We’re excited to announce that Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC generally availability (GA) is Dec 13, 2024, for qualifying GCC environment customers. Also at GA, the Microsoft 365 Copilot Service Description will be updated for GCC feature availability.
ALLEN EDITED THIS AS DAN
Microsoft 365 Copilot combines large language models (LLMs) with your organization’s data to enhance productivity and innovation in the public sector. Microsoft 365 Copilot capabilities are designed to complement and extend human expertise, and they still rely on human judgment and oversight for optimal results. For more information on how Microsoft 365 supports trustworthy AI, please visit Microsoft 365 - How Microsoft 365 Delivers Trustworthy AI.
Security and Compliance: Our Top Priority
Security and compliance are at the core of our commitment to public sector customers. Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC is built on the secure foundation of Microsoft 365 Government GCC, adhering to all existing privacy, security, and compliance commitments.
Data Handling and Privacy: Copilot operates within your Microsoft 365 GCC tenant compliance boundary, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected and that all AI-driven processes are conducted securely. The system is designed to maintain the highest standards of data protection, ensuring compliance with FedRAMP, CJIS, IRS 1075 and other key regulatory frameworks.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC will be delivered with web grounding OFF by default. This is required to help protect US government sensitive information which should not leave the GCC compliance boundary.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot Business Chat will reason over a GCC user's Graph data (SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook, Teams, etc.) an individual has access to. With web grounding OFF, Copilot will not query the web to get live real-time web content. Admin controls to turn on Web Search availability has been updated. See Controls available to manage web search to learn more
(Dec 13, 2024) Roadmap ID # 415097 - Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC general availability -- the product referenced in this blog. Bringing Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC, your AI assistant for work in the GCC environment. It combines the power of Large Language Models with your work content and context, to help you draft and rewrite, summarize and organize, catch up on what you missed, and get answers to questions via open prompts. Copilot generates answers using the rich, people-centric data and insights available in the Microsoft Graph. Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC is available in Teams (Chat and Channel) excluding Compose, Outlook (includes mobile), Word, PowerPoint, and Excel as well as other surfaces, including microsoft365.com. Service description will be updated prior to general availability here
(April 2025) Roadmap ID # 464984 - Microsoft Copilot general availability for GCC
Microsoft Copilot with enterprise data protection for the GCC environment is available at no additional cost for Microsoft 365 GCC users who sign in with their Microsoft Entra account (no Microsoft 365 Copilot license required). For users signed in with a Microsoft Entra account, Copilot offers enterprise data protection (EDP) and a simplified, ad-free user interface designed for work, powered by the latest large language models with optional web grounding. The general availability of this release will be delivered to the users with web grounding OFF by default to meet US Government requirements. This will help protect sensitive information which should not leave the GCC compliance boundary. Current information for WW/Ent environment on differences between these two products can be referenced here.
The below information on this blog is roadmap dates and subject to change (*). Also, Copilot in Planner (**) is in Preview in the WW Enterprise Environment and more information will be shared about the availability in GCC via www.microsoft365.com/roadmap.
Dec 2024 update:
- Web Search (web grounding) is OFF by default and admin controls to turn Web Search on will NOT be available at GA and will be coming soon, and more details will be shared soon via Product Documentation: Controls available to manage web search to learn more.
- More information on feature availability for Phase 1 and Phase 2 will be published on the Microsoft 365 Copilot Service Description at GA.
- Agents in SharePoint was added to Phase 2 below.
Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC will be rolled out in two phases, delivering key functionalities upfront and additional features in the following months.
Phase 1 (12/13/24*):
- Business Chat (BizChat): a central hub that brings together all your data —right in the flow of your work. Quickly access relevant department data, policies, or citizen inquiries without extensive searching. This AI-powered chat feature leverages your organization’s Microsoft 365 data to provide personalized, relevant information and insights directly within your chat experience.
- Microsoft 365 App Copilots (Word, Excel, PowerPoint): Embedded within your favorite productivity apps, these intelligent assistants help you craft documents, analyze data, and create presentations faster and with greater precision.
- Outlook (Mail and Calendar): Manage communications and interagency meetings efficiently. Copilot in Outlook streamlines email and calendar management by drafting responses, summarizing email threads, and suggesting optimal meeting times.
- Teams Chat/Channel Copilot: Enhance collaboration across departments. Integrate AI into your daily team interactions, summarizing threads, and helping manage conversations with contextual awareness.
- Intelligent Meeting Recap: Automatically capture key points from important policy discussions or public hearings, capturing crucial details facilitating transparent governance. The Intelligent Meeting Recap feature generates a comprehensive summary of your meetings, including key points, action items, and decisions made.
Phase 2 (Q1CY25*):
The second phase will introduce Copilot in additional services to further streamline workflows:
- Teams Meeting Copilot uses AI to enrich your meetings by generating real-time summaries, identifying action items, and tracking follow-ups. Use copilot during a meeting without retaining transcript and ask copilot any questions about the meeting.
- OneNote enhances your notetaking by using AI to generate summaries, organize information, and suggest relevant content, helping you efficiently capture and recall key insights without sifting through extensive notes.
- Stream automates video content management by generating AI-driven transcripts, summaries, and highlight reels, making it easier to find and share critical information from recorded meetings or training sessions.
- Planner** simplifies task management by using AI to optimize project timelines, suggest task prioritization, and automatically adjust plans based on real-time changes, ensuring your projects stay on track with minimal manual input.
- OneDrive for Business enhances file management by using AI to help you quickly locate, organize, and share documents, ensuring that your team always has access to the most up-to-date information without wasting time on manual searches.
- Loop accelerates collaborative work by using AI to help you co-create and organize dynamic content across teams, streamlining project updates, brainstorming sessions, and real-time feedback into cohesive, actionable plans.
- SharePoint agents prebuilt or creating your own, help users quickly find information and insights on SharePoint sites, pages, and document libraries. SharePoint agents access your organization's data the same way Copilot in other Microsoft 365 apps does, responding to users based on their access permissions to the data.
These additional tools will deepen AI integration within your organization, enabling more advanced task management, content creation, and collaboration capabilities as you continue your journey toward digital transformation.
Transforming Public Sector Workflows
Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC is designed to enhance productivity and streamline workflows across various public sector use cases. Here are some potential public sector use cases to consider:
- Policy Analysis: Quickly synthesize vast amounts of data to inform decision-making. For instance, public health organizations could use Copilot to analyze public health trends and draft evidence-based policy recommendations, allowing them to respond more effectively to emerging issues.
- Citizen Services: Improve response times and accuracy in addressing citizen inquiries. Copilot can help draft personalized responses to common questions about government services, permits, or regulations, ensuring that citizens receive timely and accurate information.
- Resource Allocation: Optimize budget planning and resource distribution. Finance departments can use Copilot in Excel to perform complex budget scenario analyses and generate easy-to-understand reports for stakeholders, making the budget process more efficient and transparent.
- Project Management: Streamline the management of large-scale government initiatives. Copilot can help create project timelines, assign tasks, and generate progress reports, keeping multi-agency efforts on track and ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Training and Knowledge Sharing: Facilitate continuous learning within your organization. Use Copilot to create training materials, FAQs, and knowledge bases, ensuring your staff stays up to date with the latest procedures and regulations, and fostering a culture of ongoing professional development.
Support and Resources: Empowering Your Team
We are committed to providing comprehensive support and training resources to support adoption of Copilot within government workforces. Our readiness and adoption guide for the public sector, along with US Gov-specific Copilot scenarios content, will help you navigate the implementation process.
- Documentation and Admin Controls: Detailed documentation and admin controls will be available to help you manage and configure Copilot’s features effectively, ensuring that your deployment aligns with your security policies and operational requirements.
- Training and Resources: To facilitate a smooth adoption process, we’d encourage you to connect with your account team and one of our adoption specialists to walk through the resources available to prepare, scope, plan, and deploy Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Some new resources include:
- Videos: Short explainer videos Microsoft 365 Copilot data security and privacy commitments
- Technical Whitepaper: Microsoft 365 - How Microsoft 365 Delivers Trustworthy AI
- Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot (current Enterprise Cloud service documentation)
- Microsoft Purview data security and compliance protections for generative AI apps
- Apply principles of Zero Trust to Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Ongoing Support: Our commitment to your success extends beyond the initial deployment. We’re offering ongoing support through Microsoft account teams, channel partners, Microsoft support, and FastTrack, ensuring that you have access to the resources and assistance you need to resolve any issues and maximize the value of Copilot for your organization. Our Government Solutions team will be on hand to provide continuous support and enable a smooth and successful experience with Copilot.
Looking Ahead: Future Updates and Roadmap
As we approach the release date, we’re committed to working closely with government partners at all levels. Your feedback and insights will be crucial in refining Copilot to meet the unique needs of the public sector.
Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC represents a significant leap forward in empowering government agencies to work more efficiently and serve the public more effectively. By automating routine tasks, providing data-driven insights, and enhancing collaboration, Copilot frees up valuable time for public servants to focus on what matters most—improving the lives of citizens.
We invite you to envision how Copilot can transform your agency's operations. Together, we can harness the power of AI to drive innovation in the public sector, always keeping in mind our shared goal of serving the public good.
Get ready to experience the future of public service with Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC. The future of efficient, data-driven governance is now!
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