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Happy new year to you all! In this episode, Zoe and Kevin take a short look at what happened with Copilot and with themselves in 2025, a short view on what they think and hope will happen with Copilot and AI in 2026 but focus most of the time on digging into the latest Microsoft Future of Work report that their science team has been making for the last 5 years. They explore themes such as AI judgment, collaborative AI, and the implications of inequality in the workplace amongst other things.

Takeaways

• Agent 365 has the potential to greatly impact organizational efficiency and control.
• Simplification in Copilot Studio and Chat enhances user experience and accessibility.
• Agents play a crucial role in simplifying complex AI functionalities.
• Fireside chats and workshops have been key highlights in community engagement.
• Recognition through awards fosters motivation and visibility in the tech community.
• The Future of Work report provides valuable insights into AI's impact on labor markets.
• AI judgment and perception can affect workplace dynamics and relationships.
• Collaborative AI is essential for enhancing teamwork and productivity.

Key links

Future of work report

Tailwind news

Salesforce refocussing roles

Jamie Teevan's keynote at ESPC

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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

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It has been a little while since the last episode with Zoe and Kevin so they share some of their own news on why things have been a little quieter over the summer and then discuss the latest updates and news from Microsoft 365 Copilot. We recap recent events, including the Collab Summit North America, Experts Live UK conference, and share our upcoming events. 

On the news side we delve into significant announcements from lasast couple of months, including the introduction of the Knowledge Agent to "Frontier Firms", licensing changes, and the implications of GPT-5. Plus, Zoe pulls off some awesome dance moves without even realising it.

AI powered Takeaways

• The Knowledge Agent aims to enhance knowledge management within organizations.
• Licensing changes are designed to encourage broader adoption of Copilot features.
• AI's role in the workplace is becoming increasingly significant.
• Organizations must address foundational knowledge management issues to leverage AI effectively.
• The conversation highlights the need for ongoing discussions about AI's impact on work and society.

Useful links

Agents

• Introducing Knowledge Agent in SharePoint | Microsoft Community Hub
• https://demos.microsoft.com/microsoft/play/5140/knowledge-agents#/0/0 
• Microsoft 365 Copilot: Enabling human-agent teams | Microsoft 365 Blog
• Moving sales, service, and finance to the Frontier with Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft 365 Blog

Licensing

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/billing-licensing

GPT 5

• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/08/07/available-today-gpt-5-in-microsoft-365-copilot/

Copilot Chat in Office Apps

• https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/copilot-chat-comes-to-the-microsoft-365-apps/4453349

Viva Engage in Copilot

•  Viva Engage Public Content is Now Available in Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft Community Hub

Copilot Mode in Edge

• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/blog/2025/08/07/release-notes-august-7-2025/

Deal with US Government

• Accelerating AI adoption for the US government - The Official Microsoft Blog

Copilot Memory

• https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/introducing-copilot-memory-a-more-productive-and-personalized-ai-

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Kevin McDonnell and Garry Trinder delve into the world of Model Context Protocol (MCP) and its implications for developers. We start with a starter overview of functionality of MCP and why it is important. However, we wanted to get beyond that initial view that is covered elsewhere and look at some of the challenges associated with using MCP and broader considerations that you need to be looking at. The conversation covers the importance of optimizing documentation for language models, governance in MCP usage, and strategies for getting started with MCP and then scaling. 

Takeaways

• MCP is a universal approach to context in AI.
• MCP servers can execute actions beyond API calls.
• Optimizing documentation for LLMs is essential for effective AI integration.
• Trust and governance are critical in using MCP servers.
• MCP can significantly enhance productivity in software development.
• Building an MCP server can be straightforward and quick.
• MCP allows for local execution of actions, enhancing flexibility.
• The future of MCP involves more robust governance and control mechanisms.
• Organizations should develop a strategy for managing MCP servers.
• Experimentation with MCP can lead to unexpected benefits and insights.

Useful links

Introduction - Model Context Protocol

Getting started with Local MCP Servers on Claude Desktop | Anthropic Help Center and For Claude Desktop Users – Model Context Protocol （MCP）

Use MCP servers in VS Code

Community built Graph MCP Server - GitHub - merill/lokka: MCP (Model Context Protocol) for Microsoft 365.

Azure AI Search:

Full text search - Azure AI Search | Microsoft Learn

Vector search - Azure AI Search | Microsoft Learn

Hybrid search - Azure AI Search | Microsoft Learn

MCP for beginners course - GitHub - microsoft/mcp-for-beginners

MCP Dev Days 29th/30th July (and available on demand after) - MCP Dev Days | Microsoft Reactor

Microsoft MCP Lab - GitHub - microsoft/mcsmcp: Lab for creating an MCP Server and using it in Microsoft Copilot Studio.

Microsoft's MCP Server collection - GitHub - microsoft/mcp: Catalog of official Microsoft MCP (Model Context Protocol) server implementations for AI-powered data access and tool integration

CLI for m365 MCP server - GitHub - pnp/cli-microsoft365-mcp-server: Manage Microsoft 365 using MCP server

GitHub - dotnet/dev-proxy: Simulate API failures, throttling, and chaos — all from your command line.

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Welcome to a brand new way of hearing about the latest Copilot extensibility news! In this episode of the Copilot Connection, Kevin swaps out Zoe for Garry Trinder in the first of a spin-off of episodes where we dig deeper into the extensibility side of Copilot.

In this first episode, we go into an overview of the options that you have for extending Copilot. We talk cover why you would need to extend Copilot, the different ways you can do that (whether by end user, maker or specialist) and touch a little on how you can actually get started with doing it.

Is there a specific topic that you'd like to see us cover? Let us know!

Takeaways

• Extensibility in Copilot allows developers to create tailored solutions.
• Understanding AI maturity is crucial for effective implementation.
• Personalization of AI tools enhances user experience and productivity.
• Scoping and context are essential for effective use of Copilot.
• Integrating external knowledge sources can enhance AI capabilities.
• Balancing deterministic and non-deterministic approaches is key in AI applications.
• Declarative agents simplify the process of building AI solutions.
• Responsible AI practices are necessary when developing custom solutions.
• Continuous learning and adaptation are vital in the evolving AI landscape.

Related links

• Copilot extensibility learning paths
• Copilot camp - no actual camping required
• Community samples
• Pro dev community samples

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With the post Build lull in Microsoft news, Zoe and Kevin decided to take a look at some of the upcoming conferences and recommend a few sessions that stood out in the Copilot and agents space. Firstly though, we couldn't resist talking a bit about the collapse of Builder.ai and the re-org of some of the Engineering management teams at Microsoft.

We also covered our next Copilot Fireside Chat where Daniel Laskewitz will be joining us to answer your questions on Copilot Studio, MCP and whatever else takes your fancy.

News:

• Microsoft-backed AI startup chatbots revealed to be human employees | Mashable
• Microsoft’s LinkedIn chief is now running Office as part of an AI reorg | The Verge

Conferences covered:

• European Power Platform Conference | Austria | Jun 16-19, 2025
• Commsverse 2025 - The Microsoft Teams Conference - Jun 18-19 2025
• Tech Con 365 Seattle - June 23-27 2025
• Collab Summit North America - Sep 7-9 2025
• ESPC25 | Conference | Ireland | Dec 1-4, 2025

Other ones we mentioned:

• Collab Days Netherlands - June 21 2025
• CollabDays Hamburg 2025 - June 28 2025
• CollabDays Finland 2025 - 11 Sep 2025
• Experts Live UK 2025 - 16 Sep 2025
• CollabDays Bletchley Park 2025 - 24 Sep 2025
• South Coast Summit - 17-18 Sep 2025

Check out other conferences at Community Days.

Takeaways

• Investors need to scrutinize AI startups more closely.
• The importance of responsible AI practices is paramount.
• Microsoft's leadership changes signal a new direction.
• AI's impact on employment is a growing concern.
• Community conferences are vital for networking and learning.
• AI literacy is essential for effective use of technology.
• Clothespilot demonstrates practical AI applications.
• Engaging with the community enhances knowledge sharing.
• Fireside chats provide valuable insights from industry experts.

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In this episode of Copilot Connection, hosts Zoe and Kevin discuss the latest updates and insights from the Microsoft Copilot ecosystem from Build as well as a slight detour to the Chelsea Flower Show. We cover topics like M365 Copilot tuning, notebooks, researcher and analyst agents, and SRE agents. We also explore the implications of AI Foundry and the natural language web, while wrapping up with a look at upcoming events and the importance of community engagement.

Takeaways

• The Chelsea Flower Show showcased innovative AI applications in gardening.
• M365 Copilot tuning can transform industries like legal with tailored solutions.
• Notebooks in Copilot provide a flexible way to organize and query content.
• Researcher and Analyst agents enhance data analysis and decision-making processes.
• AI Foundry allows for local model integration, expanding AI capabilities.
• SRE agents automate software reliability tasks, improving efficiency.
• Natural language web features enable more intuitive website interactions.
• Community-driven initiatives are crucial for the development of AI tools.
• Microsoft's Build conference highlighted significant advancements in AI technology.
• The importance of ethical considerations in AI deployment is paramount.

Links

Avanade Intelligent Garden 

Book of News - https://news.microsoft.com/build-2025-book-of-news/

Copilot Tuning

Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot APIs

Announcing Microsoft Entra Agent ID: Secure and manage your AI agents | Microsoft Community Hub

microsoft/AI-Red-Teaming-Playground-Labs: AI Red Teaming playground labs to run AI Red Teaming trainings including infrastructure.

NL Web Introducing NLWeb: Bringing conversational interfaces directly to the web - Source and Debugging GenAI with CAPs + NLWeb + OpenTelemetry: A Real-Time Visibility Unlock | LinkedIn

Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot APIs

Reddit post on SRE agent being used in the dotnet repo My new hobby: watching AI slowly drive Microsoft employees insane : r/ExperiencedDevs

Power Apps Studio with Agent Feed

Reimagining human-agent collaboration for a new era of app development with Microsoft Power Apps - Microsoft Power Platform Blog

Walkthrough of agent feed in Power Apps - users and ma

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News, news, news - we have lots of new news! Zoe and Kevin discuss the latest announcements from Microsoft about Copilot Wave 2 Spring Release. We delve into the significance of the Work Trend Index, the new user interface and search experience, and the introduction of memory and notebooks features. Then we dig into the management and reporting of agents, the concept of the human-agent ratio (including some extreme reactions to some new phrases from Microsoft...) and the importance of leadership in leveraging AI capabilities. Finally, we cover some of the magical events coming up.

Takeaways

• Wave 2 announcements from Microsoft include significant updates and features.
• The Work Trend Index is crucial for understanding productivity trends.
• A new user interface is being introduced for a better user experience.
• Memory features will enhance user interactions with Copilot.
• Notebooks will allow users to group and summarize conversations.
• The Create Experience will simplify content creation across platforms.
• Agent management is becoming more streamlined with the Frontier Program.
• Understanding the human-agent ratio is essential for effective delegation.
• Upcoming conferences will provide opportunities for community engagement.

Sound Bites

• "The skill of delegation is something that everyone wanted to get."
• "Minutes saved isn't cashable."
• "It definitely feels like conference season is in full swing."