The agreement will focus on managing AI agents, protecting enterprise data and addressing security concerns that continue to slow AI adoption.
AvePoint has expanded its strategic partnership with Microsoft as businesses face growing pressure to bring AI adoption under control, particularly as autonomous agents become more widely used across the enterprise.
The agreement, announced on 10 November, builds on nearly 25 years of collaboration between the companies and will focus on strengthening governance, security and data resilience across Microsoft’s AI ecosystem.
It comes at a time when businesses are increasingly moving beyond AI trials and introducing tools such as Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Studio and Foundry into everyday operations. But while the technology is advancing rapidly, many organisations are still struggling with the practicalities of managing it.
AvePoint’s 2026 State of AI Report found that nearly nine in ten organisations had delayed AI initiatives because of concerns about data security and management.
The challenge is becoming more complicated as AI agents begin taking on tasks that previously required human involvement, raising questions about who is responsible for their actions, what information they can access and how their activities should be monitored.
Who is responsible for AI agents?
One of the main areas of collaboration involves AvePoint’s AgentPulse platform and Microsoft Agent 365.
Microsoft Agent 365 provides a common control plane for managing agents across supported platforms, covering areas including visibility, governance, resilience and cost optimisation.
AgentPulse adds a further layer of oversight by linking individual AI agents to business functions, departments and named owners. The aim is to help organisations establish who is accountable for each agent and ensure that governance decisions involve the teams actually using the technology.
This could become increasingly important as businesses deploy growing numbers of AI agents across different departments, potentially making it harder for IT and security teams to maintain a clear picture of their activities.
AvePoint’s research suggests that nearly half of employees already use AI agents on a daily or weekly basis.
Dr Tianyi Jiang, Co-Founder and CEO of AvePoint, said the expanded relationship was intended to help organisations establish the foundations needed to deploy AI more widely without losing control of their data and systems.
“Through our expanded strategic partnership with Microsoft, we’re helping organizations establish the trust, governance, and operational foundations needed to confidently deploy AI at scale,” he said.
Data protection remains a concern
The partnership also extends to data backup and recovery, another area attracting attention as businesses become increasingly dependent on cloud-based applications and AI services.
AvePoint, which was a launch partner for Microsoft 365 Backup Storage, has expanded its Cloud Backup Express offering to support the recovery of critical Microsoft 365 workloads, identities and infrastructure.
The company reported a 45-fold increase in Cloud Backup Express customers during 2026 to date, although it did not disclose the underlying customer numbers.
The growth suggests increased demand for recovery capabilities, particularly as businesses look to protect the systems and information underpinning their AI deployments.
Edwin Vargas, Managing Director of AI Business Solutions and Security Partnerships at Microsoft, said organisations needed to balance innovation with stronger oversight.
“Realizing AI’s business value at scale requires organizations to pair innovation with security, governance, and accountability,” he said.
The companies are also looking to build on their existing work around Microsoft 365 and Azure, with AvePoint positioning its governance technology alongside Microsoft’s native security and management capabilities.
Testing AI in its own business
AvePoint is using its own workforce as a testing ground for some of the technologies involved in the partnership.
Having already introduced Microsoft Copilot internally, the company is expanding access to Microsoft 365 E7, which includes additional AI and agent capabilities.
It says the experience of deploying these technologies across its own operations is helping shape the development of AgentPulse, particularly around assigning responsibility for agents and introducing governance processes that reflect how different departments work.
AvePoint has not provided details of specific new joint products or a timetable for their introduction under the expanded agreement.
Further developments are expected to be demonstrated at Microsoft Ignite, taking place in San Francisco from 17 to 20 November.
The announcement reflects a broader challenge facing organisations as AI moves into mainstream business operations. While the initial focus was largely on what generative AI could do, attention is increasingly turning to how businesses can manage the technology once it is embedded in their systems and workflows.
For companies deploying autonomous agents, that means establishing clear responsibility for their activities, maintaining visibility over the information they access and ensuring that security and recovery measures keep pace with adoption.
