Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Announced at Microsoft Ignite 2025, Project Opal is a new way to get task-based work done. It combines an advanced reasoning model, computer use, and Windows 365 Cloud PC to tackle the time-consuming tasks and busywork that fill your day.

Here are the capabilities:

• Task-First Experience: Start new jobs, re-run previous ones, or pick curated suggestions—all observable and steerable.
• Advanced Reasoning Model: Turns your request into a dynamic plan, sequences the right tools, and adapts mid flow to complete the job.
• Computer-Use: Executes certain steps in Microsoft Edge within a compliant Windows 365 for Agents Cloud PC.
• Real-Time Observability: Watch jobs live or review later with a detailed plan, replay view, and activity timeline.
• Steerability: Get notified when input is needed, take control, provide info, and let Opal resume.
• Admin Controls & Security: Opt in with granular admin controls including allow lists, scenario starters, and context.

Try it today in Frontier! Learn more here:

• Read “Introducing Project Opal: A New Way to Get Task-Based Work Done“
  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/Microsoft365CopilotBlog/introducing-project-opal-a-new-way-to-get-task-based-work-done/4470999
• Watch Microsoft Ignite breakout “BRK280: Project Opal in Action: Executing Task-Based Work”
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lh8X1Yr56o

If you need to get caught up quickly on all the announcements made at Microsoft Ignite 2025 for a particular technology area, check out the Microsoft Ignite “Book of News”.

INSTANT SUMMARIES:
There are summaries that can be generated with the help of AI called “Instant Summaries”. Select “TDM” or “Builder” Please refer to the original BoN item for full details.

✅ Microsoft Ignite “Book of News”
(The index of the book is in the image to the right.)

• https://news.microsoft.com/ignite-2025-book-of-news/

These are the visual assets (images) used during the keynote:

✅ Microsoft Ignite “Visual Assets”:

• https://msftglobalcomms-my.sharepoint.com/personal/global_msftglobalcomms_onmicrosoft_com/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fglobal_msftglobalcomms_onmicrosoft_com%2FDocuments%2FNorth%20America%2FEvents%2FIgnite%202025&ga=1

Did you miss the Microsoft Ignite 2025 opening keynote? This is the recording:

Here’s some of what you missed:

• Agent mode for Word, Excel & the Office Agent for PowerPoint
• Agents for Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Outlook now available at ‘no cost’ with Copilot Chat
• Security Copilot now included for M365 E5 customers
• NEW Copilot App Builder – Build apps with just natural language
• NEW Microsoft Agent 365
• NEW AI Model Router
• …

▶️ Microsoft Ignite: Opening Keynote

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1210&v=TUeET4zY95c&feature=youtu.be

As a large State & Local government organization over 500+ seats, if you’re looking to establish a relationship with or switch to a new Microsoft Licensing Solution Provider (LSP), the following organizations (as of 11/22/25) are available to contract through for Microsoft Enterprise Agreements: (includes both Microsoft 365 Government Community Cloud/GCC subscriptions & Azure Government)

• CDW
• Connection (formerly PC Connection)
• Crayon
• Dell
• Hewlett Packard
• Insight
• Minburn Technology Group
• PCM (also owns En Pointe Technologies)
• SHI
• SoftwareOne
• Softchoice
• Zones International

Notes:

• No new LSPs will be added to this list. This list is locked down & if you are a large organization above 500+ users not currently working with one of the above LSPs for licensing, you will need to establish a relationship with one of the above to work with a Licensing Solution Provider.
• If you are a customer of mine, ping me for contact details for one of the above government-qualified LSP.

Review the list available at:

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/office-365-platform-service-description/office-365-us-government/microsoft-365-government-how-to-buy#how-do-i-buy-microsoft-365-government

Learn why Gartner positioned GitHub as a Leader for the second year in a row—highest and furthest in both Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision.

The era of AI-powered development is here. Gartner predicts that by 2028, 90% of enterprise software engineers will use AI code assistants, a massive leap from less than 14% in early 2024.

As organizations race to adopt AI, many encounter challenges such as tool sprawl, fragmented governance, and a lack of platform strategy. GitHub takes a different approach: by embedding GitHub Copilot into everyday developer workflows, enabling advanced capabilities like Agent Mode, and centralizing development on GitHub Enterprise Cloud, GitHub helps teams move faster, stay secure, and scale AI adoption with confidence.

The Gartner recognition, we feel, reflects the strength of this strategy.

Read the full Gartner report to discover how vendors we re evaluated and why GitHub was recognized as a Leader. (September 2025 report available below, licensed by Microsoft:

• https://aka.ms/GitHubCopilot/MQ2025

Microsoft has established new strategic partnerships with Anthropic and NVIDIA to help all 3 companies optimize all 3 layers of the AI ecosystem – silicon, systems, models – for cost, latency, performance by announcing:

• Customers using Microsoft Foundry will be able to access Anthropic’s AI models
• Microsoft will deliver access to Anthropic Claude across the Copilot family
• Anthropic is committing to both leverage an initial Gigawatt of Azure cloud capacity for model training & partnering with Microsoft to deliver Enterprise AI solutions
• Nvidia is establishing a strategic partnership to support Anthropic’s future growth through it’s accelerators to optimize future AI models

Watch Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella, and NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang discuss what’s coming in this 10min video.

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At Microsoft Ignite, we introduced Work IQ, Fabric IQ, and Foundry IQ to provide the context agents need to reason, act, and deliver business value. In addition, we introduced Agent 365—the control plane for AI agents—to help organizations observe, manage, and secure their agents, delivering observability at every layer.

Microsoft Agent Factory (MAF)
Microsoft Agent Factory is a program that brings Work IQ, Fabric IQ, and Foundry IQ together to help organizations build agents with confidence. With a single metered plan, organizations can build with IQ using Microsoft Foundry and Copilot Studio – which means you can deploy agents anywhere, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, with no upfront licensing and provisioning required. Eligible organizations can also tap into hands-on support from top AI Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) and access tailored role-based training to boost AI fluency across teams.

For more information, visit the blog announcement here:
http://aka.ms/maf-blog

GitHub was named the leader of leaders for the second year in a row in Gartner’s second Magic Quadrant for AI Code Assistants, published on September 17, 2025. 

Gartner positioned GitHub as a Leader for the second year in a row—highest and furthest in both Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision.

As organizations race to adopt AI, many encounter challenges such as tool sprawl, fragmented governance, and a lack of platform strategy. GitHub takes a different approach: by embedding GitHub Copilot into everyday developer workflows, enabling advanced capabilities like Agent Mode, and centralizing development on GitHub Enterprise Cloud, GitHub helps teams move faster, stay secure, and scale AI adoption with confidence.

Download the Gartner Magic Quadrant for September 2025 below to discover how vendors were evaluated and why GitHub was recognized as a Leader:

• https://aka.ms/GitHubCopilot/MQ2025