MSFT Post — Issue 154-SUPP
Date: June 3, 2026 · Volume: 2026 · Issue: 154-SUPP Note: Supplement to Issue 154 (originally published as Issue 142). New findings from afternoon sweep.
🚨 BREAKING: Copilot Credits Priced at $0.01 — First Agent Consumption Model Revealed
Microsoft has disclosed the first concrete pricing for agentic workloads outside of Microsoft 365 Copilot: $0.01 per Copilot Credit.
This is not a SKU. It is a consumption currency that applies to:
- Work IQ API usage (GA June 16)
- Microsoft Copilot Studio custom agents
- Microsoft Foundry agent deployments
- Third-party AI platforms grounded in Microsoft 365 data
What Costs Credits vs. What Doesn't
| Scenario | Copilot Credits Required? |
|---|---|
| Prebuilt Microsoft 365 Copilot agents (in-Copilot) | ❌ No — covered by existing M365 Copilot license |
| Custom agents built in Copilot Studio | ✅ Yes — consumption-based |
| Custom agents built in Foundry | ✅ Yes — consumption-based |
| Third-party agents using Work IQ APIs | ✅ Yes — consumption-based |
| Work IQ Tools (10 generic verbs: email, meetings, files) | ✅ Yes — fixed component |
| Work IQ Chat (programmatic Copilot responses) | ✅ Yes — variable component |
| Work IQ Context (agent-ready data) | ✅ Yes — variable component |
Partner Action Required Before June 16
- Advise customers to configure payment methods in Microsoft Admin Center
- Set up access policies for groups, departments, and individual users
- Configure usage limits and alerts to govern spend
- Build Copilot Credit budgeting into customer proposals
🔧 Agent 365 SDK: Generally Available — Free and Framework-Agnostic
Microsoft has quietly made the Agent 365 SDK generally available alongside the Build announcements. Key details:
- Price: Free — no licensing cost for the SDK itself
- Framework support: Works with any agent framework (not just Microsoft's)
- What it does: Provides standardized APIs for agent registration, governance, and lifecycle management
- Who needs it: Any partner building multi-agent solutions or integrating third-party agents into Microsoft 365
This removes a major barrier: partners can now build agent solutions without paying SDK licensing fees, paying only for consumption (Copilot Credits) when agents interact with Microsoft 365 data.
🖥️ Agent 365 Local Agents: Public Preview
Microsoft has opened public preview for local agent execution via the Agent 365 control plane. Supported frameworks:
- Claude Code (Anthropic)
- Copilot CLI (GitHub)
- OpenClaw (open-source)
What this means: Agents can now run on-device or on-premises without cloud round-trips, while still being governed by Agent 365 policies (Entra ID, Defender, Purview).
Partner opportunity: Edge AI deployments for security-sensitive or latency-critical scenarios — healthcare, finance, manufacturing.
🎓 Work IQ Episode 2: June 9
The IQ Series continues with Episode 2 on June 9, 2026, focusing on A2A (Agent-to-Agent) protocols for context-aware collaboration.
- Topic: How agents share context and coordinate tasks across organizational boundaries
- Relevance: Critical for partners building multi-agent enterprise solutions
- Where to watch: aka.ms/iq-series/episodes
⚛️ Majorana 2: Microsoft's Quantum Chip Leap
Microsoft Quantum unveiled Majorana 2, the next-generation topological quantum chip:
- 1,000x more reliable qubits than Majorana 1
- 20-second mean qubit lifetime (others measure in microseconds)
- Commercial relevance target: 2029
- Built using agentic AI to accelerate topological qubit development
Partner angle: Not immediate revenue, but signals Microsoft's long-term bet on quantum + AI convergence. Add to 3-5 year technology radar.
🔬 Microsoft Discovery: Generally Available
Microsoft Discovery — an agentic AI platform for R&D — is now GA:
- Discovery Engine: Uses specialized agents to mimic the scientific method
- Generates hypotheses and validates theories in continuous loops
- Built-in enterprise security, transparency, and governance
- Target industries: Food, energy, regulated industries
Partner opportunity: New SKU for life sciences and energy verticals. Professional services around Discovery deployment and integration.
📚 Solutions Partner Skilling Update (Effective Now)
Microsoft updated skilling requirements for two Solutions Partner designations, effective April 30, 2026:
Modern Work
- New Intermediate cert: Microsoft 365 Certified: Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals - Replaces: Retiring Microsoft 365 Fundamentals certification- Applies to: Both Enterprise and SMB tracks
Digital & App Innovation
- New Advanced certs: GitHub Actions, GitHub Administration, GitHub Advanced Security, GitHub Copilot- Applies to: Both Enterprise and SMB tracks
Action: Partners working toward these designations should align to updated skilling now. No action required if already attained — prepare at renewal.
📋 Supplement Sources
| # | Item | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copilot Credits: $0.01/credit pricing | Partner Center (June #5) + IQ-Series monitor | June 3, 2026 |
| 2 | Agent 365 SDK GA (free, framework-agnostic) | IQ-Series monitor / Build sessions | June 2, 2026 |
| 3 | Agent 365 Local Agents public preview | IQ-Series monitor / Build sessions | June 2, 2026 |
| 4 | Work IQ Episode 2 (June 9) | IQ-Series monitor | June 3, 2026 |
| 5 | Majorana 2 quantum chip | Build 2026 keynote / Microsoft News | June 2, 2026 |
| 6 | Microsoft Discovery GA | Build 2026 keynote / Microsoft News | June 2, 2026 |
| 7 | Solutions Partner skilling update | Partner Center (June #4) | June 2, 2026 |
MSFT Post Issue 154-SUPP · Published June 3, 2026 · Afternoon supplement to Issue 154