Microsoft reportedly eyes E7 tier for AI agents

"As AI agents function as digital workers, they need identities, email accounts, Teams access, and policy controls - capabilities currently tied to user subscriptions. Microsoft 365 E5 plus Copilot already covers most of this, but E7 would package those elements into a single SKU."

"Microsoft officials have said to expect agents, as they proliferate in the enterprise, to need to be licensed in ways similar to human employees. While agents might not need the same salaries or benefits as human workers, they certainly need licenses."

"The figure might seem high, however, the licensing tier may appeal to some customers that want to avoid the administration overhead of E5 plus a selection of add-ons. It also benefits Microsoft, which needs to protect its revenues should agentic workers multiply in the commercial world."

Microsoft is developing a new E7 subscription tier for Microsoft 365 that would bundle Copilot and Agent 365, a service for managing AI agents in enterprise environments. As AI agents function as digital workers, they require identities, email accounts, Teams access, and policy controls similar to human employees. The E7 tier would consolidate these capabilities into a single subscription package, potentially priced at $99 per month. This approach addresses administrative overhead for enterprises deploying multiple AI agents while protecting Microsoft's revenue as agentic workers become more prevalent. Microsoft 365 prices are increasing July 1, 2026, with the E5 tier rising from $57 to $60 monthly, plus $30 for Copilot.

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