Many agent projects begin with a technology choice before the team has decided what the runtime must own. Does the application need a small SDK around one tool-using loop, a harness that manages context and execution, or a framework that coordinates multiple agents and services? Confusing those layers leads to unnecessary complexity and expensive rewrites.

This session starts with the minimum anatomy of an agent—model, tools, memory, state, and an action loop—then compares runtime options against the same requirements. We will examine the Claude Agent SDK, GitHub Copilot SDK, and Microsoft Agent Framework, focusing on lifecycle control, tool boundaries, persistence, observability, hosting, and lock-in. A single tool-using task is mapped across the three approaches so the differences stay concrete.

Attendees will leave with a decision matrix, a vocabulary for separating SDKs, harnesses, and frameworks, and a repeatable way to choose a runtime based on workload constraints rather than product familiarity.

Audience: Developers and architects selecting an agent stack.
Format: 45–60-minute comparison talk with code excerpts and one shared scenario.
Demo: The same tool-using task mapped across Claude Agent SDK, GitHub Copilot SDK, and Microsoft Agent Framework.
Evidence: Submitted to NDC Oslo 2026 and Live! 360 Tech Con Orlando 2026; no prior public delivery.
Materials: Talk-specific decision matrix, repository, slides, and recording are not yet published.
Vendor scope: Comparative and vendor-neutral; Azure deployment implications are identified explicitly.