Microsoft Ignite 2025: What the shift from Apps to Agents means for your business

We sent a team to San Francisco to cover Microsoft's biggest annual conference, and because we know most leaders don’t have time for eight-hour keynotes, we've packaged the essential insights into a free downloadable Microsoft Ignite Takeaway, designed to help you understand what’s changing and what to do next.

Download the guide right away or read on for the headlines.

If you work in tech, Ignite week is a bit like Glastonbury. Big stages, big announcements, long queues for coffee and a lot of people pretending they’re not jet lagged. Our team joined over 20,000 attendees in San Francisco, together with more than 200,000 online viewers, to capture the biggest shifts shaping Microsoft’s future.

And this year, something clicked. We went expecting updates. We came home with a glimpse of the next era of work.

To help busy leaders cut through the noise, we’ve put together a free downloadable Microsoft Ignite 2025 Takeaway Guide, packed with insights, expert commentary and everything you need to get ahead of the incoming agentic shift. Keep reading for the highlights, then grab the full guide for the deeper dive.

 

THE AGENTIC SHIFT: 1.3 BILLION AGENTS BY 2028

Here’s the stat that set the tone for the entire week: by 2028, Microsoft expects 1.3 billion AI agents to be in use across organisations worldwide. Not apps. Agents. Digital workers that don’t just assist but act. It’s one of the clearest signals yet that the way we use technology at work is changing, and it’s happening faster than many predicted.

That shift came through loudly at Ignite. With a $20 billion annual investment in innovation, Microsoft is laying the groundwork at an incredible pace.

Agent 365 is the star of the show. It’s a central control plane that lets businesses manage AI agents across Microsoft and third-party platforms. Not bolt-on automation. Real governance, observability and security at scale.

Microsoft is moving from traditional apps to smarter AI agents that can take on routine tasks, organise information and support teams automatically. Tools like Copilot Business, created specifically for companies with under 300 users, make this shift far more accessible. New features such as Work IQ, Office app agents and agent-driven automation mean your team can get practical help with writing, analysis, admin, customer follow-up and more,  all without extra headcount or complicated IT projects.

Behind the scenes, Microsoft is also giving SMEs the structure and safety they need to adopt AI confidently. Agent 365 allows you to see which agents you’re using, manage access properly and keep things secure. Security Copilot agents help protect your organisation automatically, and new tools in Azure and Fabric make it easier for AI to understand your business without you having to clean or reorganise all your data. For UK SMEs, Ignite’s announcements offer a realistic path: start small, automate common pain points, keep control of your data and build towards stronger, more efficient operations with tools that now fit your size and budget.

100 TRILLION SIGNALS A DAY: MICROSOFT'S SECURITY MUSCLE

Ignite didn’t only focus on productivity,  it underlined Microsoft’s commitment to keeping organisations safe in an increasingly hostile landscape. Microsoft now has an army of 36,000 cyber security engineers working around the clock, processing 100 trillion security signals every day and screening 5 billion emails daily for threats.

It’s safe to say, Microsoft has our back. And for SMEs without a dedicated security team, that level of defence baked directly into the tools you already use is a major advantage.

This capability also means they are actively tracking over 1500 unique threat actors, which Microsoft say, over 600 of which are state-backed.

THE RACE IS ON: DON'T STAND ON THE SIDELINES

This is a moment where everything is up for grabs. The companies who turn insight into action, who take the data, the signals, the opportunities and do something with them, will be the ones who shape the next decade of digital leadership.

So don’t stand on the sidelines. Don’t wait for a perfect plan or a slower market. The organisations making bold moves now are the ones your customers will remember tomorrow.

The race is on. Make your move before your competitors do.