I enjoy writing summary posts of major developer conferences to help support the career growth of my teams and satisfy my own curiosity. On June 2nd, Microsoft Build 2026 explored the major ways agentic computing has become integrated into the enterprise and Windows. I hope this post hits some practical themes for the busy developer trying to cut through all the AI hype.
If you review previous posts on InnovativeTeams.NET, you will find we have explored tutorials for getting started with the Microsoft Agent Framework. It has been interesting to see how the Microsoft Agent Framework story connects to Microsoft Agent Service from a deployment and governance point of view. It was also great to see Microsoft empower LangChain using Microsoft Agent Service.
It’s fascinating to see technology themes repeat. At some point in cloud computing, it became impractical for IT professionals to maintain their own Linux virtual machines or Kubernetes clusters. Cloud vendors created Platform as a Service (PaaS) products to abstract DevOps professionals from some of the labor and detail of maintaining those systems. We can see this same theme showing up with Microsoft Agent Service. I am curious about playing with this service in relationship to larger themes of Microsoft 365, Entra ID, and access to organizational context sources (IQ sources).
On a personal note, I do miss the Microsoft Build conferences that celebrated developer tools and experience. While I find the AI trends interesting, I still believe that developer fundamentals need to be fostered. How do we take care of the next generation of devs?
Microsoft Agent Framework
from Microsoft Agent Framework Blog
Microsoft introduced the Microsoft Agent Framework at the Build conference, providing a new standard for building and orchestrating multi-agent systems. The framework simplifies the creation of autonomous agents that can collaborate, handle complex workflows, and leverage existing AI tools. Deep integration with Azure services ensures that these agents are scalable and ready for enterprise-level deployment. This release is a key part of Microsoft’s strategy to empower developers in the era of agentic AI.
Agents in Azure AI Foundry (preview) overview
from Microsoft Learn
Azure AI Foundry agents allow developers to build and deploy high-quality AI agents that can automate business processes and interact with users. These agents can utilize a variety of tools, such as Bing Search, Azure AI Search, and custom Python code, to perform complex tasks and retrieve grounded information. The platform simplifies development by managing conversation state and providing enterprise-grade security for building scalable AI applications. Developers can orchestrate these agents using various models and integrated SDKs to create sophisticated, multi-purpose assistants.
AI Models | Microsoft AI
from Microsoft AI
This page provides a comprehensive overview of the diverse range of AI models developed and hosted by Microsoft, including state-of-the-art large language models and specialized vision tools. It highlights key innovations such as the Phi family of small language models and integrations with Azure OpenAI Service. Developers and enterprises can explore these models to build, fine-tune, and deploy intelligent applications tailored to their specific needs. The platform emphasizes Microsoft’s commitment to providing scalable, efficient, and accessible AI solutions for everyone.
Work IQ overview
from Microsoft Learn
Work IQ is a capability within Microsoft 365 Copilot extensibility designed to help AI agents better understand the specific context of an organization’s work. It enables developers to create intelligent agents that can reason over structured and unstructured business data to provide more relevant outcomes. By grounding agents in enterprise-specific knowledge, Work IQ bridges the gap between generic AI capabilities and specialized business processes. This framework is essential for building sophisticated agentic workflows that enhance productivity across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
What is Azure AI Foundry iQ? (preview)
from Microsoft Learn
Azure AI Foundry iQ is an integrated engine designed to help developers build, deploy, and manage intelligent AI agents at scale. It offers enterprise-grade capabilities for context-aware interactions, leveraging retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to connect agents with private and public data. The platform simplifies the orchestration of complex workflows and provides tools for evaluating agent performance and safety. By providing a unified interface, it enables seamless integration between AI models and organizational data sources.
Project Solara
from Windows Command Line
Project Solara is a Microsoft initiative designed to provide a cloud-powered command-line experience that transcends local hardware limitations. It enables users to stream high-performance terminal environments directly to their devices, ensuring consistent performance for intensive development tasks. The project focuses on low-latency connectivity and persistent sessions, allowing developers to maintain their workflow across different machines. By integrating cloud capabilities, Solara aims to modernize the terminal for a more flexible and powerful computing future.
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