Model Mondays S2:E2 - Understanding Model Context Protocol (MCP)
This week in Model Mondays, we focus on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) — and learn how to securely connect AI models to real-world tools and services using MCP, Azure AI Foundry, and industry-standard authorization. Read on for my recap About Model Mondays Model Mondays is a weekly series designed to help you build your Azure AI Foundry Model IQ step by step. Here’s how it works: 5-Minute Highlights – Quick news and updates about Azure AI models and tools on Monday 15-Minute Spotlight – Deep dive into a key model, protocol, or feature on Monday 30-Minute AMA on Friday – Live Q&A with subject matter experts from Monday livestream If you want to grow your skills with the latest in AI model development, Model Mondays is the place to start. Want to follow along? Register Here - to watch upcoming Mondel Monday livestreams Watch Playlists to replay past Model Monday episodes Register Here - to join the AMA on MCP on Friday Jun 27 Visit The Forum- to view Foundry Friday AMAs and recaps Spotlight On: Model Context Protocol (MCP) This week, the Model Monday’s spotlight was on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) with subject matter expert Den Delimarsky. Don't forget to check out the slides from the presentation, for resource links! In this blog post, I’ll talk about my five key takeaways from this episode: What Is MCP and Why Does It Matter? What Is MCP Authorization and Why Is It Important? How Can I Get Started with MCP? Spotlight: My Aha Moment Highlights: What’s New in Azure AI 1 . What Is MCP and Why is it Important? MCP is a protocol that standardizes how AI applications connect the underlying AI models to required knowledge sources (data) and interaction APIs (functions) for more effective task execution. Because these models are pre-trained, they lack access to real-time or proprietary data sources (for knowledge) and real-world environments (for interaction). MCP allows them to "discover and use" relevant knowledge and action tools to add relevant context to the model for task execution. Explore: The MCP Specification Learn: MCP For Beginners Want to learn more about MCP - check out the AI Engineer World Fair 2025 "MCP and Keynotes" track. It kicks off with a keynote from Asha Sharma that gives you a broader vision for Azure AI Foundry. Then look for the talk from Harald Kirschner on MCP and VS Code. 2. What Is MCP Authorization and Why Does It Matter? MCP (Model Context Protocol) authorization is a system that helps developers manage who can access their apps, especially when they are hosted in the cloud. The goal is to simplify the process of securing these apps by using common tools like OAuth and identity providers (such as Google or GitHub), so developers don't have to be security experts. Key Takeaways: The new MCP proposal uses familiar identity providers to simplify the authorization process. It allows developers to secure their apps without requiring deep knowledge of security. The update ensures better security controls and prepares the system for future authentication methods. Related Reading: Aaron Parecki, Let's Fix OAuth in MCP Den Delimarsky, Improving The MCP Authorization Spec - One RFC At A Time MCP Specification, Authorization protocol draft On Monday, Den joined us live to talk about the work he did for the authorization protocol. Watch the session now to get a sense for what the MCP Authorization protocol does, how it works, and why it matters. Have questions? Submit them to the forum or Join the Foundry Friday AMA on Jun 27 at 1:30pm ET. 3. How Can I Get Started? If you want to start working with MCP, here’s how to do it easily: Learn the Fundamentals: Explore MCP For Beginners Use an MCP Server: Explore VSCode Agent Mode support . Use MCP with AI Agents: Explore the Azure MCP Server 4. What’s New in Azure AI Foundry? Managed Compute for Cohere Models: Faster, secure AI deployments with low latency. Prompt Shields: New Azure security system to protect against prompt injection and unsafe content. OpenAI o3 Pro Model: A fast, low-cost model similar to GPT-4 Turbo. Codex Mini Model: A smaller, quicker model perfect for developer command-line tasks. MCP Security Upgrades: Now easier to secure AI apps using familiar OAuth identity providers. 5. My Aha Moment Before this session, I used to think that connecting apps to AI was complicated and risky. I believed developers had to build their own security systems from scratch, which sounded tough. But this week, I learned that MCP makes it simple. We can now use trusted logins like Google or GitHub and securely connect AI models to real-world apps without extra hassle. How I Learned This ? To be honest, I also used Copilot to help me understand and summarize this topic in simple words. I wanted to make sure I really understood it well enough to explain it to my friends and peers. I believe in learning with the tools we have, and AI is one of them. By using Copilot and combining it with what I learned from the Model Monday’s session, I was able to write this blog in a way that is easy to understand Takeaway for Beginners: It’s okay to use AI to learn what matters is that you grow, verify, and share the knowledge in your own way. Coming Up Next Week: Next week, we dive into SLMs & Reasoning (Phi-4) with Mojan Javaheripi, PhD, Senior Researcher at Microsoft Research. This session will explore how Small Language Models (SLMs) can perform advanced reasoning tasks, and what makes models like Phi-4 reasoning efficient, scalable, and useful in practical AI applications. Register Here! Join The Community Great devs don't build alone! In a fast-pased developer ecosystem, there's no time to hunt for help. That's why we have the Azure AI Developer Community. Join us today and let's journey together! Join the Discord - for real-time chats, events & learning Explore the Forum - for AMA recaps, Q&A, and help! About Me: I'm Sharda, a Gold Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador interested in cloud and AI. Find me on Github, Dev.to, Tech Community and Linkedin. In this blog series I have summarized my takeaways from this week's Model Mondays livestream.Understanding the opportunity of Copilot+ PCs: Five benefits for businesses
AI is accelerating. Is your business ready? There’s a growing need for end-to-end technology strategies that include Copilot+ PCs. 75% of global knowledge workers are already using AI tools. 1 Choosing the right endpoints can help you capture the best possible ROI from your AI investment. Copilot+ PCs provide powerful on-device processing to elevate employee productivity, enhance collaboration, and drive innovation. To unlock the full benefits of Copilot+ PCs, it's important to understand how they work and what they can do. This blog defines this new device category and explores its benefits to help you make informed decisions for your business. What is a Copilot+ PC? A Copilot+ PC includes a neural processing unit (NPU). This specialized chip processes AI workloads locally with high performance and efficiency. That creates new possibilities for on-device experiences, including content and image generation, optimizing the performance of AI models and apps, and accelerating compute. CPUs and GPUs can also process AI workloads, but NPUs are specially designed for the task. NPU performance is measured in trillion operations per second (TOPS). NPUs handle AI workloads with extraordinary efficiency. The latest chips are optimized to perform trillions of operations using less than 10 watts of power to deliver strong AI processing while extending battery life. Align the benefits of Copilot+ PCs with your strategic priorities Employees are eager to use AI to save time, accelerate productivity, and get more enjoyment out of their work. 1 The benefits are already tangible, and this device class is highly likely to pay dividends as AI technology continues to advance. Devices designed for AI can help business and IT leaders meet strategic goals in five crucial areas. Empowering talent Getting AI into your workers’ hands means they have more ways to benefit from AI. They’ll be able to take advantage of new NPU-dependent software features sooner. Enhancing experiences PCs with premium hardware and software experiences working in tandem give employees more and better ways to interact with AI tools. Examples include high-quality microphones and voice recognition that enable more accurate AI commands or vibrant screens that make the most of AI image generation capabilities. Unlocking innovation Developers who build apps that use local AI need devices with powerful onboard processing. As AI app development becomes more prevalent, Copilot+ PCs will gain even greater relevance. Outpacing competition AI is a rapidly evolving technology. Organizations with the right endpoints will be in a better position to stay ahead of the pack as new solutions appear. Reinforcing security Features like multi-factor authentication, hardware-based threat protection, and a secure supply chain matter more than ever in this data-dependent AI era. Devices built for enterprise-grade security and privacy enable AI adoption with peace of mind and help your business stay ahead of emerging threats. Devices matter to the success of your AI strategy Understanding the technology behind Copilot+ PCs bolsters your strategic adoption of AI. It helps you choose the devices that suit your vision. Microsoft Surface Copilot+ PCs and Copilot+ PCs accelerate AI ROI by helping you engage employees, boost collaboration, streamline IT, strengthen security, and drive innovation. Start capturing the AI opportunity today. Read the e-book for a step-by-step guide to creating your AI device strategy: https://info.microsoft.com/ww-landing-capturing-the-opportunity-of-microsoft-surface-copilot-plus-pCs.htmlSeven steps for building a Copilot+ PC device strategy
Copilot+ PCs use a neural processing unit (NPU) to efficiently process AI workloads on the device. Their arrival creates exciting new possibilities. But because Copilot+ PCs are new, most organizations are just beginning to build a strategy for evaluating and acquiring them. In fact, 60% of leaders worry their organization’s leadership lacks a plan and vision to implement AI*. As a result, there’s an opportunity for early adopters to innovate and outcompete. In this blog, we provide a roadmap for incorporating Copilot+ PCs into your device strategy to help you make the most of fast-moving technology innovation. Defining your AI strategy in seven steps These steps can help you tailor your Copilot+ PC device strategy to your business goals. With the right devices in the right hands, you can open up opportunities for innovation and efficiency to gain a competitive edge. 1. Assess capabilities and determine goals Evaluate existing infrastructure and identify areas where the ability of AI to help employees create content, streamline workflows, and collaborate more effectively can deliver the greatest impact. Areas include: Improving operational efficiency Enhancing customer experiences Streamlining collaboration Accelerating creativity Advancing research and development 2. Define success metrics Measuring whether your AI strategy is working depends on having benchmarks for the outcomes you want to achieve. Qualitative factors are easier to define, but quantitative metrics offer greater precision for evaluating performance. Potential benchmarks: Average customer response times Number of tasks automated Improved predictive maintenance Time savings per employee per cycle Meetings eliminated Number of communications crafted Employee capability enhancements 3. Consider where specific AI workflows belong Think through specific employee roles and personas to look for areas where on-device AI capabilities could help. Think about who will benefit most from the following features: Better battery life Enhanced collaborative experiences Premium audiovisual capabilities The opportunity to experiment with AI development Enhanced security Greater accessibility 4. Understand the AI user personas in your business Not everyone shares the same level of enthusiasm about Copilot+ PCs in the workplace. Structuring how you think about employees’ differing attitudes can help you tailor adoption and change management tactics when rolling out Copilot+ PCs. Here’s one way to think about different levels of employee excitement around AI: Adopters Adopters are looking for advanced tools, leader sponsorship, and guidelines or examples to fuel further exploration. Observers Observers benefit from educational resources, positive use cases, and opportunities to engage with optimistic adopters. Bystanders To encourage bystanders to move forward, leaders need to provide concrete evidence of AI’s value, certainty about its ethical use, and assurance that their jobs are secure. Tip: Incorporate optimists and early adopters into your pilot program or initial rollout stage to capitalize on their expertise, engagement, and leadership. 5. Build on existing knowledge Copilot+ PCs are premium Windows devices with advanced security and manageability built in. They work with the existing endpoint management solutions you use to manage your existing fleet and feature the familiar Windows experiences employees rely on every day. Familiarity and compatibility empower employees to adopt new features quickly and build organizational confidence to move forward. Tip: Emphasize the continuity between previous Windows PCs and premium Windows devices optimized for the AI era: Surface offerings including Surface Copilot+ PCs and Copilot+ PCs. 6. Conduct learning and development initiatives We designed the capabilities on Surface Copilot+ PCs to be intuitive and seamless. You can stay ahead of the curve by offering continuous learning around this fast-evolving technology. Incorporate resources from AI providers and platforms like LinkedIn Learning or Microsoft Viva Learning. These could include the following subjects: AI security and data protection Prompt engineering Scenario-specific use cases Low-code/no-code development 7. Assess built-in security capabilities Evaluate the security capabilities of Copilot+ PCs. Consider crucial features for defending your devices against modern threats. Capabilities include: Seamless and effective user authentication methods Protection against complex threats like firmware and supply chain attacks Continually and automatically updated protections Augment your technology strategy with Surface Copilot+ PCs Microsoft designed the latest generations of Surface devices to help businesses make the most of powerful new AI technology. Through elevated design, premium experiences, and business-ready security and privacy, you can confidently choose Surface to keep your organization on the forefront of innovation. Start building the AI strategy that will create the best experience for your employees and drive the greatest results for your business. Read the e-book for a step-by-step guide to finding and adopting Copilot+ PCs: https://info.microsoft.com/ww-landing-capturing-the-opportunity-of-microsoft-surface-copilot-plus-pCs.html * Microsoft, AI at Work Is Here. Now Comes the Hard Part: 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report, May 2024.
