CData Collaborates with Microsoft to Enable Enterprise AI Agents with Real-Time, Semantic-Rich Access to Hundreds of Enterprise Data Sources Through Model Context Protocol Integration

CData's Connect AI Platform Brings MCP Connectivity to Microsoft Copilot Studio and Microsoft Agent 365, Empowering Enterprises to Build Intelligent Agents with Semantic Understanding Across All Systems

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Nov. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CData Software, a leading provider of enterprise data connectivity solutions, today announced availability of Model Context Protocol (MCP) connectivity through its Connect AI platform directly within Microsoft Copilot Studio and Microsoft Agent 365. This integration enables enterprises to rapidly build and deploy AI agents that can securely read, write, and act on real-time data across 350+ enterprise systems including Salesforce, Snowflake, NetSuite, SAP, and ServiceNow.

As organizations race to implement AI agents that can automate complex business processes, three critical gaps have emerged: connectivity, context, and control. Connect AI addresses these essential requirements for agents built in Microsoft Copilot through one managed MCP platform that provides universal connectivity to 350+ systems, semantic intelligence that understands system-level metadata, schema and relationships, and enterprise-grade security that integrates with Microsoft Agent 365 to extend existing governance everywhere.

"AI agents are only as valuable as the data they can access and understand," said Amit Sharma, CEO at CData. "With Connect AI integrated into Microsoft Copilot Studio and Microsoft Agent 365, we're eliminating the three barriers that have prevented enterprises from deploying truly intelligent agents at scale. Our platform doesn't just connect to data sources—it teaches AI agents the schemas, relationships, and business logic native to each system, enabling sophisticated multi-source analysis that was previously impossible. This integration represents a pivotal moment in making enterprise AI agents not just possible, but powerful and secure."

"By integrating with CData's Connect AI, we empower customers to build agents in Copilot Studio that seamlessly connect to hundreds of enterprise data sources. These agents leverage the semantic intelligence of underlying systems to deliver richer context and actionable insights with greater accuracy and efficiency," said Sabin Nair, Group Product Manager, Microsoft. "Meanwhile, IT retains full visibility and control through Agent 365's governance framework, ensuring secure and compliant use of CData's universal MCP toolset."

Universal Connectivity Meets Enterprise Requirements

Connect AI uniquely delivers on these critical requirements with seven differentiated capabilities that enterprise deployments demand:

Connectivity

• Comprehensive connectivity, one universal toolset: One MCP platform with 350+ pre-built, maintained connectors gives agents access to every endpoint in every API version in a source system through one universal toolset, eliminating tool sprawl while handling every endpoint and edge case.
• Agents that think across systems, not just within them: Agents execute complex multi-source queries through a unified semantic interface that handles schema translation, API protocol differences, pagination strategies, and optimized query execution plans, preventing token explosion while eliminating the need for complex prompt engineering or custom data retrieval functions.

Context

• Semantic context without context overload: The semantic-rich data model teaches source-level systems works—schema, metadata, entity relationships and business logic for cleaner reasoning without context overload.
• Unstructured file data, fully accessible to agents: Agents work with unstructured files as naturally as structured data—direct reading, editing, and revision tracking without heavy RAG pipelines.

Control

• Identity-first security and governance with inherited permissions: Passthrough model ensures source system RBAC flows through unchanged with OAuth/SSO, plus AI-specific CRUD downscoping and least-privilege controls, all with comprehensive audit trails.
• Curated workspaces and tools for optimized agent performance: Create predefined, multi-source data collections with custom tools tailored to specific use cases, combining CData's universal toolset with targeted datasets and tools to boost both performance and security for specialized agent deployments.
• Smarter agents, smaller token footprint: A unified MCP endpoint and advanced query pushdown keep token costs low by handling data processing so agents focus on reasoning, not fetching.

The platform is fully hosted and managed, allowing organizations to configure any data source in minutes and begin building agents immediately with a free tier available.

Availability

CData's Connect AI platform for Microsoft Copilot Studio and Microsoft Agent 365 is available now. Organizations can find us in the corresponding Microsoft library or get started free.

About CData Software

CData Software is a leading provider of data access and connectivity solutions. Our self-service data products and connectivity solutions provide universal access to live data from hundreds of popular on-premises and cloud applications. Millions of users worldwide rely on CData to enable advanced analytics, boost cloud adoption, and create a more connected business. With thousands of customers across 100+ countries, CData is redefining data-driven business through AI-ready connectivity. Learn more at www.cdata.com or reach a representative via email at [email protected].

SOURCE CData Software