Microsoft Copilot Studio for Microsoft 365 is an exciting new AI tool designed to make work easier and more efficient. Our blog explores how Copilot Studio can help small and medium-sized businesses with tricky tasks by offering smart suggestions and adapting to your work style.

What is Microsoft Copilot Studio For Microsoft 365?

Copilot for M365 is an AI assistant built into Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. It’s like having a helpful guide that understands your documents and messages, offering support for different tasks:

  • In Outlook, Copilot can summarize email threads and even draft emails for you.
  • In Teams, it can summarize chats, meetings, and calls, helping you stay updated and ask questions about ongoing discussions.
  • In Word, Copilot can help you write content, give ideas, summarize documents, and handle tasks like changing fonts or creating tables.
  • Excel, can assist with data analysis, letting you use simple language instead of writing complex formulas.
  • In PowerPoint, Copilot can help you create presentations based on prompts or existing documents.

How does Copilot for M365 Work?

How does Copilot for M365 Work

Copilot for M365 is powered by advanced AI tools like Large Language Models (LLM), Microsoft Graph, Semantic Index, and the Copilot Orchestrator.

Here’s how it works:

  • Copilot uses Microsoft Graph and Semantic Index to pull together relevant information from your Microsoft 365 account, including messages, emails, Teams chats, and documents.
  • The Semantic Index goes beyond just finding keywords. It identifies related information, making the search smarter. This information is then sent to a large language model, like GPT-4, running on Azure, which processes it and generates a clear response to your query.
  • The large language model doesn’t keep any information after giving you an answer, so your data stays safe. Copilot also ensures your privacy by only showing information that users have permission to see based on the security settings in Microsoft 365.
  • The Microsoft 365 Copilot Orchestrator manages the entire process, from getting the user’s question to sending back the answer to the right Microsoft 365 app, like Word, Excel, or Teams.

Microsoft Copilot Licensing Made Simple

  • You can start using Microsoft Copilot with just one license—there’s no need to purchase a minimum number.
  • Each license is a yearly commitment; there’s no option for month-to-month payments for Microsoft 365 licenses.
  • The tenant administrator doesn’t need a license to manage Microsoft Copilot.
  • To be eligible for a Microsoft Copilot license, users must have at least a Microsoft 365 Business Standard license or higher.
  • Once a license is assigned, the user gets full access to all of Microsoft Copilot’s features.
  • Licenses can be reassigned to different users, just like any other Microsoft 365 license.

Admin Considerations

Microsoft Copilot respects all your existing security settings, like SharePoint security groups, sensitivity labels, and data loss prevention. This means users can only access information they already have permission to see. Copilot helps users find information more easily but doesn’t give them access to content they’re not authorized to view.

The Semantic Index, part of Microsoft search, is included in Business Standard licenses and above. You can adjust settings for Microsoft Copilot’s chat features in Bing, Edge, and Teams, including controlling access to web and tenant content. Once a user is assigned a license, they’ll get an automatic email welcoming them to Microsoft Copilot and can start using it right away.

Microsoft Copilot Studio

Microsoft Copilot Studio lets your business create customized, no-code chatbots. These bots can handle simple questions or more complex issues. It builds on Microsoft’s Power Virtual Agents and uses generative AI to pull information from public websites or your own SharePoint libraries. You don’t need any developer skills to build these chatbots, making it easy for businesses of any size to create their Copilots and GPTs.

Enhanced Functionality and Integration

You can extend Microsoft Copilot’s features by integrating it with apps like Loop, Whiteboard, and OneNote. There are also plug-ins to connect Copilot with third-party apps, improving its functionality. For example, a Dynamics CRM plug-in lets Copilot update CRM records, and graph connectors allow it to access and index information from external data sources. These features can be customized with Copilot Studio to create specific Copilots for different tasks.

Conclusion

Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 can greatly change how your teams work, boosting productivity, enhancing skills, and fostering creativity. It’s becoming a key tool in the workplace. With new features being developed, it’s a good idea to get at least one license and try Copilot out with your team.