Microsoft caused a stir at Ignite 2024 Announcement that 10 autonomous AI agents are actually available for corporate use. Microsoft has effectively declared that AI agents are ready for prime time – to realize what others haven’t yet achieved.
Microsoft's prebuilt agents goal core business operations – from CRM and provide chain management to financial reconciliation. While competitors like Salesforce and ServiceNow offer AI agent solutions in just a few limited areas, Microsoft has created an intensive agent ecosystem that extends beyond its own platform. The system includes 1,400 third-party connectors and supports customization of greater than 1,800 major language models. The level of adoption is equally significant: According to Microsoft, 100,000 corporations are already creating or modifying agents, with deployment rates doubling within the last quarter – adoption numbers that dwarf those of the competition
In my three-part video series with generative AI developer and expert Sam Witteveen, we explore what this move means for corporations, why Microsoft is moving forward as a frontrunner in agent AI, and the way these tools are changing the way in which corporations handle workflows can. Below we break down the highlights and invite you to achieve insights into all the series.
The big takeaways
Microsoft's release of those 10 AI agents shows that enterprise AI is moving from theory to practice, but Microsoft's other statements about agents have different implications:
- Ready-made company value: Unlike traditional toolkits that require extensive customization, Microsoft agents are preconfigured to handle specific workflows. Whether it's qualifying sales leads or optimizing supply chains, these agents are able to work.
- A vital note: Leveraging its ecosystem of productivity apps and customer reach, Microsoft stays ahead of competitors like Salesforce, Google and AWS to offer scalable, enterprise-class solutions.
- Redefining competition: Agents' targeted skills, comparable to CRM lead scoring and time management, pose a challenge to startups that previously dominated these niches.
- The vision of agent AI: From pre-built agents to totally customized solutions, the Microsoft ecosystem enables corporations to seamlessly create, modify and deploy agents, lowering the barriers to adoption.
- LLM models may not be the most respected: Microsoft's move from “per token” pricing to “per message” pricing – and toward “per result” value – signals a move beyond just issuing language models.
But with competitors like Google, AWS and open source frameworks hot on its heels, Microsoft's lead may not last ceaselessly. In the video series we also discuss these alternative players and the way Microsoft differs from them.
Watch the series
In this three-part series, we take a deep dive into what Microsoft's AI agents mean for business leaders. Watch now and discover:
- Part 1: The 4 biggest takeaways from Microsoft Ignite 2024.
- Part 2: How Microsoft's 10 Autonomous Agents cover critical business operations (and, by the way in which, could kill many startups that were launched to cover similar workflows).
- Part 3: How Microsoft stacks up against rivals like Google, OpenAI and AWS within the race for leadership in agent AI.
Discover the entire series here:
