Microsoft says that it’s embracing Google’s just lately launched open protocol for permitting AI “brokers” to speak with one another.
On Wednesday, Microsoft introduced that it will carry assist for Google’s Agent2Agent (A2A) spec to 2 of its AI growth platforms, Azure AI Foundry and Copilot Studio. Microsoft has additionally joined the A2A working group on GitHub to contribute to the protocol and tooling.
“By supporting A2A and constructing on our open orchestration platform, we’re laying the muse for the subsequent era of software program — collaborative, observable, and adaptive by design,” wrote the corporate in a weblog submit. “The very best brokers received’t stay in a single app or cloud; they’ll function within the move of labor, spanning fashions, domains, and ecosystems.”
A2A, which Google unveiled in early April, permits brokers — AI-powered semi-autonomous packages — to work collectively throughout completely different clouds, apps, and companies. Utilizing the protocol, brokers can change objectives and invoke actions. Builders get a set of interoperable elements they will use to ensure agent collaboration happens securely.
As soon as A2A assist arrives for Azure AI Foundry and Copilot Studio, brokers constructed utilizing the platforms will be capable of faucet exterior brokers for duties, together with brokers created with different instruments or hosted exterior Microsoft. For instance, a Microsoft agent might schedule a gathering whereas a Google agent drafts the e-mail invitations.
“[C]ustomers can construct complicated, multi-agent workflows that span inside [agents], companion instruments, and manufacturing infrastructure — whereas sustaining governance and service-level agreements,” the corporate defined in its weblog submit. “We’re aligning with the broader business push for shared agent protocols.”
Whereas it’s removed from good, agentic know-how is attracting growing funding as enterprises look to undertake it to spice up productiveness. In line with a current KPMG survey, 65% of corporations are experimenting with AI brokers. Markets and Markets tasks that the AI agent phase will develop from $7.84 billion in 2025 to $52.62 billion by 2030.
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Microsoft’s choice to throw its weight behind A2A comes after the corporate launched assist for MCP, Anthropic’s commonplace for connecting AI to the methods the place knowledge resides, in Copilot Studio. Different main AI mannequin suppliers, together with Google and OpenAI, introduced that they might undertake MCP earlier this yr.
