Microsoft launches Microsoft IQ to unify enterprise intelligence (Web IQ, Foundry IQ, Fabric IQ) as grounded context for agents.
“Agents are only as good as the context we give them.”
foundry
8 tracked signals on foundry.
Microsoft launches unified Agent Platform at Build 2026 covering build, deploy, and operate layers
“The hard part starts after the prototype.”
Microsoft Foundry's model router auto-selects the best AI model across 27 options from multiple providers
“what if I told you you can have a model router that selects the best model for you?”
Microsoft makes Routines in Foundry Agent Service generally available for scheduled and event-driven agents.
“Routines bring managed agent execution into Foundry Agent Service.”
Microsoft Build 2026 lets developers build agents anywhere and surface them in M365 where people already work.
“you can build an agent anywhere”
Microsoft launches Agent Optimizer in Foundry Agent Service to automate optimizing hosted agents.
“the hard part isn't building the agent, it's getting the agent to behave correctly across all the scenarios it needs to handle.”
Microsoft Foundry Toolboxes automate user-delegated auth so agents never handle token plumbing.
“Auth lives on the toolbox, not in the agent: You pick an auth type once, when you connect a tool — the agent code stays auth-free.”
Azure Foundry offers 11,000+ models with a cost framework for multi-agent AI workloads
“Context windows range from a few thousand tokens up to a million or more, and that window is a cost lever, not just a capability.”