Updated: Jan 18, 2024 (Microsoft Copilot is now generally available.)
Today’s workforce is fast-paced and demanding. Finding ways to streamline tasks, boost productivity, and enhance creativity is crucial for saving time and resource costs. That's where Microsoft 365 Copilot comes in. This revolutionary AI-powered tool is designed to be your ultimate copilot for work by helping you streamline your workflow.
With its integration into the Microsoft 365 suite of apps, here’s how Microsoft 365 Copilot transforms the way you work.
How Does Copilot Work?
At the heart of Microsoft 365 Copilot lies the power of large language models (LLMs). These LLMs are trained on vast amounts of text data from various sources including books, news articles, social media posts, forums, and more to become a sort of interactive encyclopedia. Microsoft 365 Copilot takes this technology to the next level. It incorporates your data from the Microsoft Graph, which includes your calendar, emails, chats, documents, and meetings. This ensures that the suggestions and responses generated by Copilot are personalized, relevant, and tailored to your specific context.
The Capabilities of Copilot
One of the key benefits of Microsoft 365 Copilot is its ability to unleash your creativity. Whether you're starting a new document in Word, creating a presentation in PowerPoint, or analyzing data in Excel, Copilot is there to jump-start your creative process.
With Copilot in Word, you'll never have to start with a blank slate again. You can now:
▫ Generate a first draft for you to edit and iterate on
▫ Save hours of writing, sourcing, and editing time
Copilot in PowerPoint helps you create beautiful presentations by:
▫ Adding relevant content from your other documents
▫ Customizing and elevating your work instantly (without having to go find it yourself)
With Copilot in Excel, you can:
▫ Analyze trends
▫ Create professional-looking data visualizations in seconds
"Copilot gives you a first draft to edit and iterate on -- saving hours in writing, sourcing, and editing time." - Microsoft
Unlock Productivity with Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft 365 Copilot is a game-changer when it comes to productivity. It helps you focus on the tasks that truly matter while automating or simplifying time-consuming and repetitive work.
Copilot in Outlook allows you to clear your inbox in minutes instead of hours. It saves you time by:
▫ Summarizing long email threads (so you don’t have to read through them all)
▫ Drafting suggested replies (so you can answer with both clarity and speed)
Copilot in Teams ensures that every meeting is more productive by:
▫ Summarizing key discussion points (so you can focus on what’s most relevant)
▫ Identifying areas of agreement and disagreement (so you know where you need to follow-up with people)
▫ Suggesting action items in real-time (for effective planning and scheduling)
With Copilot in Power Platform, you can:
▫ Automate repetitive tasks (did we mention how much time Copilot saves you?)
▫ Create chatbots (with greater ease)
▫ Build working apps in minutes (get ahead fast!)
Collaborate Like Never Before with Copilot and Business Chat
Along with its integration with the Microsoft 365 apps, Microsoft 365 Copilot introduces a new experience called Business Chat. Business Chat works across the Large Language Models, Microsoft 365 apps, and your data, facilitating collaboration and information sharing like never before. Imagine being able to give natural language prompts like "Tell my team how we updated the product strategy," and having Copilot generate a status update based on the morning's meetings, emails, and chat threads!
"Business Chat works across all your business data and apps to surface the information and insights you need from a sea of data -- so knowledge flows freely across the organization, saving you valuable time searching for answers." - Microsoft
Data Security and Privacy: A Top Priority
One of Copilot’s most important features is that it is built on Microsoft's comprehensive approach to security, compliance, and privacy. Two-factor authentication, compliance boundaries, and privacy protections are just some of the ways security is ensured. Microsoft 365 Copilot is designed to protect tenant, group, and individual data, preventing data leakage. Microsoft 365 Copilot also utilizes user roles in Entra so people only have access to what their access level allows. Security stays tight within your organization.
GitHub Copilot Value
The impact of Microsoft 365 Copilot on productivity and satisfaction is already evident. According to GitHub data (a similar tool developed by Microsoft), developers who use GitHub Copilot experience increased productivity, greater focus on satisfying work, and reduced time spent searching for information or examples. The introduction of Microsoft 365 Copilot extends these benefits to a wider audience. It enables professionals across various industries to achieve more in less time.
"GitHub data shows that Copilot promises to unlock productivity for everyone. Among developers who use GitHub Copilot, 88% say they are more productive, 74% say that they can focus on more satisfying work, and 77% say it helps them spend less time searching for information or examples." - Microsoft
Is Microsoft Copilot General Available?
As of December 1, 2023, Microsoft Copilot became generally available. Around the same time, Bing Chat and Bing Enterprise were combined to become Copilot. This makes for a simplified user experience by visiting copilot.microsoft.com. Microsoft Copilot is $30 per user, per month, and must be purchased on top of a Microsoft 365 Business license. For help adopting Copilot in your organization, or instructions enabling Copilot, visit here.
Getting Started with Microsoft 365 Copilot
By harnessing the power of AI and integrating it into the Microsoft 365 apps we use every day, Copilot empowers us to be more creative, productive, and collaborative. Experience its ability to understand natural language, leverage large language models, and utilize our own data yourself.
To get started with Microsoft 365, and gain maximum access to all of its powerful features, contact a JourneyTEAM solutions specialist today.