Agent 365 vs. Agentic OS Backlash: What Microsoft Got Right (and Wrong) at Ignite

This Week in IT, Microsoft unveils Agent 365 at Ignite, a new control plane that acts as the command center for every AI agent in an organisation. Users are pushing back against Microsoft’s plan to turn Windows into an “agentic OS,”, plus Microsoft announced major Copilot upgrades.

Links and resources

• Microsoft Agent 365: The control plane for AI agents | Microsoft 365 Blog
• Microsoft’s Agentic Windows: Backlash, Reality, and the Road Ahead | Windows Forum
• Microsoft Ignite 2025: Copilot and agents built to power the Frontier Firm | Microsoft 365 Blog

Episode overview

Microsoft announced significant AI-related updates at Ignite, including the launch of Agent 365, a control plane designed to manage AI agents across organizations securely. Additionally, Windows is evolving into an agentic OS with new agent workspaces to enhance AI integration while addressing security concerns.

• Agent 365 control plane introduction: Agent 365 provides organizations with a centralized registry to monitor, manage, and secure AI agents deployed across various platforms, using unique agent IDs and policy enforcement to mitigate risks. It offers dashboards, logs, and compliance tools and is initially available to Frontier firms.
• Windows as an agentic OS: Microsoft plans to integrate agent workspaces into Windows, creating secure, limited-access environments for AI agents embedded in apps, allowing controlled data access and user permissions.
• Copilot and WorkIQ enhancements: Microsoft introduced WorkIQ, which combines organizational data and AI memory to predict user needs and recommend appropriate tools, enhancing productivity across Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.