IBM and Microsoft launched Imagine Enterprise, a bundle of 6,000-plus ready-made AI agents for big firms. Few companies say they will let agents act alone.
IBM and Microsoft on Tuesday, Nov. 10, introduced Imagine Enterprise, a package of ready-made AI agents for large companies. An AI agent is software that can carry out tasks for a business, not just answer questions. The package is aimed at banks, insurers and retailers that want to automate everyday business processes.
The platform bundles more than 6,000 prebuilt agents and related assets. That number needs a caveat. It counts agents and other tools together, so it is not 6,000 agents ready to deploy. The agents run on Microsoft's cloud and draw on IBM Consulting's existing AI tools.
Engineers from both companies will work directly with qualifying customers. Their job is to connect the agents to the software a company already uses and move them from testing into real daily use. The material does not say what makes a customer qualify.
The deal extends Microsoft's push to get its existing business customers using AI. PYMNTS reported in September that Microsoft has 450 million commercial Microsoft 365 seats, but fewer than 7% carry paid Copilot licenses. Microsoft 365 Copilot costs $30 per user monthly. Newer agent features are billed by how much they are used.
Companies are using agents but holding them on a short leash. A PYMNTS Intelligence report found agentic AI is in use at 89% of large U.S. enterprises. Yet 78% would limit agents to read-only access to company directories. Another 18% would let agents act with human approval. Only 2% would allow independent action.
The same report found 51% of executives see organizational barriers, such as staffing, processes and culture, as bigger obstacles than the technology itself.
The material does not give a price for Imagine Enterprise, a date when customers can get it, or a list of which firms qualify. It also does not say how much freedom the prebuilt agents will have by default.
If you run on Microsoft tools, expect more agent offers and decide early whether agents may only look, need approval, or can act alone.
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