Microsoft Azure now offers both Anthropic’s Claude 4.5 and OpenAI’s GPT-5.2 through Microsoft Foundry—the only cloud platform with access to both frontier model families. Here’s why this matters.
Microsoft Just Won the Model Diversity War
In a strategic move that reshapes enterprise AI, Microsoft Azure is now the only major cloud platform offering both Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s GPT model families.
As of December 2025, enterprises using Microsoft Foundry can deploy:
- Claude Opus 4.5, Sonnet 4.5, Haiku 4.5 (Anthropic)
- GPT-5.2, GPT-5.1, and specialized variants (OpenAI)
This positioning gives Azure a unique advantage: no other cloud provider can offer the choice between the two leading frontier AI model families under one roof.
The Anthropic-Microsoft Partnership
What’s Available
In November 2025, Microsoft and Anthropic expanded their partnership to bring Claude models to Microsoft Foundry in public preview:
| Model | Tier | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.5 | Frontier | Complex reasoning, agentic tasks |
| Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Balanced | General-purpose, coding |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | Speed | High-volume, low-latency |
| Claude Opus 4.1 | Legacy | Existing workloads |
Enterprise Features
Claude on Azure includes:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Constitutional AI | Built-in safety and alignment |
| Azure Billing | Uses existing Azure agreements |
| API Compatibility | Works with Azure AI APIs and SDKs |
| US DataZone | Dedicated deployment for US enterprises (December 2025) |
| Microsoft 365 Integration | Powers Researcher agent in Copilot |
Use Cases
Anthropic highlights these Claude-on-Azure applications:
- Customer support agents with nuanced understanding
- Coding agents with high SWE-Bench performance (80.9%)
- Research copilots for complex analysis
- Complex workflows requiring multi-step reasoning
OpenAI GPT-5.2 on Azure
What’s Available
GPT-5.2 became generally available on Azure through Microsoft Foundry on December 11, 2025:
| Model | Purpose |
|---|---|
| GPT-5.2 | Complex enterprise tasks |
| GPT-5.2 Thinking | Extended reasoning |
| GPT-5.2 Pro | Maximum capability |
| GPT-5.1 + variants | Previous generation |
| GPT-5.2 Codex | Code-focused workloads |
Key Capabilities
| Feature | GPT-5.2 Specification |
|---|---|
| Context Window | 400,000 tokens |
| Output Limit | 128,000 tokens |
| SWE-Bench | 80.0% |
| ARC-AGI-2 | 54.2% (Pro) |
| GPQA Diamond | 93.2% |
Enterprise Integration
GPT-5.2 on Azure offers:
- Deep logical reasoning for complex analysis
- Agentic execution capabilities
- Native integration with Azure AI services
- Enterprise security and compliance
Why Model Diversity Matters
The Strategic Advantage
No single AI model is best at everything. Having both Claude and GPT allows enterprises to:
| Scenario | Best Choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Complex coding | Claude Opus 4.5 | 80.9% SWE-Bench |
| Abstract reasoning | GPT-5.2 Pro | 54.2% ARC-AGI-2 |
| Long documents | GPT-5.2 | 400K context |
| Agentic workflows | Claude Opus 4.5 | 98.2% Tau2-bench |
| Cost-sensitive | Claude Haiku | Cheapest per token |
| Speed-critical | Claude Haiku | Lowest latency |
Avoiding Vendor Lock-In
With both model families available, enterprises can:
- Switch between models as capabilities evolve
- Use different models for different workloads
- Negotiate better pricing with competition
- Reduce single-point-of-failure risk
Testing and Comparison
Run the same workload on both Claude and GPT to:
- Validate outputs
- Compare quality and cost
- Benchmark performance
- Choose optimal model per use case
Competitive Positioning
Cloud Provider Comparison
| Cloud | OpenAI Access | Anthropic Access | Google Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure | ✅ Full GPT-5.2 | ✅ Full Claude 4.5 | ❌ |
| AWS | ❌ | ✅ Bedrock | ❌ |
| Google Cloud | ❌ | ✅ Limited | ✅ Full Gemini |
Azure is uniquely positioned with access to both GPT and Claude—the two leading model families by most benchmarks.
What This Means for AWS and Google
- AWS Bedrock offers Claude but not GPT. For enterprises wanting OpenAI, they must use Azure.
- Google Cloud has Gemini but neither GPT nor Claude. Strong for Google-native workloads but limits model choice.
Microsoft’s Multi-Model Strategy
Microsoft is pursuing a “best of all worlds” approach:
- OpenAI partnership: Primary investment, deep integration
- Anthropic partnership: Expanded access, Copilot integration
- Internal models (MAI): Developing own models to reduce dependence
- Open models: gpt-oss available via Azure AI Foundry
Microsoft 365 Copilot Integration
Claude isn’t just available as an API—it’s being integrated into Microsoft 365:
Researcher Agent
Microsoft 365 Copilot’s Researcher feature is now powered by Claude, offering:
- Deep research capabilities
- Complex document analysis
- Multi-source synthesis
Custom Agent Development
Build custom Copilot agents using Claude models for:
- Specialized knowledge domains
- Industry-specific workflows
- Proprietary data analysis
Agent Mode for Excel
Claude can now power Agent Mode in Excel for:
- Complex data analysis
- Automated reporting
- Custom calculations
Practical Implications for Enterprises
Migration Considerations
If you’re on AWS or Google Cloud:
| Current State | Consider Azure If |
|---|---|
| AWS + Bedrock Claude | You want GPT access, or need both |
| Google Cloud + Gemini | You need Claude or GPT specifically |
| Multi-cloud | Azure for AI, others for other workloads |
Implementation Path
1. Evaluate workloads: Which need Claude vs. GPT characteristics?
2. Pilot both: Run identical tasks on both model families
3. Cost analysis: Compare token pricing per workload
4. Optimize: Route workloads to optimal model automatically
Pricing Considerations
| Model | Input (per 1M tokens) | Output (per 1M tokens) |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.5 | $5 | $25 |
| Claude Sonnet 4.5 | $3 | $15 |
| GPT-5.2 Thinking | $1.75 | $14 |
| GPT-5.2 Pro | $21 | $168 |
For high-volume workloads, Claude Sonnet often provides better value. For maximum capability tasks, consider GPT-5.2 Pro or Claude Opus.
The Bottom Line
Azure’s position as the only cloud with both Claude and GPT is a significant competitive advantage:
- For enterprises: Maximum model flexibility under one platform
- For developers: Use the right model for each task
- For procurement: Simplified vendor management, consolidated billing
- For risk management: No single-model dependency
As AI capabilities continue to evolve rapidly, having access to multiple frontier model families isn’t just convenient—it’s strategic insurance.
If you’re making cloud AI decisions in 2025, Azure’s dual-model access should be a major factor in your evaluation.
FAQ
Is Claude on Azure the same as Claude direct from Anthropic?
Yes, same models with Azure’s enterprise features, billing, and compliance added.
Can I use both Claude and GPT in the same application?
Yes. Route different requests to different models based on task requirements.
What about data residency?
US DataZone deployment for Claude became available in December 2025. Check Azure documentation for current regional availability.
Is there a price difference vs. direct API access?
Azure pricing may differ from direct Anthropic/OpenAI pricing. Compare based on your volume and agreement.
