At the Build 2026 conference, Microsoft unveiled its advanced agent strategy, emphasizing the rapid integration of AI agents into enterprise systems. This includes the introduction of Microsoft IQ, a context layer aimed at enhancing tools like GitHub Copilot and Foundry, as well as the launch of personal work agents and new AI models. Marco Casalaina, Microsoft’s VP of Products, highlighted that these developments are tailored to empower users by solving specific problems, such as alert triage in critical operations. Microsoft’s focus on model choice and customizable solutions addresses the evolving demands of enterprises, positioning agents as essential tools for improving efficiency and managing workflows directly within applications like Microsoft 365 Copilot and Teams.

Microsoft: Microsoft is a major technology company that develops cloud platforms, productivity software, and AI tools for developers and enterprises. At its Build 2026 conference, the company emphasized production-ready agents with new context layers called IQs, hosted agent capabilities in Foundry, and in-house MAI models designed for customization and efficiency. These announcements position Microsoft as a platform provider enabling secure, governed agent interactions with enterprise data across tools like Copilot and Fabric.
Marco Casalaina: Marco Casalaina serves as Microsoft’s VP of Products for Core AI and holds the title of AI Futurist, where he is the first to test new AI capabilities across the company. He previously led Salesforce’s Einstein AI team and joined Microsoft in 2022 after roles in Azure AI services. In recent discussions, Casalaina detailed Microsoft’s agent strategy, model-choice approach, and how IQ context layers support enterprise use cases beyond basic model access.

Agent Strategy: Microsoft is prioritizing model choice alongside in-house development to meet enterprise demands for customization and token efficiency in agent systems.
Copilot Integration: Developers can publish custom agents directly into Copilot and Teams, leveraging existing user workflows for broader adoption.
Enterprise Use Cases: Companies are building human-centered agents to handle specialized tasks such as alert triage in critical infrastructure operations.