5 Microsoft Ignite announcements you should care about

Microsoft dropped more than eighty updates at Ignite this year, which is more than most IT teams will ever have time to sift through. So, here’s the shorter version.

These are the updates that actually influence how you run your cloud environment and prepare for AI adoption – and crucially, what to focus on next.

1. Microsoft 365 Copilot evolves into a task-executing agent platform

The biggest development at Ignite was Copilot’s move into agentic capability. Microsoft has shifted it from a helpful add-on to a set of task-driven agents that can handle meaningful work with very little prompting. Some other key updates include:

• Agent 365 now governs how these agents behave through a central control layer that manages their actions and oversight.
• The Office suite can now generate full documents or workflows from a single prompt, bringing stronger automation into day-to-day tasks.
• Foundry extends this further by enabling multiple agents to work together across enterprise environments.

Agentic AI reflects whatever sits beneath it. If infrastructure is messy or visibility is limited, those weak spots become harder to ignore. Before putting agentic tools to work, teams need clarity around how data moves through their estate and where gaps sit – and this is where we come in. Helping you bring order and structure back into environments that have become difficult to operate, which is crucial for organisations that are looking to modernise in 2026 and beyond.

2. Azure Copilot becomes an operational engine for cloud estates

Azure Copilot has evolved into a tool that understands how an estate functions, connects the dots between workloads and spots the legacy baggage that slows everything down. Microsoft presented a version that surfaces the root of recurring issues whilst supporting teams during incidents with clearer reasoning.

Many firms still carry habits from earlier migrations, which is why ownership blurs and tagging becomes patchy once you move beyond the obvious workloads. Azure Copilot won’t hide any of this. This is where organisations need to work with an MSP to tighten governance and improve visibility so the environment stops working against them. With those foundations in place, Azure Copilot has something solid to build on.

3. Fabric IQ launched as the semantic foundation for AI

Microsoft used Ignite to introduce Fabric IQ as a semantic layer that brings order to the data AI relies on. It gives agents a single view of an organisation’s core information, and Foundry IQ strengthens that by grounding their actions in data that is properly governed. It is Microsoft’s clearest signal yet that AI will only behave well when the information underneath it is connected and dependable.

For many firms, that is where pressure begins to build. Scattered datasets and long-standing workarounds still sit at the heart of a lot of data estates, and the challenge becomes even sharper when only 27% of organisations feel they have the internal expertise to get the most from cloud technologies.

This is the point where Ekco supports your teams to restore clarity and tighten your foundations. Teams move from battling their data to being able to trust it, and that is what allows AI to operate on solid ground.

4. Microsoft adds identity-level protection for AI agents

Ignite made it clear that AI agents are now part of the identity landscape, including:

• Defender and Entra can now recognise when an agent behaves in ways that fall outside expected patterns.
• Predictive Shielding adds another layer by adjusting security posture automatically during an active incident.
• Purview now intervenes before Copilot returns information that could expose sensitive data.

AI agents introduce new pressure points, and any weaknesses become more visible once automated actors start working across systems. It’s because of this that firms need a reliable partner to build identity and data controls that stand up to this new level of activity – and this is where we can step in – contact us to find out more.

5. Windows integrates the Model Context Protocol for endpoint automation

Microsoft’s decision to bring the Model Context Protocol (MCP) into Windows marks a clear shift in how endpoints take part in automation. MCP gives agents a controlled way to handle system-level actions and file operations, which means the endpoint becomes an active part of the workflow rather than something that sits on the edge of it.

That shift places more pressure on device hygiene, because ageing fleets and uneven configurations become harder to overlook once agents begin acting locally. This is where we come in, helping organisations bring order back to device estates that have grown inconsistent so the new capabilities can be used safely and with confidence.

The message behind the updates

Ignite 2025 confirms that Microsoft is building towards AI-operated infrastructure and security. Tools are evolving fast, and the window to prepare is narrowing. The organisations that benefit most will be the ones that have already tightened their architecture and identity foundations.

Ekco can help your organisation reach that point with confidence by clearing the path and giving these technologies the firm ground they need to deliver.

If you’re unsure whether your environment can support what Microsoft is now rolling out, we can help you find out. A readiness review gives you a clear view of what’s working and how close you are to getting value from Copilot and the wider AI roadmap. Get in touch with the team to find out more.