Microsoft’s Ignite 2025 keynote didn’t just introduce new capabilities. It redrew the boundaries of enterprise work. AI agents are no longer an experiment; they’re a new digital workforce. Intelligence is no longer an add-on; it’s embedded into documents, data, code, collaboration, and every operational layer in between. And the enterprise is no longer powered by applications but by continuous reasoning across Work IQ, Fabric IQ, Foundry IQ, and the agents that sit on top of them.
This is the boldest shift we’ve seen in decades. But it also exposes a truth that’s getting lost in the excitement.
The more powerful the Microsoft ecosystem becomes, the more essential it is for enterprises to have a second intelligence layer — one focused on financial clarity, identity discipline, and governance control.
Microsoft raised the ceiling. But for most enterprises, the floor hasn’t been strengthened to support it.
Gartner’s latest forecasts reinforce this tension. GenAI spending is accelerating at 66.8% CAGR through 2029. CIOs are dedicating 10% to 50% of their technology budgets to AI initiatives. And by 2028, over half of enterprises will fail to realize measurable AI value, not because of the models, but because their operating models, governance structures, and financial controls can’t keep up. Even more telling: 40% of agentic AI projects will be canceled due to escalating costs, unclear value, or inadequate risk controls.
Technology isn’t the obstacle. The real friction comes from gaps in visibility, governance, and financial accountability.
Ignite showcased an enterprise that is smarter, faster, more connected, and more autonomous. What wasn’t said — but what every executive needs to understand — is that autonomy without observability becomes drift. Agents without cost intelligence become unpredictable spend centers. Ubiquitous AI without identity discipline becomes a security multiplier. And innovation without guardrails becomes a governance failure waiting to happen.
AI agents aren’t bots. They behave like employees and are considered digital employees who can consume resources, invoke code, trigger workflows, influence decisions, access sensitive data, and drive costs. They require the same level of oversight as any contributor to the business. Gartner predicts that by 2028, 45% of CIOs will lead multiagent systems outside IT, becoming co-architects of a combined human–digital workforce. Yet most organizations still lack even a basic understanding of what these agents cost, what they touch, how they behave, and whether they produce value.
This is the gap Surveil was built to close.
Surveil’s role in the agentic era is to complement Microsoft’s intelligence layers with AI impact intelligence that keeps the enterprise financially accountable, operationally aligned, and secure as it scales its new digital workforce.
Microsoft’s intelligence layers are designed to optimize the Microsoft ecosystem. Surveil provides the independent, enterprise-aligned intelligence that spans Azure, Microsoft 365, identity, and multi-cloud — giving organizations the full picture they need to make responsible, financially sound decisions as AI agents scale.
Where Microsoft’s stack understands how work happens, Surveil reveals what that work costs, who is responsible for it, how it impacts commitments and consumption, and where value is created or lost. Where Microsoft enables agent orchestration, Surveil brings financial truth and governance clarity to that orchestration. Where Microsoft accelerates AI-powered workflows, Surveil ensures those workflows remain visible, optimized, and sustainable.
Because the enterprises that win in this new world won’t be the ones who adopt the most agents. They’ll be the ones who can answer the questions no intelligence layer inside Microsoft is designed to answer:
- What is AI truly costing us — today, this week, this quarter?
- Which agents and workloads generate measurable business value?
- Where are we unintentionally bleeding GPU or Copilot spend?
- How much waste can we reclaim and reinvest into high-value AI programs?
- Who has access they shouldn’t — and what is the financial risk of that gap?
- How fast are our commitments being consumed?
- How do we govern the digital workforce with the same rigor as the human one?
The agentic enterprise is here. Microsoft Ignite 2025 made that undeniable.
But responsible, measurable, financially sustainable AI requires another layer and one that works across Azure, Microsoft 365, Copilot, identity, agents, and the rapidly expanding AI estate.
Surveil is the Intelligence Layer You Need
We don’t slow down Microsoft’s ambition. We make it possible for enterprises to keep pace with clarity, control, and confidence. We ensure transformation doesn’t outpace governance. We help organizations reveal the true economics of AI, rebalance their consumption, and reinvest reclaimed value back into innovation. And we do it across cloud, identity, licenses, commitments, and AI workloads with the visibility enterprises have been missing.
Take Action
Microsoft ignited the next era of enterprise work.
Surveil ensures that era is accountable, secure, and profitable.
As the agentic enterprise takes shape, every organization will need a clearer understanding of what AI is doing, what it’s costing, and how it’s shaping the business. The companies that make that intelligence a priority will move faster, spend smarter, and innovate with confidence. Surveil is already helping leaders build that foundation. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help future proof your next wave of responsible AI acceleration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the agentic enterprise?
The agentic enterprise is a model where AI agents, intelligence layers, and unified data ecosystems collaborate with employees to perform work autonomously and at scale. Microsoft’s Work IQ, Fabric IQ, and Foundry IQ enable this shift.
Q2. Why do AI agents require governance and financial oversight?
AI agents behave like digital employees. They access data, trigger workflows, consume resources, and influence business outcomes. Without governance and spend intelligence, they create unpredictable cost, risk, and operational drift.
Q3. Why will many AI and agentic projects fail without a second intelligence layer?
Gartner predicts that over 50% of enterprises will fail to realize AI value due to operating model gaps — and 40% of agentic projects will be canceled because of escalating costs and weak risk controls. A second intelligence layer ensures visibility, accountability, and responsible acceleration.
Q4. How does Surveil support the agentic enterprise?
Surveil delivers AI Impact Intelligence across Azure, Microsoft 365, Copilot, identity, agents, and cloud consumption. Surveil reveals true AI costs, prevents waste, governs access, and provides the financial clarity Microsoft’s intelligence layers are not designed to provide.