# What is Microsoft Foundry?
Microsoft Foundry is a unified Azure platform-as-a-service offering for **enterprise AI operations**, **model builders**, and **application development**.

Microsoft Foundry unifies agents, models, and tools under a single management grouping with built-in enterprise-readiness capabilities including tracing, monitoring, evaluations, and customizable enterprise setup configurations. 

The platform provides streamlined management through unified Role-based access control (RBAC), networking, and policies under one Azure resource provider namespace.

![alt text](../docs/screenshots/foundry-overview-june-2026.jpg)

## Microsoft Foundry portals

- **Microsoft Foundry (classic)**: Choose this portal when working with multiple resource types: Azure OpenAI, Foundry resources, hub-based projects, or Foundry projects.
- **Microsoft Foundry (new)**: Choose this portal for a seamless experience that combines simplicity with powerful and secure tools to build, manage and grow multi-agent applications. Only Foundry projects are visible here - use (classic) for all other resource types.


## Microsoft Foundry (new)
- **Multi-Agent Orchestration and Workflows** - Build advanced automation using SDKs for C# and Python that enable collaborative agent behavior and complex workflow execution.

- **Expanded Integration Options** - Publish agents to Microsoft 365, Teams, and BizChat, plus leverage containerized deployments for greater portability.

- **Expanded Tool Access** - Access the Foundry tool catalog (preview) with a public tool catalog and your own private catalogs, connecting over 1,400 tools in Microsoft Foundry.

- **Enhanced Memory Capabilities** - Use memory to help your agent retain and recall contextual information across interactions. Memory maintains continuity, adapts to user needs, and delivers tailored experiences without requiring repeated input.

- **Knowledge Integration** - Connect your agent to a Foundry IQ knowledge base to ground responses in enterprise or web content. This integration provides reliable, citation-backed answers for multi-turn conversations.

- **Real-Time Observability** - Monitor performance and governance using built-in metrics and model tracking tools.

- **Enhanced Enterprise Support** - Use open protocols in Foundry Agent Service with full authentication support in MCP and A2A tool, AI gateway integration, and Azure Policy integration.

- **Centralized AI asset management** - Observe, optimize, and manage 100% of your AI assets (agents, models, tools) in one place, the Operate section. Register agents from other clouds, get alerts when an agent or model requires your attention, and effectively manage your AI fleet health as that fleet scales.

- **Streamlined Navigation** - Navigate efficiently with a redesigned interface that places key controls where you need them, improving workflow efficiency.


## Resources

- [What is Microsoft Foundry?](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/ai-foundry/what-is-foundry)

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