Do you ever feel like you\u2019re flying solo at work? If so, Microsoft Copilot may be the AI partner you need to share the controls when the winds get rough.<\/p>\n
Whether you need to answer a simple \u201cHow do I \u2026?\u201d question in Microsoft Excel, have several meetings\u2019 worth of notes stored in SharePoint to sift through quickly or need to find a complex solution in Power Platform, Microsoft Copilot has the answers \u2014 and they\u2019re all based on your business data.<\/p>\n
In this blog, we\u2019ll give you everything you need to know to chart your course with Microsoft Copilot<\/a>.<\/strong> After getting a lay of the land with a quick overview of Copilot\u2019s history and benefits, we\u2019ll dive into the currently available copilots and the copilots yet to land. Then, we\u2019ll provide an example of how these copilots can work together to promote new product development, increase efficiencies, and lower costs.<\/p>\n So fasten your seat belt, and get ready to learn how Microsoft Copilot will unlock business value<\/a>.<\/p>\n Through its purchase of a 49 percent stake in OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, Microsoft gained access to the same large language model (LLM) and natural language processing (NLP) power that drives the popular chatbot. That access allowed Microsoft to build Microsoft Copilot, a suite of AI tools that enhance various Microsoft applications across the company\u2019s platform.<\/p>\n So, how does it work? Microsoft 365 Copilot processes each NLP prompt and places a call to Microsoft Graph, which contains all your Microsoft files, emails, meetings, chats, calendars, and more. Copilot then uses that data, along with the Microsoft Semantic Index, to \u201cground,\u201d or contextualize, your prompt before sending it to the LLM.<\/strong><\/p>\n The LLM puts the response into human language, and Copilot again performs another set of grounding processes with Microsoft Graph and the Semantic Index while ensuring that returned information draws on data the user is authorized to access.<\/p>\n Finally, after Copilot orchestrates this iterative process, you receive an NLP response along with the information created from your Microsoft files, emails, meetings, chats, calendars, and so on \u2014 all without ever leaving the familiar Microsoft 365 environment<\/a>.<\/p>\n Microsoft Copilot’s main benefit is its power to help you be more productive by automating tasks and achieve goals without leaving the Microsoft app you\u2019re using. Whether it\u2019s creating Word documents, conducting business analysis<\/a>, or building apps, Microsoft Copilot makes it easy to complete your task using NLP prompts and queries.<\/p>\n From that foundation, the benefits compound. For example, Copilot will:<\/strong><\/p>\n That\u2019s a tall order, but the vision gets closer every day. Let’s explore the possibilities by examining current and upcoming functions for late 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n Bing Chat Enterprise is Microsoft\u2019s version of ChatGPT with the added benefit of commercial data protection. Bing Chat Enterprise is available now when using the Microsoft Edge browser, and it\u2019s safe to use at work because the data from employee prompts and responses don\u2019t go outside of the organization.<\/p>\n Also, Bing Chat Enterprise doesn\u2019t interact with your documents within your organization, and the LLM doesn\u2019t store or use your prompts and results for training the AI model.<\/strong> These features further protect your employees and your data.<\/p>\n Salespeople will close more deals more easily with Microsoft Sales Copilot. Previously known as Viva Sales, Sales Copilot uses your Microsoft data to automate multiple common sales tasks, from customer relationship management (CRM) to summarizing meetings and generating emails.<\/p>\n And because Sales Copilot is role-specific, users have access to all the information they need to close sales, but without a lot of clutter. Sales Copilot can also generate AI-assisted content, such as contextualized email drafts and customer opportunity summaries that draw on Outlook or CRM data. Finally, salespeople access Sales Copilot from within the various applications where they work, such as Dynamics, Outlook or Teams.<\/p>\n Developers can gain productivity through GitHub Copilot. GitHub<\/a>, which Microsoft acquired in 2012, is a software development platform where developers can store and manage their code as well as share their code with others.<\/p>\n GitHub Copilot accelerates quality software development with its ability to scan billions of lines of code that match a developer\u2019s particular need.<\/strong> The time they gain will increase their productivity and innovation.<\/p>\n Scheduled for a November 1, 2023, release, Microsoft 365 Copilot will transform how people use the core 356 apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Outlook. You will access Microsoft 365 Copilot from these everyday apps to help build spreadsheets, compose emails, create presentations, revise documents, and find solutions.<\/p>\n In short, Microsoft 365 Copilot will be your daily AI assistant, helping you combine relevant data and information from other company sources and information found in the LLM.<\/strong><\/p>\n Microsoft Security Copilot helps you analyze your company\u2019s security posture, identify risks, determine mitigation steps, and respond more quickly to security incidents \u2014 all with the help of insights and data found across your various security applications. In addition, Security Copilot records every activity to ensure full transparency and solid audit trails throughout the event response, restoration, and mitigation process.<\/p>\n Once available, Windows Copilot will provide centralized AI assistance over your computer\u2019s operating system. You\u2019ll be able to ask questions and get NLP responses to help you in your day-to-day activities, such as personalizing, configuring, or navigating your PC \u2014 all within a single interface.<\/p>\n Most U.S. users with Microsoft admin rights can now access a preview of Microsoft Power Platform Copilot<\/a> to see some of what it can do. The preview allows you to test-fly capabilities such as creating apps with NLP commands (Power Apps), editing your apps and enhancing them with Copilot controls or AI chatbots (Power Virtual Agents), or creating automation flows for business processes (Power Automate).<\/p>\n Also, currently in preview mode for U.S. Microsoft admins is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Copilot. The first AI tool to combine CRM and enterprise resource planning (ERP), Dynamics 365 Copilot will make automating sales and marketing tasks easier, from creating customer profiles and market analyses to asking for insights with NLP commands.365<\/p>\n As you can see, the copilots described above will soon help in many different business use cases. Below is a hypothetical scenario to help you envision how copilots can work together to solve business problems step-by-step.<\/strong><\/p>\n The age of AI is here, and other cross-platform deployments of LLMs have already emerged. More are undoubtedly on the way. But don\u2019t lose sight of the bigger story: AI itself.<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s Microsoft Copilot or another tool, you should explore what any AI offering can deliver to your organization<\/a>.<\/strong> Run through a checklist<\/a> to determine if your organization is ready. Start with your processes that bog things down or that employees find painfully redundant. What can you automate? What can you speed up? What will help you achieve your vision? And how can you get AI into the hands of your traditional office workers to help them become more productive and creative?<\/p>\n\n What Is Microsoft Copilot? A Flight Log<\/h2>\n
The Benefits of Microsoft Copilot: Why Fly With AI?<\/h2>\n
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Recent Arrivals: Microsoft Copilot Tools at the Gate<\/h2>\n
Bing Chat Enterprise<\/h3>\n
Microsoft Sales Copilot<\/h3>\n
GitHub Copilot<\/h3>\n
Arriving Soon: Microsoft Copilot Tools Circling the Airport<\/h2>\n
Microsoft 365 Copilot<\/h3>\n
Microsoft Security Copilot<\/h3>\n
Windows Copilot<\/h3>\n
Microsoft Power Platform Copilot<\/h3>\n
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Copilot<\/h3>\n
Imagine the Possibilities: A Mini Microsoft Copilot Case Study<\/h2>\n
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Conclusion<\/h2>\n