Microsoft Ignite 2025 Preview: What to Expect for Azure AI

Microsoft Ignite 2025 kicks off next week with major announcements expected across Azure AI, Microsoft Fabric, and Copilot technologies. Here’s what enterprise developers should be watching for.

Expected Azure OpenAI Announcements

Based on recent previews and roadmap signals, we anticipate significant updates to Azure OpenAI Service:

# Anticipated new capabilities based on preview access
from azure.ai.openai import AzureOpenAI

client = AzureOpenAI(
    api_version="2025-11-01",  # New API version expected
    azure_endpoint="https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/"
)

# Expected: Enhanced function calling with parallel execution
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gpt-4-turbo",  # Updated model expected
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Analyze sales data and create report"}],
    tools=[
        {"type": "function", "function": {"name": "query_database"}},
        {"type": "function", "function": {"name": "generate_chart"}},
        {"type": "function", "function": {"name": "send_email"}}
    ],
    parallel_tool_calls=True,  # New capability
    tool_choice="auto"
)

# Expected: Improved structured outputs
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gpt-4-turbo",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Extract invoice details"}],
    response_format={
        "type": "json_schema",
        "json_schema": {
            "name": "invoice",
            "schema": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "vendor": {"type": "string"},
                    "amount": {"type": "number"},
                    "date": {"type": "string", "format": "date"}
                },
                "required": ["vendor", "amount", "date"]
            }
        }
    }
)

Microsoft Fabric Updates

Fabric continues rapid development with expected enhancements:

• Real-Time Intelligence GA: Full general availability of real-time analytics capabilities
• Copilot for Fabric: Enhanced AI assistance for data engineering and analysis
• Cross-Cloud Shortcuts: Improved integration with AWS S3 and Google Cloud Storage
• Governance Enhancements: Advanced data lineage and classification features

Copilot Stack Evolution

The Copilot platform is expected to receive significant updates:

# Expected Copilot extensibility improvements
copilot_extension:
  name: "Enterprise Knowledge Assistant"
  capabilities:
    - declarative_agents  # New capability
    - custom_actions
    - knowledge_grounding

  declarative_config:
    personality: "professional, helpful"
    knowledge_sources:
      - sharepoint_sites
      - custom_api

  actions:
    - name: create_support_ticket
      api: "/api/tickets"
      method: POST
      authentication: oauth2

Sessions to Watch

Key technical sessions typically include:

• Azure AI Platform Roadmap
• Building Enterprise AI with Azure OpenAI
• Microsoft Fabric Deep Dive
• Copilot Extensibility Workshop

Ignite 2025 promises to be a pivotal event for enterprise AI adoption. The convergence of Azure AI, Fabric, and Copilot technologies creates opportunities for organizations to accelerate their AI initiatives.