AI Agents in Dynamics 365 Sales: Microsoft announces MCP launch partners

Microsoft has first-party AI agents for Dynamics 365 Sales built on Copilot Studio including the Sales Qualification Agent and Sales Opportunity Agent (formerly the “Opportunity Research Agent”). With Copilot Studio agents, customers can use Model Context Protocol (MCP) to allow their agents to interface with MCP servers from external sources and use that connection to take action, gather information, and incorporate it into the agent’s work. 

To further encourage MCP-driven agent development for Dynamics 365 Sales, Microsoft is publicizing “certified” MCP servers available from several partners that can enhance their first-party agents or support new ones. 

“Today’s launch partners are a powerful starting point and as the MCP ecosystem grows, so does what your agents can do. This strengthens the broader Microsoft Copilot ecosystem and reinforces Microsoft’s agent extensibility,” wrote Mike Morton, Microsoft vice president for Dynamics 365 Customer Experiences. 

Microsoft defines what it means to offer a certified MCP server in preview documentation:

Certification gives customers and administrators confidence that an external service meets Microsoft expectations for reliability, security, compliance, and responsible operation before it is broadly available. Certified MCP servers provide clear setup guidance, reliable tool execution, appropriate authentication, and documentation that helps makers and administrators understand how to use the server safely.

The list of launch partners includes: 

• ZoomInfo (B2B data)
• Dun & Bradstreet (business identity, relationships, and risk)
• LeadIQ (lead enrichment via a pre-built connection to the Sales Qualification Agent)
• Draup (account and market intelligence for the Sales Qualification Agent)
• Gong (account and deal insights)
• Enlyft (account insights)
• HG Insights (B2B market context)

Microsoft has a long history of encouraging smaller, often VC-funded, vendors focused on enriching sales data and processes to integrate with their CRM offerings. A few examples from years past include:

• A Social Intelligence Alliance with InsideView in 2012
• Tinderbox sales automation in 2014
• D&B integration agreement in 2017
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator integration in 2017
• Seismic’s sales and marketing content integration in 2017
• Scout sales analytics platform in 2019
• Outreach sales enablement integration in 2020
• People.ai sales data integration in 2024

These partnerships have historically had a limited shelf life as market trends in the sales technology space have shifted and priorities of the giant vendors like Microsoft continue to evolve. 

Morton noted that existing customers of any of these launch partners can most easily incorporate them into agent investments. He wrote: 

If you already subscribe to these solutions, this is immediate added value. Your existing subscription now flows directly into your agentic workflows in Dynamics 365 Sales.

Microsoft’s MCP certification approach still appears to be in its early stages, with the documentation marked as “preview…and subject to change”. They have defined acceptable standards for authentication methods, package completeness, and testing, with approval via Partner Center.