Microsoft VP: SaaS Becoming Infrastructure for AI Agents
Microsoft Corporate Vice President Bryan Goode says that software-as-a-service (SaaS) is becoming infrastructure for artificial intelligence agents. This shift could fundamentally change how employees work across enterprise applications, as AI agents handle more tasks between them.
In a commentary published on September 26, 2026, Goode noted that the question is no longer what features and functionality SaaS applications will have, but rather what the application becomes when agents take over. He described this change as moving from 'toggle tax' to streamlined workflows.
Goode cited a study involving 137 users across 20 teams at three Fortune 500 companies, which found that workers switched between applications and websites nearly 1,200 times per day, spending just under four hours each week reorienting themselves. This 'toggle tax' is what AI agents aim to eliminate.
Microsoft's expansion of Copilot into a workplace AI platform aligns with Goode's view, combining conversational tools, agents, and workplace applications under subscription and usage-based billing.