Google Folds Vertex AI into the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform

Vertex AI is now the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. At Cloud Next 2026, Google rolled the model catalog, builder, runtime, governance, and observability into a single brand. The pieces: Agent Studio (low-code visual builder for business users), ADK 2.0 (graph-based developer kit with stateful multi-step agents), Agent Runtime (multiday workflows and A2A orchestration), Agent Memory Bank (long-term memory profiles), Agent Identity (cryptographic IDs and audit trails), Agent Registry, Agent Gateway, Agent Security, plus Simulation, Evaluation, Observability, and Optimizer.

The commercially loud bit is pricing. Vertex AI Agent Builder shifts from token usage to outcome-based pricing per task completion. That is a real bet by Google that enterprises want to buy results, not consumption. It also reframes the conversation against OpenAI and Anthropic, who price at the token.

The A2A protocol gets the broadest expansion to date. Gemini-native agents now talk to ServiceNow, Salesforce, Atlassian, SAP, and 50+ others without custom integration. The implicit message: Google wants to own the orchestration layer, even if you keep buying point agents from everyone else. The platform supports 200+ models including Gemini 3.1 variants, Gemma 4, and third-party models like Claude. Source: https://siliconangle.com/2026/04/22/google-brings-agentic-development-optimization-governance-one-roof-gemini-enterprise-agent-platform/