On April 3, 2026, Microsoft announced the General Availability (GA) of Microsoft Agent Framework 1.0. This unified, production-ready SDK merges Semantic Kernel and AutoGen into a single platform, supporting both .NET and Python environments.
Key Aspects
Unification:
- Semantic Kernel provides an enterprise-grade foundation with features like thread-based state management, robust connectors, and stable middleware
- AutoGen contributes advanced multi-agent orchestration patterns (e.g., sequential, group chat, Magentic-One) and an event-driven asynchronous architecture
- Both Semantic Kernel and AutoGen are now in maintenance mode, with the Agent Framework serving as their official successor
Key Protocols for Interoperability
MCP (Model Context Protocol): An open standard that dictates how agents discover and invoke external tools, enabling connections to any MCP-compliant server for data and actions.
A2A (Agent-to-Agent): A standardized communication protocol designed to facilitate collaboration, context sharing, and task delegation between agents built on different frameworks (e.g., Microsoft Agent Framework, Google ADK, LangChain).
Core Features
Graph-Based Workflows: Allows for explicit definition of multi-agent execution paths, supporting checkpointing and “time-travel” debugging.
Middleware Pipeline: Enables interception and transformation of agent behavior for purposes like logging, compliance, and safety (e.g., PII detection, prompt shields) without altering core logic.
Azure AI Foundry Native: Offers deep integration with Azure for managed hosting, security (Microsoft Entra), and observability (OpenTelemetry).
Cross-Runtime Support: Ensures full API parity between .NET and Python, facilitating mixed-language agent ecosystems.
Developer Resources
- Migration Assistants: Tools are available to analyze existing Semantic Kernel/AutoGen code and generate step-by-step migration plans
- GitHub Repository: microsoft/agent-framework
- Documentation: Accessible at aka.ms/agent-framework, including tutorials for A2A and MCP integration
Installation
pip install agent-framework