Microsoft Copilot FAQs
The launch of Microsoft 365 Copilot is exciting news for AI enthusiasts, IT resellers and business users alike. You can view their latest announcement here.
We’ve put together some FAQs to help you prepare below, including an overview of Copilot, what it means for your customers, how it works, what SKU’s you need and other useful information.
To make sure you’re kept up to date with the latest Microsoft Co-Pilot news and updates, including any pricing information or testing opportunities, complete the form at the bottom of this page and we’ll be in touch. You can also watch our latest webinar here – ‘Get you and your customers Copilot ready – with Microsoft & Giacom’.
What is Copilot?
Copilot brings the power of next-generation AI to Microsoft’s productivity suite. Combining the power of large language models (LLMs) with business data ( the Microsoft Graph) and the Microsoft 365 apps, Copilot unleashes creativity, unlocks productivity and uplevels skills. Not just a better way of doing things but an entirely new way of working.
With Copilot, your customer is always in control. They decide what to keep, modify or discard. They can be more creative in Word, more analytical in Excel, more expressive in PowerPoint, more productive in Outlook and more collaborative in Teams.
When will Copilot be available?
Microsoft Copilot will be available in Windows from Tuesday 26th September, and Microsoft 365 Copilot will be available to all Enterprise customers from Wednesday 1st November. Microsoft are yet to announce any other dates.
Why is it exciting for my customers?
Microsoft 365 Copilot seamlessly integrates into the apps your customers use every day, freeing them to focus more on the tasks at hand.
- Copilot in Word: generate and edit text in Word documents based on user prompts. Generate rewrite suggestions based on prompted highlighted text.
- Copilot in Excel: formatting data, creating graphs, generating PivotTables, identifying trends, and summarizing information. Guide users using Excel commands and suggest formulas to investigate questions.
- Copilot in PowerPoint: create decks from Word documents and Excel spreadsheets or a prompt. Adjust the presentation style, text formatting, and animation timing based on prompts. Add speaker notes and shorten long presentations.
- Copilot in Outlook: Draft emails with varying length and tone based on prompts and pull relevant information from other emails. Summarise content from email threads and highlight key comments, action points and outstanding questions. NB: See below: Do I Need to do Anything for Copilot to Work? New Outlook for Windows.
- Copilot in Teams: present information for upcoming meetings, transcribe meetings, and provide debriefs. Summarise discussion and action points.
- Copilot in Business Chat: a chat interface that pulls information from content across all Microsoft 365 apps, including documents, presentations, emails, calendars and notes, to answer user questions and perform other tasks.
- Copilot in OneNote: use prompts to draft plans, generate ideas, create lists and organise information.
- Copilot in Viva Learning: a natural language chat interface will help users create a personalised learning journey including designing upskilling paths, discovering relevant learning resources, and scheduling time for assigned trainings.
What’s so exciting is Copilot will fundamentally change how people work with AI and how AI works with people. As with any new pattern of work, there’s a learning curve — but those who embrace this new way of working will quickly gain an edge.
Do I need to do anything for it to work?
There’s a number of things that need to be in place for Copilot to work. Doing these now will make sure you are ready to go from day one of any release:
- Microsoft 365 Apps – must be deployed for your users.
- Azure Active Directory-based account – must have an Azure AD based account.
- OneDrive Account – must have a OneDrive account.
New Outlook for Windows – this is required (currently in preview): Getting started with the new Outlook for Windows.
Microsoft Teams – must use the Teams desktop client or web client.
Microsoft Loop – must have Loop enabled for your tenant: Get started with Microsoft Loop.
There are a number of recommended best practice guidelines available: Best Practice Guidelines
How much is Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing and licensing?
On the 18th July 2023, Microsoft announced the per user cost of Microsoft Copilot is $30 per user per month for Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, and Business Premium customers. We’ll let you know of any further updates as we get it.
What SKUs does it work with?
To be eligible to use Copilot users will need either:
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Microsoft 365 E3
- Microsoft 365 E5
Users will also need an active Azure AD account and to be on either the Current or the Monthly Enterprise update Channel for 365 Apps.
Is Microsoft 365 Copilot secure?
Copilot integrates into Microsoft 365 and automatically inherits all your customers valuable security, compliance, and privacy policies and processes. Two-factor authentication, compliance boundaries, privacy protections, and more make Copilot the AI solution you can trust.
Useful links
Get started with Microsoft 365 Copilot
Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot
Video: Mechanics Video: How to get ready for Microsoft 365 Copilot
Blog: How to prepare for Microsoft 365 Copilot
Community: Microsoft 365 Copilot Tech Community
See what Microsoft 365 Copilot can do:
How Microsoft 365 Copilot works
Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot with Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote
Microsoft 365 Copilot in Excel
Microsoft 365 Copilot in Teams Meetings
Are you Microsoft 365 Copilot ready?
Microsoft’s transformative AI tool is here, and we’re perfectly placed to help MSPs introduce Copilot to their customers.