From SOP Overload to Simple Answers: Building Q&A Agents With SharePoint Online + Agent Builder
Government teams run on Standard Operating Procedures, manuals, handbooks, review instructions, HR policies, and proposal workflows. They’re essential—and everywhere. But during every Government Prompt‑a‑thon we've run this year, one theme kept repeating: "Our policies are many and finding the right answer quickly is nearly impossible." Turning SOPs into Simple Q&A Agents with M365 Copilot's Agent Builder or SharePoint Agents is possibly one of the fastest wins for public‑sector teams.Advancing Microsoft 365 Government: New Capabilities and Pricing Update
Public sector organizations are navigating increasingly complex security challenges, evolving technology needs, and the imperative to modernize for an AI-driven future. To support these priorities, Microsoft is expanding availability of security, management, and AI features to a wider range of Microsoft 365 Government offerings in 2026. We will also update our pricing for Microsoft 365 Government suite subscriptions effective July 1, 2026. In accordance with local regulations, this price change will roll out in a phased manner. We're sharing these updates now to give customers ample time to plan. Continued progress for Government suites Meeting the evolving needs of government agencies means continuously delivering the latest advancements while maintaining the highest standards of security and compliance. To help public sector organizations stay ahead of emerging threats and regulatory demands, we're enhancing our Microsoft 365 Government offerings with additional security and management capabilities empowered by AI. Bringing the power of AI to everyone in your organization. We brought Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat to GCC, GCC-High, and DoD (Department of Defense) and recently expanded web-grounded Copilot Chat to Word, PowerPoint, and OneNote 1 . Copilot Chat’s context-aware intelligence understands your open document, enabling you to summarize, draft, and refine content without switching between apps. At Ignite, we announced that Copilot Chat will include access to Agent Mode in chat, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to help you create and edit files by describing what you need. IT administrators now have integrated controls to secure, manage, and measure Copilot Chat. Strengthening protection against advanced threats across email and Microsoft Teams. We’re adding the enhanced email security features of Microsoft Defender for Office Plan 1 to Office 365 G3/E3 and Microsoft 365 G3 to help more organizations detect and protect against phishing, malware, and malicious links across email and collaboration platforms. In addition, we are including URL checks in Office 365 G1/E1, which help protect against known malicious websites when users click on links in email and Office apps. Empowering IT teams with integrated endpoint management. We are bringing additional endpoint management features to Microsoft 365 G3 and Microsoft 365 G5 by adding capabilities that empower IT to solve issues faster, preemptively detect exposures, and keep devices productive. These features include Intune Plan 2, Intune Advanced Analytics, and Intune Remote Help. For Microsoft 365 G5 customers, Intune Endpoint Privilege Management, Intune Enterprise Application Management, and Microsoft Cloud PKI will enable IT teams to safeguard AI productivity and strengthen security by mitigating risk, maintaining compliance, and delivering more secure user experiences. Note: Every feature mentioned is expected to be available in at least one Government cloud environment within the listed Government suites rolling out throughout 2026. For features that do not yet meet inclusion requirements for specific environments, we are working to complete the necessary engineering, certification, and approval processes to ensure they adhere to strict regulatory standards. These features will be added to other environments within the listed Government suites over time as they pass validation and become eligible for inclusion. Updated pricing Alongside this expansion of features and capabilities, we are also making changes to our pricing, which will go into effect on July 1, 2026. At that time, we will update our list pricing for the following Microsoft 365 Government products: Microsoft 365 G3 (GCC, GCC-H, DoD), Microsoft 365 G5 (GCC, GCC-H, DoD), Office 365 G3 (GCC), and Office 365 E3 (GCC-H, DoD). *In accordance with federal regulations, for suites with total increases exceeding 10%, the increase will be phased over multiple years, with no more than 10% applied annually until the full adjustment is complete. Learn more about the updates coming to the commercial suites. Nonprofit pricing will be adjusted in line with commercial pricing, as it is tied to commercial rates through a fixed percentage discount. Our ongoing commitment to Government innovation Our dedication to Microsoft 365 Government goes beyond individual feature releases. We are focused on delivering the latest commercial capabilities to the public sector, anchored in the compliance and security certifications essential for government workloads. Through landmark initiatives like the OneGov offer, we’re accelerating the digitization of federal workloads and delivering unified access to advanced productivity, cloud, and AI services at significant cost savings. Within the last year, we’ve expanded Microsoft 365 Copilot to GCC, GCC-High, and DoD to enable agencies to harness secure generative AI for their most critical missions. Over the past four years, we’ve also brought advanced commercial grade security features, like integration of threat intelligence, to government clouds. This ensures agencies can confidently modernize while meeting the highest standards for compliance and certification. Looking ahead Microsoft remains dedicated to supporting government agencies with secure, compliant, and innovative solutions. We appreciate your continued trust and partnership as we work together to unlock new possibilities for public service. 1 - Off by default for Government environments.A CISO's Guide to Securing AI - Securing AI for Federal, DIB, and DoW Entities
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping federal missions, defense operations, and critical infrastructure. From intelligence analysis to logistics and cyber defense, AI’s transformative power is undeniable. Yet, with great power comes great responsibility and risk.Level Up Your Productivity: Join Our 2026 Copilot in Action Series this January and February
Unlock the full power of Microsoft Copilot with a series of fast, hands-on sessions designed to elevate your productivity. From building your first agent to transforming data in minutes, these webinars show you exactly how to work smarter in 2026. Reserve your spot now and start mastering the AI tools already at your fingertips.Microsoft 365 Copilot is now available in GCC-High
Update December 2, 2025: This post has been revised to clarify the availability timeline for Copilot Search in the Microsoft 365 Copilot App. It will be rolling out as part of Wave 2, in the first half of 2026. We’re excited to announce that Microsoft 365 Copilot is now available for customers in GCC-High, bringing powerful work-ready AI capabilities to organizations with the highest security and compliance requirements. This announcement builds on previous launches in the GCC and DoD cloud environments over the last year. Trusted AI, built for confidence Microsoft 365 Copilot combines the capabilities of large language models with Work IQ—the intelligence layer that helps Copilot understand you, your job, and your company—and weaves this understanding into familiar Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook to help you work smarter and faster. With Microsoft 365 Copilot, agencies can streamline citizen services by drafting responses and summarizing case files in minutes. They can empower staff to manage budgets effectively by analyzing spending trends and generating compliance-ready reports, all within the Microsoft 365 apps where they already work today. Copilot for GCC-High is built to meet the strict regulatory frameworks many agencies and adjacent organizations operate under, adhering to FedRAMP High, DFARS, ITAR, CMMC, and other critical compliance requirements. Key protections include: Data Residency and Isolation: All data remains within U.S.-based data centers managed by screened U.S. personnel, ensuring compliance with government mandates. Encryption and Access Controls: Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, with Microsoft Entra ID enforcing role-based access. Responsible AI by Design: Copilot incorporates Microsoft’s Responsible AI principles, including safeguards against prompt injection and misuse. To ensure sensitive government data does not leave the GCC-High compliance boundary, Microsoft 365 Copilot is delivered to GCC-High with web grounding OFF by default. Shifting this setting to ON where appropriate will improve the quality of Copilot responses. For more details, visit Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot. Capabilities in GCC-High today – and beyond Microsoft 365 Copilot customers in GCC-High will gain access to a powerful suite of features immediately, with more to come in Wave 2. As of today, the following capabilities are available or have begun rolling out in Microsoft 365 Copilot for GCC-High: Copilot in Microsoft 365 Apps: Integrated AI experiences in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, enabling users to draft, analyze, and collaborate securely within familiar productivity tools. These capabilities are designed to meet the strict compliance and data residency requirements of GCC-High, with all data stored in U.S.-based data centers and managed by screened U.S. personnel. Premium features in Copilot Chat: Copilot Chat with web grounding (default OFF) and the ability to reason over uploaded files is included with eligible Microsoft 365 plans (rolling out now). Adding a Microsoft 365 Copilot license unlocks full work data reasoning with Work IQ, deeper integration with Microsoft 365 apps, and extensive customization options[1] for secure integration with external data sources and custom workflows, with administrative controls to ensure security and compliance. Learn more about the relationship between Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Chat. Compliance-Ready AI and Security Controls: Copilot for GCC-High is built to meet strict regulatory frameworks, including FedRAMP High, DFARS, ITAR, and CMMC. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, with role-based access enforced by Microsoft Entra ID. Microsoft Purview and Enterprise Data Protection (EDP) are natively integrated for security, governance, and policy enforcement. Copilot Control System: Provides IT management controls, license management, and compliance monitoring. Administrators can configure and monitor Copilot usage to ensure alignment with organizational policies. Controls are conveniently centralized within the Microsoft 365 admin center. Notebooks and Pages in the Microsoft 365 Copilot App: Use Notebooks and Pages for collaborative work within the dedicated app. Wave 2 features are expected to ship to GCC-High in the first half of 2026. These include: GPT-5: Delivers faster, more accurate, and context-aware responses for advanced analysis and problem solving, while maintaining strict compliance within GCC-High boundaries. Image Generation: Enables users to create custom visuals from text prompts directly in chat and Microsoft 365 apps, with built-in compliance controls for secure usage and sharing. Code Interpreter: Allows secure Python code execution for data analysis, visualization, and automation, supporting advanced analytics and repetitive task automation. Researcher Agent: Provides deep research capabilities, synthesizing insights from organizational content and the web (where permitted), with source-cited, well-organized reports. Analyst Agent: Acts as a virtual data scientist, analyzing structured and unstructured data, visualizing trends, and supporting strategic decision-making. Microsoft 365 Copilot Connectors: Enable integration with third-party and line-of-business data sources, enabling secure, compliant workflows that extend Copilot’s reach beyond Microsoft 365. Copilot Search in the Microsoft 365 Copilot App: Harness Copilot Search for intelligent and context-aware information retrieval within the dedicated app. All of these features will be tailored to meet the strict security, compliance, and data residency requirements of GCC-High. For the latest roadmap and availability updates, refer to the official Microsoft 365 Roadmap and Microsoft 365 Copilot Service Description. Next steps For federal agencies in GCC-High who purchase through the GSA, significant discounts are currently available under the OneGov agreement announced in September, including the opportunity to use Microsoft 365 Copilot at no additional cost for up to 12 months with Microsoft 365 G5. Additional resources are listed below. Reach out to your account team or partner to learn more, request a demo, or get started with Microsoft 365 Copilot in GCC-High today. Resources Documentation and Admin Controls: Microsoft 365 Copilot overview Copilot Control System Overview Microsoft 365 Copilot Service Description Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot Microsoft Purview data security and compliance protections for generative AI apps Apply principles of Zero Trust to Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption Resources for Public Sector Customers: Copilot Readiness and Adoption Guide for Public Sector Customers Copilot Government Scenarios [1] Not all customization options are currently available in GCC-High. For up-to-date feature availability information refer to the Microsoft 365 Copilot Service Description.The City Leader's Dilemma: How AI Is turning urban strain into strategic advantage
Ready to transform how your city plans and operates? Download the Trend Report 2025: Planning and operating thriving cities – innovation for smarter urban living to access the complete playbook on AI-powered urban innovation, complete with case studies from Bangkok, Singapore, Barcelona, and Manchester. Urban challenges aren’t slowing down. Populations are growing, climate pressures are intensifying, and residents expect seamless services, while budgets remain flat and workforces stretch thin. Traditional approaches can’t keep pace. The good news? Cities worldwide are showing that AI and digital innovation can drive meaningful improvements. Recent studies indicate that more than half of surveyed cities are already using AI to upgrade operations, and most plan to expand adoption in the next three years. For many leaders, the question is less about whether to act and more about how to act responsibly and effectively. After studying the latest research and real-world deployments, three strategic shifts stand out, each offering a different lens on how forward-thinking city leaders are turning pressure into progress. Shift One: From Fragmented services to unified citizen experiences Residents expect seamless problem-solving, not organizational complexity. Yet many cities operate in silos, transit systems, permitting offices, 311 reporting, and community engagement often run on separate platforms. The result? Multiple apps for residents, duplicated effort for staff, and missed insights locked in departmental databases. Leading cities are breaking this pattern through unified digital platforms powered by AI. Bangkok’s Traffy Fondue: Citizens report issues like broken streetlights or flooding via a mobile interface. AI categorizes each report and routes it to the right department. By mid-2025, the platform handled nearly one million citizen reports, improving engagement and reducing administrative overhead. The outcome? Reduced administrative overhead, and something harder to measure but equally important: residents who believe their government actually listens. Buenos Aires took a similar path with "Boti," a WhatsApp chatbot that evolved from a COVID-era tool into a citywide digital assistant. Citizens report issues, ask questions, and access services through the messaging app they already use daily. Technology that meets residents where they are improves efficiency and strengthens trust, when guided by principles of transparency and fairness. Shift Two: From reactive planning to predictive foresight Traditional urban planning relies on static models: masterplans, zoning maps, historical growth trends. These tools served their purpose. But they cannot capture the complexity of future risks, extreme weather, evolving mobility patterns, or the cascading effects of a single development decision. Digital twins complement human expertise by integrating geospatial data, climate models, and policy scenarios, helping cities make smarter decisions with limited budgets. Singapore's Digital Urban Climate Twin integrates geospatial data with climate models to simulate how different policies would affect temperature and thermal comfort across neighborhoods. These tools support informed decision-making while maintaining human oversight and accountability. The result? Strategic adaptation rather than reactive firefighting. Sydney built an urban digital twin that correlates environmental conditions with traffic accidents, using machine learning to predict crash risk on specific road segments. City planners can now test interventions virtually, what happens if we lower speed limits here? Add a bike lane there? Before committing resources. Even smaller cities are finding value. Imola, Italy uses a microclimate digital twin to model heat distribution street by street, guiding decisions about where to plant trees or specify cool pavement materials. The paradigm shift is profound: instead of planning based on what happened, cities can now plan based on what's likely to happen. This is how you make smart bets with limited budgets. Shift Three: From tech adoption to governance architecture Here's where many cities stumble. They invest in flashy pilots without building the institutional structures to sustain them. The cities getting this right treat governance as a strategic asset, not a compliance burden. Singapore's Model AI Governance Framework provides practical guidelines for transparency, fairness, and human-centric design. Its AI Verify toolkit lets organizations test their systems for resilience, accountability, and bias before deployment. Barcelona takes a different but equally rigorous approach, treating municipal data as a public asset under its Data Commons program. The city's procurement strategy favors open-source solutions, preventing vendor lock-in while supporting local innovation ecosystems. Both models share a common insight: rapid innovation doesn't automatically produce equitable outcomes. Governance creates the guardrails that allow experimentation without derailment. For city leaders, this means building cross-sector governance councils, adopting clear data strategies, creating ethical AI frameworks, and investing in workforce capability. These aren't obstacles to innovation; they're the foundation that makes sustained innovation possible. The Path Forward Cities that thrive in combine strategic vision with disciplined, responsible technology use. They embed digital capabilities into decision-making, supported by robust policies and cross-department collaboration. Learn how Microsoft helps governments build tech-empowered cities and resilient infrastructure at Microsoft for government. The Smart Cities World 2025 Trend Report provides the detailed case studies, governance frameworks, and implementation roadmaps to make this real. Download your copy now and start building the city your residents deserve.AI for Personalized Government Services: Building Trust and Inclusivity in Cities
Cities today are under unprecedented pressure. Residents expect services that are fast, accessible, and tailored to their needs, yet many local governments still rely on fragmented systems and manual processes that create long queues and frustration. In a digital-first society, these gaps are no longer acceptable. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers a transformative opportunity to close them, enabling governments to deliver personalized, proactive, and inclusive citizen experiences. On December 4, Smart Cities World Connect will host a Trend Report Panel Discussion bringing together city leaders, technology experts, and public sector innovators to explore how AI can reshape the citizen experience. This virtual event will highlight practical strategies for responsible AI adoption and showcase lessons from pioneering cities worldwide. Register today: Trend Report Panel Discussion (4 Dec) Why AI Matters for Cities Urban populations are growing, budgets remain tight, and climate and social pressures are mounting. Against this backdrop, AI is emerging as a critical enabler for smarter governance. By integrating AI into service delivery, cities can: Support improved wait times through AI-powered assistants and multilingual agents. Deliver proactive services using unified data and predictive analytics. Ensure equity by extending digital access to underserved communities. Build trust through transparent governance and responsible AI deployment. These capabilities are no longer theoretical. Cities from Abu Dhabi to Singapore are already embedding AI into core operations—modernizing citizen portals, automating case management, and using digital twins to plan with foresight. The panel will explore five essential areas for AI-driven transformation: 1. Smarter Citizen Engagement AI-powered virtual assistants and chatbots can handle routine inquiries, guide residents through complex processes, and provide real-time updates—across multiple languages and platforms. This not only reduces queues but also makes services more inclusive for diverse communities. 2. Proactive, Personalized Services Unified data platforms and predictive analytics allow governments to anticipate citizen needs, whether it’s notifying residents about benefit eligibility or streamlining license renewals. By moving from reactive to proactive service delivery, cities can improve satisfaction and reduce backlogs. 3. Equity at the Core Efficiency must never come at the expense of fairness. AI-enabled systems should be designed to reach underserved populations, bridging the digital divide and ensuring that innovation benefits all residents, not just the most connected. 4. Governance and Trust Responsible AI adoption requires robust frameworks for transparency, data protection, and ethical oversight. Cities must implement clear governance models, conduct algorithmic audits, and engage communities in co-design to maintain public trust. 5. Practical Steps for Integration From piloting high-impact use cases to building cross-department governance and investing in workforce training, the discussion will outline actionable steps for scaling AI responsibly. Partnerships with industry and academia will also play a vital role in accelerating adoption. Lessons from Frontier Cities Several global examples illustrate what’s possible: Manchester City Council is advancing smart urban living through AI-driven planning and operations, using integrated data platforms and predictive analytics to optimize city services, improve sustainability, and enhance citizen engagement across transport, housing, and community programs Abu Dhabi’s TAMM platform, powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI, delivers nearly 950 government services through a single digital hub, simplifying processes and enabling personalized interactions. Singapore’s Virtual Singapore project uses AI and digital twins to simulate urban scenarios, helping planners make evidence-based decisions on mobility, safety, and climate resilience. Bangkok’s Traffy Fondue civic platform leverages AI to categorize citizen reports and route them to the right department, reducing administrative overhead and improving response times. These cases demonstrate that AI is not just a tool for efficiency, it’s a catalyst for inclusion, resilience, and trust. What Attendees Will Gain By joining the December 4 session, city leaders will leave with: A clear understanding of AI’s transformative potential for improving citizen satisfaction and reducing service backlogs. Real-world examples of successful deployments in citizen portals, case management, and service automation. Insights into ethical and regulatory considerations critical to building trust in personalized government services. Guidance on preparing organizations to adopt and scale AI effectively. Looking Ahead Cities that thrive in the coming decade will be those that combine strategic vision with disciplined, trustworthy use of technology. AI can help governments deliver services that are smarter, more inclusive, and more responsive to the needs of every resident, but success depends on strong governance, cross-sector collaboration, and a commitment to equity. To learn more and register for the Trend Report Panel Discussion on December 4.Welcome Back Federal! Try this Prompt of the Week to get Caught Up.
Catch Up Like a Pro After a Shutdown! Been away for days? This Copilot-powered prompt helps you scan all recent emails, Teams chats, and meetings, then organizes updates into High, Medium, and Low priorities with clear reasoning. Get a structured action plan complete with effort estimates, dependencies, and risks—so you know exactly what to tackle first. Requires Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Copy the prompt into Copilot Chat via Outlook, Teams, Windows app, or https://M365Copilot.com.The Art and Science of Prompting: AI fluency. mayoral delegate edition
Art and science of prompting is your gateway to unlocking citywide transformation. AI skills are now foundational for every city leader. The winners will be those who ask better questions, shape better prompts, and empower their teams to experiment, learn, and scale what works. This session will show you how to move from curiosity to action, and from pilot to policy The deck below is the best prompts I've curated over 2.5 years deeply testing, implementing, teaching, and scaling AI to governments and large companies around the world. These are the basis to the prompting skills you can gain to augment and supercharge your expertise. Slide 10 is my personal favorite -- the easy button -- i use it everyday and so should you. Start with an area you're already an expert in, and go deep with context. Get to your 'Aha moment' then rinse and repeat. Have fun!
