCL’s data ecosystem, enhance operational efficiency, and unlock new opportunities for advanced analytics and AI-driven insights across its manufacturing operations.
