Microsoft’s Copilot monthly plan unlocks world of AI opportunities for partners

Microsoft recently dropped an exciting Copilot update which will help remove a barrier preventing some businesses from adopting its AI-powered assistant.

Where previously businesses had to commit to a one-off, annual payment, Microsoft has now extended its billing options to offer a monthly payment plan.

It helps businesses spread the cost of Copilot licenses over a whole year, rather than forcing them to pay what can be a substantial figure all in one go.

Giacom’s Microsoft Copilot Sales Specialist, Angela Pawar, explores what Microsoft’s announcement means for MSPs and their customers.

Businesses are embracing the power of AI

Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept, driven by sci-fi films and dystopian television dramas.

Addressing an audience at the Microsoft Ignite conference in Chicago in November, the company’s CEO Satya Nadella said AI has “transformative power as it drives growth in business.

For a perfect example, look no further than Microsoft’s own Copilot AI assistant. Since its general launch in January, the number of active users has sat between 20 and 30 million. AI is now routinely being integrated into business operations as a tool for change.

Copilot’s core aim is to save businesses time, unlock creativity and develop new skills using popular tools like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams.

Whether it’s creating beautiful presentations with a simple prompt, summarising a Teams meeting and creating key action points, or drafting email templates, Copilot’s productivity offering is enormous.

Security and trust are top priorities for Copilot users

As with all new products and innovations, some businesses have reacted to Copilot with a degree of scepticism. Security and trust are common concerns raised by businesses looking at the AI assistant. How does Copilot consume and utilise data, and how is that data stored?

Copilot is designed with security and privacy at its core, offering enterprise-grade security and compliance. It only uses the data necessary to perform tasks and does not retain or share that data beyond the specific interaction.

At Giacom, we’ve been involved in Copilot from its very early days. We were one of the few Microsoft partners to be part of its early access programme for Copilot, so we have the knowledge and the trust of how it can help businesses grow.

Our in-house Microsoft experts are on hand to help partners sell Copilot and to help businesses get started on their AI adventure. We understand the adoption of AI can be daunting – we can help make that process simple and smooth.

Our COO, Nathan Marke, has written a series of blogs on his own experiences with Copilot. You can read his ‘Diary of an Augmented Exec’ series here.

An important point to mention is Copilot is fully customisable. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to AI, and businesses can choose the level of access they want to give Copilot, and which tools they want to embed it within.

It means businesses can have full trust and confidence in Copilot, and can use it in a way that most benefits them

Helping businesses get prepped for Copilot

One common question we know our partners are being asked by customers is “how do I know the right time to implement AI in my business?”

Don’t worry, we’ve got that covered!

The Microsoft Copilot Readiness Assessment helps MSPs work with customers to understand how Copilot can help them, and in what areas.

The assessment examines a range of things, including a business’ existing security posture, its licensing usage and its use of optimisation tools such as OneDrive and Teams.

Completing the assessment gives our partners a complete understanding of how to prepare their customers for Copilot, any changes needed to ensure security and compliance, licensing and how to ensure seamless adoption.

MSPs can further enhance their service offerings by utilising Microsoft’s Copilot Dashboard. Through delegated access, MSPs can monitor and analyse Copilot usage, providing clients with detailed reports.

This capability enables MSPs to effectively demonstrate the return on investment of Copilot, reinforcing the value of AI integration in business operations.

Copilot is now more accessible than ever

Microsoft’s announcement of a monthly payment option for Copilot is a game-changer.

It means businesses who may have been uncomfortable paying for their licenses in a one-off, annual payment can split the cost – providing them with peace of mind and comfort.

Choosing to pay monthly still requires a 12-month commitment, and the overall cost is slightly higher, but it means Copilot can be paid for in affordable, bitesize chunks.

What does all this mean for our partners, and MSPs more broadly?

Quite simply, it means Copilot is now accessible for more businesses than ever before. MSPs can now work with their customers to find not only the best way to deploy Copilot, but also the best way to manage payments.

It opens new doors for our partners to sell Copilot to customers, and for us to support the Channel in the growth of artificial intelligence.

One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is our commitment to supporting our partners across all aspects of Copilot. Our deep-rooted partnership with Microsoft enables us to navigate MSPs through Copilot with ease

Busting the Copilot myths

We’re perfectly placed to help MSPs understand all the benefits of Copilot and, crucially, how it can transform their customers’ experiences.

We know the majority of our partners work with small businesses, who likely don’t have the time or knowledge to understand how Copilot could help them. That’s why we have the direct knowledge of what they need to succeed and grow.

There are plenty of myths floating around about Copilot, and it’s important to make sure you’re properly educated and informed on how it can transform your business.

That’s why we produced a Copilot myth-busting guide, which you can find here.

By now, we’ve all heard the hype about AI. Our message to the Channel would be, let Giacom be your Copilot experts, and unlock new opportunities for both your business, and your customers.

To find out more about how we can help, visit www.giacom.com/microsoft-365-copilot/.