Anthropic has announced an expansion of its partnership with Microsoft, making Claude Sonnet 4.5, Haiku 4.5, and Opus 4.1 models available in public preview within Microsoft Foundry. This integration allows Azure customers to develop production applications and enterprise agents using Claude models within their existing Microsoft ecosystem.
Developers can also utilize Claude models in Microsoft Foundry with Claude Code, an AI coding agent. Additionally, Microsoft's Agent Mode in Excel now offers an option to use Claude in preview for spreadsheet tasks, including formula generation, data analysis, error identification, and solution iteration.
Key Points
- Claude Sonnet 4.5, Haiku 4.5, and Opus 4.1 are available in public preview in Microsoft Foundry.
- Claude Sonnet 4.5 is presented as a strong model for coding, complex agents, and sophisticated reasoning.
- Claude Haiku 4.5 is described as a fast model for high-volume applications, offering near-frontier performance at one-third the cost of Sonnet.
- Claude Opus 4.1 is suitable for specialized reasoning tasks requiring sustained focus and attention to detail.
- Claude models can be used in Microsoft Foundry with Claude Code, an AI coding agent.
- Microsoft's Agent Mode in Excel now includes a preview option to use Claude for spreadsheet operations.
- The integration supports Claude Developer Platform capabilities such as code execution, web search, citations, vision, tool use, and prompt caching.
- Claude is available via serverless deployment in Microsoft Foundry and is eligible for Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC).
Context
According to Anthropic, the expanded partnership aims to remove barriers for enterprises already invested in Microsoft Foundry and Microsoft 365 Copilot. This integration allows companies to build with Claude models using their existing Azure agreements and billing, eliminating the need for separate vendor contracts and procurement processes.
Why It Matters
This integration provides Microsoft Azure customers with direct access to Claude's models within their established development and operational environments. Builders can leverage Claude's capabilities for coding, agent development, and office tasks, potentially streamlining workflows and reducing procurement overhead.
What To Do
- Visit the Microsoft Foundry catalog to deploy Claude Sonnet 4.5, Claude Haiku 4.5, or Claude Opus 4.1.
- Explore the documentation for additional supported features of Claude models in Microsoft Foundry.
- Note that Claude is available in the Global Standard deployment today, with the US DataZone coming soon.
- Review Anthropic's pricing page for details on standard API pricing.