Avanade has announced a design partnership with Microsoft to help shape the next generation of Microsoft Sentinel and Security Copilot platforms. The collaboration marks a milestone for the global Microsoft solutions provider, bringing new AI agent capabilities to market for the first time.
Advancing Microsoft’s AI-driven security vision
As a design and depth partner, Avanade will work closely with Microsoft product teams to support the development of the Sentinel and Security Copilot platforms. This includes validating new use cases, testing product functionality, and providing feedback on API extensibility. The partnership builds on Avanade’s long-standing expertise in Microsoft Security technologies and its proven ability to offer insights that drive innovation across the Microsoft ecosystem.
Avanade is contributing by developing AI-driven tools such as Security Copilot agents, Sentinel connectors, analytics rules, playbooks, hunting queries, and Jupyter notebook jobs. These efforts aim to extend Sentinel’s capabilities using its new data lake, graph functions, and MCP server options to enhance communication between agents. Together, these developments are designed to make cybersecurity innovation more accessible to businesses around the world.
New AI agents to strengthen cybersecurity
As part of this collaboration, Avanade has launched three new Security Copilot agents designed to support organisations in managing and responding to cybersecurity threats. These agents include Sentinel Analytics Optimizer, which helps improve operational efficiency; Threat Shield, which leverages threat intelligence to enhance Security Operations Centre (SOC) coverage; and Endpoint Risk Insights, which provides guidance from detection to remediation. All three agents will soon be available to clients through the new Microsoft Security Store.
Jason Revill, Global Security Practice Technology Lead at Avanade, said the company’s involvement reflects its strong commitment to advancing cybersecurity innovation. “Our involvement as a design partner in Microsoft’s Sentinel Platform and Security Copilot Agents, signals our deep relationship with Microsoft and our leading position as a driver of innovation within cybersecurity,” he said. “Now more than ever, prioritising digital advancements in the cybersecurity space, in the wake of a multitude of cyber breaches taking place globally, is extremely important. We are looking forward to being a part of Microsoft’s journey to becoming the security data and AI layer of choice for our clients, creating the foundations for Security AI Agents to thrive.”
Revill added that the partnership will particularly benefit mid-market organisations, which often face challenges in adopting new technologies to counter evolving threats. He noted that platforms like Microsoft Sentinel can make security data more accessible while improving the effectiveness of Security Copilot agents in defending organisations.
Building the backbone of modern defence
Microsoft’s vision for Sentinel has evolved beyond its traditional role as a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system. The platform is now positioned as a data lake-powered, AI-ready environment that unifies security data and enables advanced reasoning through graph-powered visibility and intelligent agents. This approach provides security teams with enhanced context, connected insights, and a scalable framework for modern defence.
Vasu Jakkal, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Security, said the redesign of Sentinel marks a major step forward in AI-driven cybersecurity. “We’ve reimagined Microsoft Sentinel as an AI-ready platform, unifying security data into a single, enriched data lake that delivers graph-powered visibility and intelligent agent capabilities,” he said. “This transformation positions Microsoft Sentinel as the backbone of modern defence, offering deep context, connected insights, and empowering security teams to act with precision, and stay ahead of evolving threats. This transformation is amplified by a vibrant partner ecosystem. We are grateful to our partners that use Microsoft Sentinel to create integrated solutions. This collaboration powers a collective defence, because after all, security is a team sport.”
Through this design partnership, Avanade and Microsoft are shaping a new era of AI-enabled cybersecurity, empowering organisations to respond to threats more intelligently and effectively.
