Azure API Management Adds Dedicated AI Gateway Tier, Governing Models and MCP Tools

Microsoft has introduced a dedicated AI Gateway tier for Azure API Management that allows developers to govern AI models and Model Context Protocol tools through a centralized control plane. By providing a single endpoint for services like Foundry, Bedrock, Vertex AI, and OpenAI, the platform simplifies infrastructure management by replacing traditional XML configurations with policy cards. This update enables organizations to standardize security and monitoring across multiple AI providers within a unified interface.