Skip to main content
UploadLanguage (EN)Support
BusinessMobileSocial MediaMarketingTechnologyArt & PhotosCareerDesignEducationPresentations & Public SpeakingGovernment & NonprofitHealthcareInternetLawLeadership & ManagementAutomotiveEngineeringSoftwareRecruiting & HRRetailSalesServicesScienceSmall Business & EntrepreneurshipFoodEnvironmentEconomy & FinanceData & AnalyticsInvestor RelationsSportsSpiritualNews & PoliticsTravelSelf ImprovementReal EstateEntertainment & HumorHealth & MedicineDevices & HardwareLifestyle
Udaiappa Ramachandran, profile picture
Uploaded byUdaiappa Ramachandran
PPTX, PDF92 views

Microsoft IQ: Foundry, Work, Fabric & Web | Udaiappa Ramachandran

Microsoft IQ Deep Dive: Foundry IQ, Web IQ, Work IQ & Fabric IQ — a technical walkthrough of the context layer that lets enterprise agents reason over everything a business knows. This deck takes the four IQs one at a time and shows how they compose into a single retrieval brain for grounded, cited, and governed answers. It starts with Foundry IQ, the retrieval brain: how agentic retrieval plans queries, searches across your sources, merges and ranks the results, and synthesizes one cited answer, along with the ingestion pipeline, hybrid search, reasoning effort, and three ways to wire a knowledge base into an agent. From there it covers Web IQ, an agent-native, structured, multimodal index of the open web delivered through MCP and blended directly into a Foundry knowledge base. Next is Work IQ, an intelligence and context layer over Microsoft 365 (and how it differs from Microsoft Graph), with its three protocols — A2A, MCP, and REST — a small set of generic tools built around a single guarded write path, and the option to ship an agent as an autonomous Agent 365. Finally, Fabric IQ brings it together as a shared business model over OneLake: zero-ETL shortcuts and mirroring, an ontology, a graph you query with GQL, semantic models, and the Fabric data agent. Built for developers, architects, and decision-makers, the deck uses original diagrams, code snippets, and a short knowledge-check quiz, with links to runnable samples and session recordings. It's based on Microsoft's IQ Deep Dive series. Microsoft, Azure, Fabric, OneLake, Power BI, and other names are trademarks of their respective owners; this is an independent technical overview.

Technology◦
Download to read offline
Microsoft IQ Foundry IQ · Web IQ · Work IQ · Fabric IQ The context engine for enterprise agents Udaiappa Ramachandran (Udai) CTO|CSO @ Akumina Inc. | Microsoft MVP (AI) Web: https://udai.io LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/udair Meetup: https://meetup.com/nashuaug
What this deck covers One platform, four intelligences — read at three altitudes. Foundry IQ Agentic retrieval over your knowledge + live web Web IQ An agent-native index of the connected web Work IQ Grounding + action across Microsoft 365 Fabric IQ A shared model of how the business operates Three reading lenses Executive Why it matters: fewer silos, grounded answers, governed automation. Architect How it fits: protocols (MCP · A2A · REST), data flow, and boundaries. Developer How to build: SDK calls, tools, and deployable agent patterns. 2 Microsoft IQ
The Microsoft IQ platform A context layer that sits between your agents and everything they need to reason over. Copilot & custom agents context in · actions out Foundry IQ Agents unlock knowledge Policy-aware retrieval over docs + web Web IQ Connect to the web Fresh, verifiable web intelligence Work IQ How employees work People, mail, meetings, chats, files Fabric IQ How the business operates Entities, metrics, systems of record Your enterprise: Microsoft 365 · OneLake & Fabric · documents · the open web 3 Microsoft IQ
S E C T I O N 0 1 FOUNDRY IQ Agentic retrieval that turns your knowledge — and the live web — into grounded, cited answers. FOUNDRY IQ WEB IQ WORK IQ FABRIC IQ 4 Microsoft IQ - Foundry IQ
Making knowledge agent-ready Knowledge lives everywhere. Foundry IQ turns it into one grounded answer. PDFs Email Teams chats Tables Analytics SharePoint Foundry IQ built on Azure AI Search 1. Route 2. Retrieve 3. Merge 4. Synthesize One grounded answer Semi-gloss is best for bathrooms — moisture-resistant and washable [1]. A can of ZavaTech Interior Semi-Gloss runs $47.00 [2]. One question. Every source. One answer — with citations. 5 Microsoft IQ - Foundry IQ
Inside a knowledge base Plan queries, search every source in parallel, then merge and synthesize — iterating only when it still needs more context. Input Knowledge sources Output Conversation Steering instructions Retrieval planning Search query 1 Search query 2 Search Index MCP Work IQ Fabric IQ Merged results Activity log Answer synthesis Iterative retrieval Microsoft IQ - Foundry IQ 6
Getting knowledge in Unstructured files run an ingestion pipeline. Choose how much control you need. Extraction text, tables & figures Chunking split by sentences Embedding vector per chunk Index one row per chunk File Knowledge Source You bring files — zero ingestion code Extract → Chunk → Embed → Index, fully automatic Just upload and go No pipeline to maintain Fixed index schema, less flexibility Best for: prototyping, small document sets Indexed Knowledge Source You bring a data source (Blob, DB, OneLake…) Data source → Indexer → Skillset → Index Full schema & pipeline control Custom enrichments / skillsets More custom code to maintain Best for: production data, custom schemas 7 Microsoft IQ - Foundry IQ
Quality knobs: hybrid search + effort Fuse keyword with vector, then dial how hard the engine reasons per run. Hybrid retrieval Hybrid beats pure vector or keyword alone. Keyword results exact matches, BM25 Vector results semantic similarity Fusion (RRF) Semantic re-ranker Retrieval reasoning effort One knob trading cost & latency for depth. MINIMAL No LLM — re-ranker only. Lowest cost & latency; you plan queries yourself. Ideal as an agent tool. LOW LLM plans queries + optional answer synthesis. Balanced default. MEDIUM Adds a second retrieval pass only when more context is needed. Highest quality. more agentic, more cost → 8 Microsoft IQ - Foundry IQ
Using Foundry IQ inside agents Three ways to wire a knowledge base into an agent — pick by control vs. portability. Option 1 Custom tool via API Full control over params & response Access to references + activity log Less portable across agents Option 2 Point at KB MCP endpoint Least code to maintain Portable, standards-based Can't tune retrieval params Option 3 Via Foundry Toolbox Easy to add more tools Managed auth for authorized sources Inherits MCP limitations @tool async def retrieve_company_knowledge(queries: list[str]): request = KnowledgeBaseRetrievalRequest( intents=[SemanticIntent(search=q) for q in queries]) return await knowledge_base_client.retrieve(request) # grounded + cited Repos & notebooks: github.com/microsoft/iqdeepdive 9 Microsoft IQ - Foundry IQ
S E C T I O N 0 2 WEB IQ An agent-native index of the open web: fast, structured, multimodal — delivered in a single call. FOUNDRY IQ WEB IQ WORK IQ FABRIC IQ 10 Microsoft IQ - Web IQ
An agent-native view of the web Not a search box for people — a structured, multimodal web index built for agents. Web IQ Web search News Finance Sports Video Browse …with more verticals to come. One index, many modalities. 11 Microsoft IQ - Web IQ
Why an agent-specific web engine Built for the way agents consume the web: fast, and everything in one payload. ~164ms P95 LATENCY fast enough to sit inside a reasoning loop 2.5× FASTER than today's best alternative 1 call FULL PAYLOAD Markdown, HTML & summaries together Latency is a feature An agent may call the web many times in one turn. Round-trip cost compounds — so Web IQ trims it aggressively. One response, no second hops Human search returns links you must open. Web IQ returns the content — text, structure, and a summary — in the first response. Fresh & verifiable Results carry URLs, crawl timestamps and language, so agents can ground answers in citable, current sources. 12 Microsoft IQ - Web IQ
Retrieval through the Web IQ MCP server The agent calls one `web` tool; Web IQ returns a structured, citable result. Agent question “Industry benchmarks for mental-health benefits at tech companies?” Web IQ MCP server Structured result Tool web Title Mental Health Technology Sector Overview URL multiples.vc/coverage/mental-health-technology Content Telehealth platforms, measurement-based care, practice- management software… Crawled 2026-05-10T20:07:00Z Language en Private preview Allow-listed customers only — a WEB_IQ_KEY is required to call the MCP server. 13 Microsoft IQ - Web IQ
Web IQ inside a Foundry knowledge base Register Web IQ as an MCP source, then blend live web with your own documents. Web IQ live web results HR docs index your documents Knowledge base One blended answer — company policy + current web, ranked together and cited. web_source = McpServerKnowledgeSource( name="web-knowledge-source", description="Web IQ (live web search)", mcp_server_parameters=McpServerKnowledgeSourceParameters( server_url="https://api.microsoft.ai/v3/mcp", tools=[McpServerTool("web")])) kb = KnowledgeBase(knowledge_sources=[web_source, hrdocs_source]) # blend both 14 Microsoft IQ - Web IQ
When to reach for Web IQ Architect's checklist: it grounds on the open web, not your private estate. Reach for it when The answer depends on current, public information You need news, finance, sports, or web media You want citations to verifiable external sources Latency inside a reasoning loop matters Use something else when The answer lives in your documents → Foundry IQ It's about people, mail or meetings → Work IQ It's business / operational data → Fabric IQ Access is gated → still in private preview Mental model: Foundry IQ is the retrieval brain; Web IQ is one of its most powerful sources — the world's knowledge, made agent-shaped. Because it plugs in as an MCP knowledge source, the same knowledge base can answer from your files and the live web in a single call. 15 Microsoft IQ - Web IQ
S E C T I O N 0 3 WORK IQ A routing orchestrator over Microsoft 365 that lets agents retrieve context and take action in place. FOUNDRY IQ WEB IQ WORK IQ FABRIC IQ 16 Microsoft IQ - Work IQ
An agent for your work data A routing orchestrator over Microsoft 365 — retrieve context and take action, in place. Your agent or app MCP A2A REST Work IQ routing orchestrator Context API Tool APIs Microsoft 365 Mail Calendar Teams Docs People SharePoint “What did my manager email me this week?” → Niya sent 3 emails on the Q3 budget: she needs your headcount by Friday and moved the sync to Thursday 2pm. [1][2][3] 17 Microsoft IQ - Work IQ
Work IQ vs. Microsoft Graph Graph is a data-access API. Work IQ is an intelligence & context layer for agents. Microsoft Graph Work IQ A data-access API An intelligence & context layer Built for apps and users Built for agents App-only & delegated auth Delegated (signed-in user) only Returns raw data you stitch together Returns grounded answers + references Hundreds of typed endpoints 10 generic tools over MCP You manage paging & throttling Agent-optimized, in-place governance 18 Microsoft IQ - Work IQ
One layer, three protocols Same intelligence, exposed through the protocol that fits the caller. Chat Converse with people & other agents — ask, A2A Context Grounded org understanding across mail, meetings, docs & chats Tools Governed retrieve + act across M365 via generic verbs Workspaces A persistent place for agents to hold state across long tasks A2A Agent → Agent One agent delegates a task to another (multi- agent orchestration) MCP Agent → Tool An agent grounds & acts via Work IQ as a tool REST Human / device → Agent A mobile or web app queries Work IQ for a user 19 Microsoft IQ - Work IQ
10 generic tools — and one write path Progressive disclosure: discover, learn the schema, then read or (carefully) write. Progressive disclosure 1 Chat ask · list_agents 2 Schema search_paths · get_schema 3 Entity read fetch · call_function 4 Entity write create · update · delete · do_action do_action the ONLY write path ALLOWED PREFIXES /me/ /users/ /sites/ BLOCKED /authentication/ /servicePrincipals/ Discover first: search_paths → get_schema Runs under the signed-in user jsonBody is a JSON-encoded string 20 Microsoft IQ - Work IQ
From tool to autonomous coworker Wire Work IQ as an MCP tool — then ship the same agent as an Agent 365 autopilot. work_iq = MCPStreamableHTTPTool( name="work-iq", url=work_iq_endpoint, allowed_tools=["ask", "fetch", "get_schema", "do_action"]) agent = Agent(name="ContosoWorkmate", tools=[get_current_date, work_iq]) Ship it as an Agent 365 autopilot Its own M365 identity — mailbox, calendar, Teams presence @mention it in Teams like a coworker Reasons over real work context via Work IQ Governed like any identity — auditable & revocable In the playground → runs on-behalf-of YOU Uses your mailbox, your permissions, your identity. In Teams → acts as its OWN identity do_action takes real action from the autopilot's M365 — think “digital coworker,” not “assistant signed in as me.” 21 Microsoft IQ - Work IQ
S E C T I O N 0 4 FABRIC IQ A shared business model over OneLake — ontology, graph, and semantic data agents in one layer. FOUNDRY IQ WEB IQ WORK IQ FABRIC IQ 22 Microsoft IQ - Fabric IQ
Unify data in OneLake with zero ETL Shortcut & mirroring sources — connect data where it lives, no copies. GENERALLY AVAILABLE Azure SQL MI Azure Blob Storage Azure Cosmos DB Azure PostgreSQL SQL Server 2025 SQL Server Azure SQL DB Azure Data Lake Store Microsoft OneLake Snowflake Google Cloud Storage Microsoft Dataverse Databricks Catalog Amazon S3 S3 Compatible PUBLIC PREVIEW SharePoint / OneDrive SAP Datasphere Oracle DB Google BigQuery Live web of enterprise sources — more added each release. Microsoft IQ - Fabric IQ 23
A shared model of the business Over one data foundation (OneLake), Fabric IQ layers the meaning agents reason with. OneLake — one unified store for structured, unstructured, real-time & graph data (zero-ETL shortcuts & mirroring) Ontology Shared vocabulary of entities & relationships Graph Connections between entities & events Semantic model Curated metrics & KPIs for Power BI Data agent AI analyst answering domain questions Business intelligence · operations · planning · digital twins all sit on the same shared context. 24 Microsoft IQ - Fabric IQ
Ontology: your business vocabulary Entity types, properties, typed relationships — bound to real data in OneLake. Entity types The concepts (Product, Store, Category) Properties Named facts (Product.name, Product.sku) Relationships Typed links (Category → contains → Product) Data bindings Connect to OneLake (Store.storeName → store_name) Retail store ontology Store storeId storeName city Inventory storeId · sku quantityOnHand Product name · sku price Category categoryName Supplier supplierId holds recordsStockFor contains supplies create-lakehouse.py Microsoft IQ - Fabric IQ 25
Graphs: model relationships, query with GQL Nodes are things, edges are relationships — traversed with graph queries. Product name · sku Review user_id Feature name HAS_REVIEW MENTIONS Nodes, edges, labels & properties Edge properties add business context — e.g. sentiment (+/−), confidence. MATCH (p:`Product`) -[:`HAS_REVIEW`]->(r:`Review`) -[m:`MENTIONS`]->(f:`Feature`) FILTER m.sentiment = 'negative' RETURN p.name, r.rating, f.featureName, m.confidence ORDER BY m.confidence DESC LIMIT 20 From agents: add the graph to a Fabric data agent for NL2GQL. 26 Microsoft IQ - Fabric IQ
Semantic models & the data agent Star-schema models power Power BI and NL2DAX; the data agent queries across it all. Star schema (web analytics) Sessions FACT Date Devices Channels Pages Geography Facts to aggregate · dimensions to group & filter. Measures = reusable DAX. Fabric data agent One conversational agent that selects a source, generates the query, and validates it: Semantic model DAX Lakehouse SQL Graph model GQL Eventhouse KQL Data warehouse SQL 27 Microsoft IQ - Fabric IQ
Fabric IQ inside a Foundry knowledge base Plug operational data in as a source — agents answer over docs and business data together. “What are the stock levels for our hammers?” Knowledge base Fabric IQ source HR docs index Grounded, live answer 12″ Hammer (HM13005): 50 on hand at STORE-SEA · 6″ Hammer (HM16325): 25 on hand Ontology Product inventories Graph Product reviews Semantic models Website analytics Data agent All of the above, unified A Fabric data agent knowledge source can expose ontology, graph & semantic models through one connection. 28 Microsoft IQ - Fabric IQ
How the four compose Foundry IQ is the retrieval brain; the others are sources it can blend in one call. Your agent Foundry IQ agentic retrieval — plan · merge · synthesize Web IQ the open web Work IQ M365 work context Fabric IQ business data Add or remove a source without re-architecting the agent — one knowledge base, many kinds of context. 29 Microsoft IQ
References Docs, samples, hands-on training, and session recordings. 1 Microsoft IQ series https://github.com/microsoft/iq-series Overview and docs spanning the four IQs. 2 IQ deep-dive — samples & notebooks https://github.com/microsoft/iqdeepdive Runnable code for the demos in this deck. 3 Get started with Foundry IQ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/get-started-foundry-iq/ Hands-on Microsoft Learn training module. 4 NH Cloud on YouTube https://youtube.com/@nhcloud Recordings of all our meetings and sessions. Microsoft IQ 30
Q & A Executives Microsoft IQ turns four kinds of context into grounded, governed answers — less silo-stitching, more trustworthy automation. Architects One retrieval brain (Foundry IQ) blends web, work and business sources over MCP · A2A · REST — governed in place. Developers A few SDK calls register a source and a knowledge base; the same agent ships to Teams as a governed autopilot. Code, notebooks & demos: github.com/microsoft/iqdeepdive · Requires an Azure account (gpt-5.4 + text-embedding-3-large). Take it back to your team — three lenses, one platform. 31