Claude Cowork — Anthropic's Play to Replace Your Entire SaaS Stack with One AI Agent

Claude Cowork launched in January 2026 as a research preview and expanded into a full enterprise platform in February. It gives non-technical workers an agentic AI that can access local files, browsers, and applications — then orchestrate multi-step workflows across them. The February update added private plugin marketplaces, 10+ department-specific plugins (HR, Design, Engineering, Finance), 12 new MCP connectors (Google Workspace, DocuSign, FactSet, Harvey), cross-app workflows between Excel and PowerPoint, and OpenTelemetry admin controls. Microsoft licensed the same Claude model to power its own Copilot Cowork, launching May 1 in the $99/user/month E7 tier. This analysis covers what Cowork actually does, how it differs from Claude Code, the plugin architecture, the Microsoft deal, competitive positioning against Palantir AIP, and the honest limitations of every claim.