The Copilot Connection

• Ep 33 - what to look out for at Ignite 2025

  Send us a textWith Ignite just a week away, Zoe and Kevin got together to pick out some interesting sessions as well as several chats about what the key themes coming across are. Naturally, Copilot and agents were our main focus but there were also a couple of other areas that caught our eye.See the sessions at https://ignite.microsoft.com.Sessions mentioned (or that we ran out of time to mention):- BRK402 Our Agentic Era: Building Accessible and Responsible AI for Everyone Low code- BRK1742 Advanced Agent Development with Copilot Studio- BRK 314 -Building agents with Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry Pro code - lots about scaling- BRK1706 - Innovation Session: Your AI Apps and Agent Factory- BRK189 AI agents in Azure AI Foundry, ship fast, scale fearlessly- BRK411 Beyond Models: What No One's Telling you about Scaling Agents Securing and managing agents- BRK306 Innovation Session: Latest AI agent innovation in security, control and productivity- BRK265  Secure access for AI agents with Microsoft EntraIn-person- THR821 Copilot for Physical AI- THR763 Copilot & agent intelligence: Reporting for frontier firms- THR759 Copilot Trust & Safety: Controls to manage AI riskOne for fun- BRK 432 Scott & Mark learn to connect the dotsNot mentioned but still interesting- BRK292 Fireside chat: How customers are unlocking value & growth with Copilot- BRK319 Build Agents for Copilot with the Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit- BRK167 Maintain regulatory compliance with the Microsoft Sovereign Cloud- BRK288 SharePoint: The Knowledge Platform for Copilot and Agents- BRK281 Unlocking the all-in-one AI Advantage of Microsoft 365 Copilot

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• Ep 32 - catching up on news after a busy summer

  Send us a textIt has been a little while since the last episode with Zoe and Kevin so they share some of their own news on why things have been a little quieter over the summer and then discuss the latest updates and news from Microsoft 365 Copilot. We recap recent events, including the Collab Summit North America, Experts Live UK conference, and share our upcoming events. On the news side we delve into significant announcements from lasast couple of months, including the introduction of the Knowledge Agent to "Frontier Firms", licensing changes, and the implications of GPT-5. Plus, Zoe pulls off some awesome dance moves without even realising it.AI powered TakeawaysThe Knowledge Agent aims to enhance knowledge management within organizations.Licensing changes are designed to encourage broader adoption of Copilot features.AI's role in the workplace is becoming increasingly significant.Organizations must address foundational knowledge management issues to leverage AI effectively.The conversation highlights the need for ongoing discussions about AI's impact on work and society.Useful linksAgentsIntroducing Knowledge Agent in SharePoint | Microsoft Community Hubhttps://demos.microsoft.com/microsoft/play/5140/knowledge-agents#/0/0 Microsoft 365 Copilot: Enabling human-agent teams | Microsoft 365 BlogMoving sales, service, and finance to the Frontier with Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft 365 BlogLicensinghttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/billing-licensingGPT 5https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/08/07/available-today-gpt-5-in-microsoft-365-copilot/Copilot Chat in Office Appshttps://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/copilot-chat-comes-to-the-microsoft-365-apps/4453349Viva Engage in Copilot Viva Engage Public Content is Now Available in Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft Community HubCopilot Mode in Edgehttps://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/blog/2025/08/07/release-notes-august-7-2025/Deal with US GovernmentAccelerating AI adoption for the US government - The Official Microsoft BlogCopilot Memoryhttps://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/introducing-copilot-memory-a-more-productive-and-personalized-ai-

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• CCDev 2 - what you need to think about with MCP

  Send us a textKevin McDonnell and Garry Trinder delve into the world of Model Context Protocol (MCP) and its implications for developers. We start with a starter overview of functionality of MCP and why it is important. However, we wanted to get beyond that initial view that is covered elsewhere and look at some of the challenges associated with using MCP and broader considerations that you need to be looking at. The conversation covers the importance of optimizing documentation for language models, governance in MCP usage, and strategies for getting started with MCP and then scaling. TakeawaysMCP is a universal approach to context in AI.MCP servers can execute actions beyond API calls.Optimizing documentation for LLMs is essential for effective AI integration.Trust and governance are critical in using MCP servers.MCP can significantly enhance productivity in software development.Building an MCP server can be straightforward and quick.MCP allows for local execution of actions, enhancing flexibility.The future of MCP involves more robust governance and control mechanisms.Organizations should develop a strategy for managing MCP servers.Experimentation with MCP can lead to unexpected benefits and insights.Useful linksIntroduction - Model Context ProtocolGetting started with Local MCP Servers on Claude Desktop | Anthropic Help Center and For Claude Desktop Users – Model Context Protocol （MCP）Use MCP servers in VS Code Community built Graph MCP Server - GitHub - merill/lokka: MCP (Model Context Protocol) for Microsoft 365. Azure AI Search:Full text search - Azure AI Search | Microsoft LearnVector search - Azure AI Search | Microsoft LearnHybrid search - Azure AI Search | Microsoft LearnMCP for beginners course - GitHub - microsoft/mcp-for-beginnersMCP Dev Days 29th/30th July (and available on demand after) - MCP Dev Days | Microsoft ReactorMicrosoft MCP Lab - GitHub - microsoft/mcsmcp: Lab for creating an MCP Server and using it in Microsoft Copilot Studio.Microsoft's MCP Server collection - GitHub - microsoft/mcp: Catalog of official Microsoft MCP (Model Context Protocol) server implementations for AI-powered data access and tool integrationCLI for m365 MCP server - GitHub - pnp/cli-microsoft365-mcp-server: Manage Microsoft 365 using MCP serverGitHub - dotnet/dev-proxy: Simulate API failures, throttling, and chaos — all from your command line.

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• CCDev 1 - Navigating Copilot extensibility

  Send us a textWelcome to a brand new way of hearing about the latest Copilot extensibility news! In this episode of the Copilot Connection, Kevin swaps out Zoe for Garry Trinder in the first of a spin-off of episodes where we dig deeper into the extensibility side of Copilot.In this first episode, we go into an overview of the options that you have for extending Copilot. We talk cover why you would need to extend Copilot, the different ways you can do that (whether by end user, maker or specialist) and touch a little on how you can actually get started with doing it.Is there a specific topic that you'd like to see us cover? Let us know!TakeawaysExtensibility in Copilot allows developers to create tailored solutions.Understanding AI maturity is crucial for effective implementation.Personalization of AI tools enhances user experience and productivity.Scoping and context are essential for effective use of Copilot.Integrating external knowledge sources can enhance AI capabilities.Balancing deterministic and non-deterministic approaches is key in AI applications.Declarative agents simplify the process of building AI solutions.Responsible AI practices are necessary when developing custom solutions.Continuous learning and adaptation are vital in the evolving AI landscape.Related linksCopilot extensibility learning pathsCopilot camp - no actual camping requiredCommunity samplesPro dev community samples

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• Ep 31 - Copilot at conferences

  Send us a textWith the post Build lull in Microsoft news, Zoe and Kevin decided to take a look at some of the upcoming conferences and recommend a few sessions that stood out in the Copilot and agents space. Firstly though, we couldn't resist talking a bit about the collapse of Builder.ai and the re-org of some of the Engineering management teams at Microsoft.We also covered our next Copilot Fireside Chat where Daniel Laskewitz will be joining us to answer your questions on Copilot Studio, MCP and whatever else takes your fancy.News:Microsoft-backed AI startup chatbots revealed to be human employees | MashableMicrosoft’s LinkedIn chief is now running Office as part of an AI reorg | The VergeConferences covered:European Power Platform Conference | Austria | Jun 16-19, 2025Commsverse 2025 - The Microsoft Teams Conference - Jun 18-19 2025Tech Con 365 Seattle - June 23-27 2025Collab Summit North America - Sep 7-9 2025ESPC25 | Conference | Ireland | Dec 1-4, 2025Other ones we mentioned:Collab Days Netherlands - June 21 2025CollabDays Hamburg 2025 - June 28 2025CollabDays Finland 2025 - 11 Sep 2025Experts Live UK 2025 - 16 Sep 2025CollabDays Bletchley Park 2025 - 24 Sep 2025South Coast Summit - 17-18 Sep 2025Check out other conferences at Community Days.TakeawaysInvestors need to scrutinize AI startups more closely.The importance of responsible AI practices is paramount.Microsoft's leadership changes signal a new direction.AI's impact on employment is a growing concern.Community conferences are vital for networking and learning.AI literacy is essential for effective use of technology.Clothespilot demonstrates practical AI applications.Engaging with the community enhances knowledge sharing.Fireside chats provide valuable insights from industry experts.

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