What is Microsoft 2026 Release Wave 1

Microsoft releases two major update waves each year for its enterprise products. Release Wave 1 for 2026 covers the period from April to September 2026 and includes new features for Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and role-based agents within Microsoft 365 Copilot. The main theme of this wave is the shift from passive assistants to active agents that independently carry out multi-step operations.

While until now Copilot primarily answered questions or generated suggestions, the new generation of models can more reliably fulfill instructions, make edits directly in documents, and coordinate complex workflows. Microsoft describes this shift as agentic evolution — an evolution toward true collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence.

Dynamics 365: Agents in Sales, Service, and Logistics

In the area of Dynamics 365, Microsoft is expanding agentic AI across all major modules. Dynamics 365 Sales users will get better integration of CRM data with Microsoft 365 — emails, meeting summaries, and contextual information will be automatically linked to sales opportunities. The goal is to shorten the time between the first contact and closing the deal.

In the Customer Service module, new agents for administrators and supervisors are being added to help escalate complex cases more quickly. Contact centers will see improved AI-driven self-service, which for Czech companies with their own call centers could mean cost savings on first-line support. In Field Service, a Scheduling Operations Agent appears, optimizing the scheduling of field workers.

For finance departments and warehouses, Microsoft brings interesting updates. Dynamics 365 Finance gains automation of financial processes, while Supply Chain Management adds AI-powered picking — intelligent order picking, automatic inventory reallocation, and hands-free scanning. For smaller companies, Business Central is moving toward so-called "agentic ERP," where AI agents help with routine accounting and operational tasks.

An interesting element is also Immersive Home — a new adaptive workspace for managing agents and monitoring workflows, which connects finance and operations in a unified interface.

Power Platform and Copilot Studio: Low-Code Agents for Everyone

Microsoft Power Platform remains a key tool for companies that want to build their own applications and automations without deep programming knowledge. In the new 2026 wave, Power Apps gains extended support for generative pages, enabling faster creation of intelligent user interfaces.

In Power Automate, agents appear that are capable of independently fixing errors in automations (self-healing), optimizing desktop flows, and linking actions from Copilot Studio directly into cloud processes. For Czech companies with their own ERP or accounting systems, this can mean easier integration of AI into existing workflows.

Copilot Studio is undergoing a fundamental expansion. It now enables advanced management of custom agents, multi-agent orchestration — that is, coordinating multiple agents at once — and evaluating their performance. Thanks to deeper integration with Microsoft Foundry and Work IQ, agents can use the latest models including data specific to the given organization.

An important update is also the strengthening of governance. Administrators are gaining tools for security control of agents, real-time risk assessment in Copilot Studio, and AI governance agents that automatically monitor the tenant and resolve issues.

Microsoft 365 Copilot: Role-Based Agents Go Live

Microsoft continues its role-based agents strategy — specialized AI assistants tailored to specific job positions. In the new wave, Sales Agent is significantly strengthened, designed to function as a "daily command center for salespeople." It brings richer Sales Chat, a clear Sales Home, simplified access to sales data, and better integration with Outlook and Teams.

For financial analysts and accountants, an expanded Finance Agent is added, helping with routine tasks such as reconciliation (account matching), variance analysis, data preparation in Excel, and communication with customers directly in Outlook. These are activities that in Czech companies often take dozens of hours per month.

According to Microsoft's official announcement from April 2026, agentic capabilities in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are also moving to general availability. Data from early testing shows significant improvement: +52% engagement in Word, +67% in Excel, and +21% user satisfaction.

What This Means for Czech Companies

For the Czech market, the new wave brings several specific opportunities and challenges. Companies using Dynamics 365 or Business Central can start planning the deployment of agents in sales, finance, and logistics. Thanks to Microsoft's Czech branch and a network of local partners, these tools are officially available in the Czech Republic as well.

On the Power Platform side, Czech companies can be expected to build their own agents for specific processes — from automating HR administration to quality control in manufacturing. Copilot Studio enables agent creation in natural language, which lowers the barrier for teams without deep IT knowledge.

It is also important to mention regulation. Within the EU, the AI Act applies, which places requirements on transparency and oversight of autonomous systems. The new governance tools in Power Platform and Copilot Studio are therefore not just "nice to have" — for European companies, they may become essential for meeting legal obligations.

Regarding language support, the primary interface of agents is still in English. Czech localization is gradually increasing, but to fully utilize the latest agentic features, companies will likely need at least partial English proficiency in key roles.

Pricing and Availability

Microsoft 2026 Release Wave 1 began rolling out on April 1, 2026 and will continue until September 2026. Specific features are being made available gradually by region.

In terms of pricing plans:

• Microsoft 365 Copilot for businesses: approximately 30 USD (about 700 CZK) per user per month. For home users and individuals, it is available within Microsoft 365 Premium, Personal, and Family plans.
• Copilot Studio: from 200 USD per month for 25,000 messages, with the option to expand based on consumption.
• Power Platform licenses: basic features are included in many enterprise subscriptions, advanced features and AI credits are subject to a consumption model.
• Dynamics 365: prices vary by module, sales modules start at approximately 65 USD per user per month, Business Central from 70 USD per user per month.

For Czech companies, it is relevant that Microsoft offers support and implementation through local partners, who can help with setting up agents in the Czech environment and in compliance with European regulations.

Comparison with Competition: How Microsoft Stands

In the field of agentic AI, Microsoft competes primarily with Salesforce (Agentforce), Google Cloud (Vertex AI Agents), and specialized platforms such as ServiceNow or UiPath. Microsoft's main advantage is deep integration with the Office 365, Teams, and Outlook ecosystem, which most companies already use. Unlike the competition, Microsoft does not offer just a chatbot, but agents embedded directly into work tools.

Compared to Salesforce, Microsoft is often more accessible to mid-sized companies thanks to a wide range of licenses. Compared to Google Cloud, it offers better connectivity with desktop applications. On the other hand, specialized platforms like UiPath may still offer more advanced robotic process automation (RPA) capabilities for very specific processes.