Azure AI & App Innovation Updates - July 2026

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By Lionel Gurret.

Introduction

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This article lists Azure updates for July 2026.

Updates

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AI + machine learning

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• [Launched]: Generally Available: Claude Opus 5 on Azure Databricks
• [In preview]: Public Preview: Protect sensitive generative AI telemetry in Application Insights and Microsoft Foundry
• [Launched]: Generally Available: Azure Databricks SQL Serverless in UK West
• [Launched]: Generally Available: Open AI GPT-5.6 on Azure Databricks
• [Launched]: Generally available: Anthropic Claude Sonnet 5 on Azure Databricks
• [Launched]: Public Preview: Document PII playground sample in Microsoft Foundry NextGen
• [Launched]: Generally Available: Document PII NextGen Playground in Azure AI Language

Containers

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• [Launched]: Generally Available: Resource placement in Azure Kubernetes Fleet Manager
• [In preview]: Public Preview: Maximum allowed failures for update runs in Azure Kubernetes Fleet Manager
• [Launched]: Generally Available: Azure Red Hat OpenShift in Chile Central

DevOps

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• [In preview]: Public Preview: Azure Monitor Logs mirroring into Microsoft Fabric
• [In preview]: Public Preview: Export historical data from Log Analytics workspace with Export jobs

Compute

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• [Launched]: Generally Available: Application Routing with Gateway API
• [In preview]: Public Preview: Prepared Image Specification
• [Launched]: Generally Available: Azure Functions support for Python 3.14
• [Launched]: Public Preview: Azure Functions Support for PowerShell 7.6
• [Launched]: Generally Available: Expanding Azure Arc SQL Migration with SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines

Networking

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• [Launched]: Generally Available: NAT64 on StandardV2 NAT Gateway
• [Launched]: Generally Available: HTTP header insertion in Azure Firewall
• [In preview]: Public Preview: Azure DDoS Protection custom policy
• [In preview]: Public Preview: Standard service endpoint
• [Launched]: Generally Available: IPv6 support for Azure VPN Gateway
• [In preview]: Public Preview: Azure Front Door edge actions
• [In preview]: Public Preview: Exceptions in WAF for Azure Application Gateway and Azure Front Door

Security

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• [In preview]: Public Preview: Symmetric keys on Azure Key Vault Premium
• [In preview]: Public Preview: Azure Enclave

Databases

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• [Launched]: Generally Available: Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server in India South Central
• [Launched]: Generally Available: Microsoft Defender security assessments for Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server
• [In preview]: Public Preview: Azure SQL updates for mid-July 2026
• [Launched]: Generally Available: New Powershell module: Az.PostgreSQLFlexibleServer

Management and governance

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• [Launched]: Generally Available: Azure Automation supports PowerShell 7.6 runbooks and Runtime environment
• [Launched]: Generally Available: Support 5x churn in Azure Site Recovery

Announcement

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• [Update]: Announcing: Reservation exchanges for Azure services supported by savings plans will no longer be available starting February 1, 2027

Storage

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• [In preview]: Public Preview: Support for SMB Opportunistic Locking (Oplocks) configuration
• [Launched]: Generally Available: Encryption in Transit for Azure Files NFS Shares in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
• [In preview]: Public Preview: Advanced platform metrics in Azure Monitor
• [Launched]: Generally Available: Microsoft Entra ID-based access for Azure Blob Storage SFTP
• [In preview]: Public Preview: Instant Access via application consistent restore points

Internet of Things

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• [Launched]: Generally Available: Azure Sphere OS version 26.09 is now available for evaluation

Regions & Datacenters

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• [Launched]: Generally Available: Microsoft Azure now available from new cloud region in India (India South Central)

Integration

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• [In preview]: Public Preview: AI Gateway in Azure API Management

Microsoft Foundry

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• [Launched]: Announcing: Multi-agent orchestration patterns including Magentic in Microsoft Agent Framework
• [Launched]: Announcing: Agent Harness in Microsoft Agent Framework
• [Update]: Announcing: Multi-agent orchestration SDK with the Microsoft Foundry Agent Framework in C# and Python
• [In preview]: Announcing: Tracing for Microsoft Agent Framework (Python and .NET)
• [In preview]: Announcing: CodeAct pattern and Hyperlight containers in Microsoft Agent Framework
• [In preview]: Announcing: Episodic procedural memory in Microsoft Agent Framework
• [Launched]: Announcing: DevUI Agent Inspector for Microsoft Agent Framework

Automation

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• Retirement: Retirement: Support for Python-2.7; 3.8 and PowerShell- 7.1; 7.2 will be retired on September 30, 2026

Analytics

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• [In preview]: Public Preview: Manage Azure Chaos Studio from the Azure CLI
• [In preview]: Public Preview: Azure Chaos Studio Workspaces and Scenarios
• [Launched]: Generally Available: Network Security Perimeter support for Azure Event Hubs
• [Launched]: Generally Available: Confidential Computing support for Azure Event Hubs Dedicated

Migration

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• [Launched]: Public Preview: Azure Storage Mover now supports migration from Google Cloud Storage (GCS)

Sources

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https://azure.microsoft.com/ Microsoft Dev Blog Azure Website