Key Points
- GPT-5.6 models (Sol, Terra, and Luna) are now ready for full business use across global regions.
- The Asia-Pacific Data Zone is now live, letting local customers run AI models directly in their home region.
- Hosted agents in Azure AI Foundry are ready for main production, with memory tools and Microsoft Teams connection starting next week.
What is changing
According to Microsoft Azure news, Microsoft AI Foundry has made its new GPT-5.6 models fully available for everyday business use. These include three sizes: Sol, Terra, and Luna. Customers in Asia can now keep their information inside local borders thanks to the new Asia-Pacific Data Zone. Teams can also run their software agents on managed Microsoft servers without setting up custom hardware.
Building smart helpers is now much simpler. Developers can attach built-in toolboxes, test new long-term memory features, and enable direct publishing to Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot next week. The system also includes special virtual network protection to keep private business data completely secure from the public internet.
| Model Name | Input Price (per 1M tokens) | Output Price (per 1M tokens) |
|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.6 Sol | $5.00 | $30.00 |
| GPT-5.6 Terra | $2.50 | $15.00 |
| GPT-5.6 Luna | $1.00 | $6.00 |
Why it matters
These big updates are most helpful for AI developers, cloud architects, and engineering leads who want to build reliable software tools for their workplace. Instead of spending extra money stitching together separate tools, teams get everything in one ready-to-use package.
Engineering teams will notice a big drop in reduced integration effort and much faster project launches. Having clearer pay-as-you-go pricing for different model sizes also makes it easier to plan monthly budgets.
Share your deployment experience or thoughts in the comments.