Every year, Microsoft hosts its Ignite conference, where it makes key announcements about changes for the upcoming year. Unsurprisingly, this conference predominantly focused on one thing, and one thing only…. AI!
AI agents
The general theme on AI, however, has shifted in focus. Microsoft announced a series of new features predominantly focused on agents – an area where Microsoft has historically lagged behind some of its AI competitors.
AI agents are specialised versions of Copilot, configured to perform specific tasks or respond using targeted knowledge, unlike the regular Copilot, which acts as a generalist on every subject. When combined with automation, agents unlock more interesting opportunities, enabling AI not just to advise on actions, but to carry them out.
On the automation front, Microsoft also announced the introduction of MCP servers across several services, most notably the Microsoft Windows operating system. If AI agents are the “brains” behind automation, MCP servers are the interface that allows the AI to actually execute those actions.
With MCP servers now available, using AI to carry out tasks or perform automated tasks is becoming a reality. That said, based on the current options that can currently be automated, there’s still some way to go before you can ask your agent, “Fix my computer!”
AI memory
Whilst this feature is in many other AI tools, Copilot has historically lacked the ability to remember previous conversations - such as user preferences of conversations, or earlier context. At Ignite, Microsoft announced that conversational memory is coming to Microsoft Copilot, enabling a more personalised experience. Importantly, this will include user controls that allow you to manage or explicitly instruct the AI to “forget” stored memories.
Security
In July 2024, an issue with CrowdStrike’s security software caused widespread outages across the world. A year on, Microsoft used Ignite to announce its response to the underlying problem: security vendors needing deep, high-risk access to the Windows operating system in order to function.
Microsoft’s announcement closely aligns with Apple’s security model on MacOS. Instead of granting vendors low-level access to the core operating system, Microsoft is introducing safer controlled layers that allow approved security vendors to continue providing their service, without exposing the world to the same level of systemic risk seen during the CrowdStrike outage several months ago.
Will AI enhancements drive adoption?
There were several other useful announcements that will benefit a company like Lanware, including the introduction of Windows Autopatch and some interesting developments in Windows 365. However, the overall story was clear: Microsoft’s primary focus is AI and embedding it across all its services.
The key question remains whether these AI enhancements will genuinely drive adoption of AI by delivering real, practical value. Our view is that the most exciting opportunities emerge where automation meets AI - particularly when that automation is simple to implement but capable of solving complex problems or inefficiencies. Microsoft is certainly heading in this direction, but for now, we’re still not quite there yet.
