Friday, 31 July 2026

Microsoft Agent Framework - Python 1.13.0

Adds bounded, in-memory archive skill discovery for MCP sources via FoundryToolbox, reusable session stores that persist full Foundry Responses sessions, and process-wide feature-usage telemetry. A breaking change redesigns workflow checkpoints for full replayability from the initial input and human-in-the-loop responses.

Why it matters: teams building agents in Python get durable sessions and MCP skill discovery, but should review the checkpoint change before upgrading.

github.com

Microsoft Agent Framework - .NET 1.16.0

Graduates the GitHub Copilot agent from preview to stable, forwards MessageSendParams.Configuration in the agent-to-agent (A2A) adapter, preserves EditTable state across declarative workflow updates, and fixes InMemoryChatHistoryProvider persisting when the service already stores history.

Why it matters: .NET agent builders get a stable Copilot agent path and more reliable A2A and declarative-workflow behavior.

github.com

Microsoft Viva: Discussion Post Previews

Viva Engage will let users preview a discussion post before publishing, so they can catch formatting issues and validate content first. Roadmap item 566699, general availability targeted for August 2026.

Why it matters: fewer mis-formatted or mistaken posts in Engage communities.

microsoft.com

Microsoft Purview: auto-labeling scale increase

Purview Information Protection auto-labeling capacity increases from 100,000 to 500,000 files per tenant per day. Roadmap item 567890, preview planned September 2026 and GA October 2026.

Why it matters: large tenants can auto-classify far more content each day, widening DLP and compliance coverage.

microsoft.com

Specialization and certification skilling updates

Microsoft is retiring several role certifications (AZ-204, MB-280, AZ-500, PL-200) between Jun 30 and Aug 31 2026, with AI-focused replacements such as Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate and Intelligent Applications Builder.

learn.microsoft.com