Written by Hans Kompasz & Carolina Repacci

The influence of Artificial Intelligence is evident in almost every aspect of our daily existence, spanning from the voice-activated helpers like Alexa and Google Assistant, to predictive algorithms that shape our online interactions. Microsoft 365 Copilot advances the connection by combining AI with the powerful features of the Microsoft 365 suite. This much anticipated AI tool has been turning heads and business leaders are eager to adopt it. While Microsoft Copilot is not yet available for purchase, it will becoming to market and there are steps businesses should take now to prepare.

In this article, we’re reviewing everything you need to know about Microsoft Copilot including what you should be doing now while waiting for its release.

What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?

You’ve probably heard of Copilot, Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. Copilot promises to be the ultimate tool in streamlining and enhancing how we work every day without really changing how we work every day; integrated into the Microsoft applications we already know; Copilot will respond to user questions as well as provide proactive recommendations to them while they work. And that’s a powerful thing.

Why is Copilot so exciting?

• First of its kind: While there’s a new AI tool coming out every day, Microsoft 365 Copilot promises to be the first enterprise grade AI solution coming to market. Unlike any other tool available right now, Copilot will be embedded into your productivity suite, work alongside you in your daily life, and protect the privacy of your data.‍

• Unleashing productivity: Copilot is expected to be an evolution of productivity and elevation. At its core, Microsoft 365 Copilot is designed to unlock efficiency. As an AI-powered assistant, Copilot helps users accomplish tasks faster and deliver better results. ‍

• Seamlessly integrated: Microsoft 365Copilot lives inside of the applications users already use so it seamlessly integrates into your existing workflow. Users won’t need to learn new tools or navigate to new applications to experience the benefits of AI.‍

• Exceedingly personal: For an AI to be effective, it needs to learn and to learn, it needs data. By having Copilot integrated into Microsoft applications, it will have access to extensive user specific information to learn from. As it gets to know you better, Copilot will refine its suggestions, ensuring that its assistance aligns perfectly with your unique style and needs. This personalized touch distinguishes Copilot from other productivity tools, making it a true companion rather than just a software application.‍

• Privacy and Security at the Core: While AI tools have quickly become popular, many organizations have halted their use. Why? Data privacy. Who has access to the queries users enter into online AI tools? That question is a concern for businesses. However, Microsoft 365 Copilot is built with advanced security measures to ensure that your sensitive data remains protected. Microsoft has always prioritized privacy and security, and Copilot is no exception. Users interactions with the AI are encrypted and confidential, giving you peace of mind as you engage with its capabilities.

Copilot in Action

Let's delve into practical scenarios that showcase how Microsoft Copilot can enhance your productivity.

Outlook

Keeping on top of your mailbox is easier than ever with Copilot by your side. It effortlessly reviews emails and brings your attention to crucial details like customer and supplier comments. It helps compose personalized, professional email responses.

Excel

Leap forward your Excel skills – no formulas required. Ask Copilot questions about your data using everyday language and it will go to work. Copilot can analyze data, make connections and report deep insights. Copilot can also come up with "what if" situations, recommend and prepare graphs that meaningly display data, and recommend new formulas based on your questions. For recurring tasks, you can have Copilot repeat a standard analysis on different data sets.

PowerPoint

You don’t need to be a designer or expert speaker to make great presentations. Copilot can transform a basic idea or convert a document into a full presentation with notes and sources. It can also make long presentations shorter with just a click and follow your natural language commands to fix the layout, change how text looks, and time animations perfectly.

Word

Skip the writer's block. When it comes to Word, Copilot nurtures your creative prowess by aiding in writing, editing, summarizing, and generating content. It's capable of crafting project proposals grounded in customer and sales feedback data. Moreover, Copilot adapts the document's tone to your preferences and expertly drafts content based on pre-established outlines.

Teams

Copilot is path to more efficient meetings. It assists in summarizing decisions made during discussions and recommending next steps. By adding Copilot to your meetings and conversations, you’ll have a personal assistant that will create meeting agendas based on chat history, identify the right people for follow-ups, and schedule the next check-in.

How to prepare for it

While waiting for Microsoft 365 Copilot to become available, there are steps you can take now to ensure a seamless transition and maximize the benefits of Copilot. Here are a few steps we suggest:

1. Start using the cloud version of applications rather than the desktop version. Alternatively, if working in the desktop apps, ensure your syncing to SharePoint and turn on AutoSave. This will enable the collection of data for Copilot to train on.
2. Consolidate your toolset. During the pandemic, many businesses experienced toolset sprawl as they adopted new tools to support their evolving needs. With AI coming, now is the time to simplify and consolidate your technology stack. This will optimize your costs and enable you to get the most out of AI tools.
3. Embrace a robust data governance strategy aligned with Microsoft 365 best practices and perform a structural diagnostic of your Microsoft 365 environment.  

By following these steps, you'll be well-prepared to harness the transformative potential of Microsoft 365 Copilot from its very first day of operation.

Curious to learn more about Microsoft 365 Copilot? Watch our webinar in partnership with Microsoft experts.

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