Hello,
Comments are very welcomed.
As of many of you, I was very disappointed last November upon realizing that ‘Copilot for Microsoft 365’ was exclusively available to businesses with a minimum of 500 E3 or E5 licenses and 300 ‘Copilot for Microsoft 365’ licenses. However, this situation allowed me to understand that the activation of ‘Copilot for Microsoft 365’ isn’t as simple as flipping a switch. Rather, it’s a substantial project. Why is that? Well, before enabling ‘Copilot for Microsoft 365’ or assigning its licenses to users, it’s crucial to ensure the accuracy of the information for reliability. Additionally, the organization should have a Center of Excellence (CoE) to guarantee a successful return on investment, and the users should receive adequate training.
But before discussing implementation, I’ve noticed some confusion surrounding the range of Microsoft Copilot products. I was perplexed as well. I will introduce the first four following products before discussing the prerequisites for a successful ‘Copilot for Microsoft 365’ implementation.
As of now, the Microsoft Copilot suite includes:
- Copilot
- Copilot in Windows
- Copilot in Edge
- Copilot for Microsoft 365
- Microsoft Security Copilot
- GitHub Copilot
- Copilot for Sales
- Copilot for Service.
The first three are chatbots, each with unique access and conversation resets. It’s important to note that all chatbots need more context to provide accurate responses. The five latest products of the suite not only feature chatbot functionality, but also provide access to organizational data and offer specialized capabilities tailored for Microsoft 365, GitHub, security, Sales, and Services.
As they are publicly available, let’s examine the accessibility and conversation reset mechanisms of ‘Copilot’, ‘Copilot in Windows’, and ‘Copilot in Edge’.
‘Copilot’, previously known as ‘Bing Chat’, can be accessed at www.bing.com/chat. The chatbot session is reset whenever the ‘New topic’ button is clicked, or if the page is closed or refreshed.
‘Copilot in Windows’ can be accessed directly from the taskbar in Windows 11. The chatbot session is reset whenever the refresh button is clicked or the computer undergoes a restart
‘Copilot in Edge’ can be accessed directly from the Edge browser. It uses not only the context provided by the user, but also the content of the current web page. For instance, you can inquire about the definition of an acronym found on the page or the biography of a person mentioned on the page. The chatbot session is reset whenever the ‘New topic’ or Refresh button is clicked, or if Edge is restarted.
In simple terms, what is ‘Copilot for Microsoft 365’?
‘Copilot for Microsoft 365’ serves as an assistant or companion, enabling users or teams to work more effectively. It provides users with the opportunity to enhance their skills, keep up with tasks, create summaries, draft documents such as Word files, PowerPoint presentations, and emails, rephrase texts, brainstorm ideas, and stay organized, among other things. ‘Copilot for Microsoft 365’ is available in the following applications:
- Microsoft 365 Chat
- Copilot in Teams
- Copilot in Outlook
- Copilot in Word
- Copilot in PowerPoint
- Copilot in Excel
- Copilot in OneNote
- Copilot in Loop
- Copilot in Whiteboard
Why is this considered a significant project?
Firstly, it involves a substantial amount of money. The organization needs to understand that this is an investment rather than an expenditure. The purpose of ‘Copilot for Microsoft 365’ in boosting productivity, automating routine tasks, and facilitating better collaboration must be emphasized.
Secondly, a Center of Excellence (CoE) needs to be established to explore the potential and constraints of all Microsoft Copilot applications, build expertise, prepare data, and support users and teams. The CoE will be recognized as a hub of knowledge and expertise, offering guidance to users and developing best practices and standards.
Thirdly, data cleansing is a mandatory task that requires the involvement of all employees. Numerous files stored on personal computers, OneDrive, SharePoint or other systems need to be archived, tagged, and categorized. Why is it compulsory? Consider this scenario: there are two marketing files, one from 2022 offering a 50% discount, and another from 2023 offering a 30% discount. Which value will Copilot return? 30%, 40%, or 50%?
Fourthly, the protection of sensitive data is crucial. The IT security team can provide assistance in collaboration with data owners. If a user doesn't have access to some information, Copilot will not disclose it. But sometimes, users don't know they have access, and in such cases, Copilot excels at retrieving and presenting this information.
Fifthly, the IT team needs to be ready, and the Microsoft environment needs to be prepared. System administrators and developers might need to install plugins and connectors to access more features and information.
Sixthly, change management will be necessary, as with any significant project.
Lastly, various departments such as finance, production, marketing, engineering, procurement, HR, etc., may have specific needs and expectations.
Learning paths
Get started with Microsoft 365 Copilot
MS-012 Prepare your organization for Microsoft 365 Copilot
Prepare for Microsoft 365 Copilot: Part 1 – Copilot design and prerequisites
Prepare for Microsoft 365 Copilot: Part 2 – Administrative roles and Tenant health - Training
Prepare for Microsoft 365 Copilot: Part 3 – Threat protection - Training
Prepare for Microsoft 365 Copilot: Part 4 – Protecting sensitive data - Training
