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It 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 Takeaways

• The 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 links

Agents

• Introducing Knowledge Agent in SharePoint | Microsoft Community Hub
• https://demos.microsoft.com/microsoft/play/5140/knowledge-agents#/0/0
• Microsoft 365 Copilot: Enabling human-agent teams | Microsoft 365 Blog
• Moving sales, service, and finance to the Frontier with Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft 365 Blog

Licensing

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/billing-licensing

GPT 5

• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/08/07/available-today-gpt-5-in-microsoft-365-copilot/

Copilot Chat in Office Apps

• https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/copilot-chat-comes-to-the-microsoft-365-apps/4453349

Viva Engage in Copilot

• Viva Engage Public Content is Now Available in Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft Community Hub

Copilot Mode in Edge

• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/blog/2025/08/07/release-notes-august-7-2025/

Deal with US Government

• Accelerating AI adoption for the US government - The Official Microsoft Blog

Copilot Memory

• https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/introducing-copilot-memory-a-more-productive-and-personalized-ai-

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Kevin 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.

Takeaways

• MCP 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 links

Introduction - Model Context Protocol

Getting 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 Learn

Vector search - Azure AI Search | Microsoft Learn

Hybrid search - Azure AI Search | Microsoft Learn

MCP for beginners course - GitHub - microsoft/mcp-for-beginners

MCP Dev Days 29th/30th July (and available on demand after) - MCP Dev Days | Microsoft Reactor

Microsoft 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 integration

CLI for m365 MCP server - GitHub - pnp/cli-microsoft365-mcp-server: Manage Microsoft 365 using MCP server

GitHub - dotnet/dev-proxy: Simulate API failures, throttling, and chaos — all from your command line.

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Welcome 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!

Takeaways

• Extensibility 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 links

• Copilot extensibility learning paths
• Copilot camp - no actual camping required
• Community samples
• Pro dev community samples