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In this episode of Copilot Connection, Kevin McDonnell and Garry Trinder discuss the latest developments from the Ignite Conference. They delve into the renaming of Azure AI Foundry to Microsoft Foundry, the new features of the Foundry portal, and the integration of Claude models. The conversation also covers the importance of experimentation with language models, updates on the Teams SDK, and the nuances of the Agent 365 SDK. In this conversation, Garry and Kevin delve into the latest advancements in Microsoft 365, focusing on Agent 365, MCP servers, and the integration of low-code solutions. They discuss the potential of natural language processing in enhancing user interactions, the significance of declarative agents, and the importance of responsible AI practices, particularly in the context of red teaming. They may also chuckle at renames more than they should...

Takeaways

• Renaming products often indicates a broader vision beyond their original scope.
• The new Microsoft Foundry portal simplifies the process of managing AI agents.
• Publishing agents to Teams and Copilot has become more streamlined and user-friendly.
• Claude models are now integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem, enhancing AI capabilities.
• Experimentation with different language models is crucial for optimizing performance.
• Understanding the purpose of each tool in the Microsoft ecosystem is key to effective use.
• The Teams SDK has been rebranded, reflecting its expanded functionality.
• The Agent 365 SDK builds on existing frameworks to enhance agent capabilities.
• MCP servers need to be exposed for use.
• Low code options are available for MCP management.
• Declarative agents are evolving with TypeSpec innovations.
• Red teaming is essential for testing AI agents.
• Responsible AI practices are crucial in agent development.
• User feedback is vital for improving Microsoft technologies.
• MCP is becoming a standard for data interaction.

Links
Ignite Book of News

Azure AI Foundry is now Microsoft Foundry

Deploy and use Claude models in Microsoft Foundry - Microsoft Foundry | Microsoft Learn

Teams AI Library is now Microsoft Teams SDK

Microsoft Graph is Work IQ....

Agent 365 SDK

MCP Management Server

Kevin's example of MCP in Copilot Studio

Type spec GA

Connected agents

Red Teaming agent

Copilot APIs

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After last week's Ignite conference in San Francisco, Zoe and Kevin run through the key updates around the different areas of Copilot, covering topics like:

- Microsoft Agent 365

- Work IQ

- Microsoft 365 Copilot updates

- Thoughts on the location and keynote

Plus we highlight a few of the upcoming ESPC sessions to keep an eye out for.

Ignite Book of News 2025

Microsoft Agent 365

Work IQ and other Microsoft 365 Copilot updates

Agent Mode in Office

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With Ignite just a week away, Zoe and Kevin got together to pick out some interesting sessions as well as several chats about what the key themes coming across are. Naturally, Copilot and agents were our main focus but there were also a couple of other areas that caught our eye.

See the sessions at https://ignite.microsoft.com.

Sessions mentioned (or that we ran out of time to mention):

- BRK402 Our Agentic Era: Building Accessible and Responsible AI for Everyone

Low code

- BRK1742 Advanced Agent Development with Copilot Studio

- BRK 314 -Building agents with Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry

Pro code - lots about scaling

- BRK1706 - Innovation Session: Your AI Apps and Agent Factory

- BRK189 AI agents in Azure AI Foundry, ship fast, scale fearlessly

- BRK411 Beyond Models: What No One's Telling you about Scaling Agents

Securing and managing agents

- BRK306 Innovation Session: Latest AI agent innovation in security, control and productivity

- BRK265 Secure access for AI agents with Microsoft Entra

In-person

- THR821 Copilot for Physical AI

- THR763 Copilot & agent intelligence: Reporting for frontier firms

- THR759 Copilot Trust & Safety: Controls to manage AI risk

One for fun

- BRK 432 Scott & Mark learn to connect the dots

Not mentioned but still interesting

- BRK292 Fireside chat: How customers are unlocking value & growth with Copilot

- BRK319 Build Agents for Copilot with the Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit

- BRK167 Maintain regulatory compliance with the Microsoft Sovereign Cloud

- BRK288 SharePoint: The Knowledge Platform for Copilot and Agents

- BRK281 Unlocking the all-in-one AI Advantage of Microsoft 365 Copilot