First, what the heck is Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Is Microsoft 365 Copilot for an airplane, a train, or perhaps an automobile? Could it be Cortana’s distant relative or maybe Kit’s long-lost girlfriend (from Knight Rider)? Regardless, it’s something worth noting because it has the potential to revolutionize how you work and play.
Simply put, Microsoft Copilot for Small and Medium Businesses is a new solution from Microsoft that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help you work smarter and faster. Copilot is like having a virtual assistant who can understand your commands, access your data, and control your Microsoft 365 apps. It’s like hanging out with a brilliant friend who’s humble and dedicated to serving you and your business.
Released in November of 2023 to enterprise accounts, it works alongside popular Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and (eventually) many others. It’s part of Win11 on your PC or your mobile device. It’s like your experience with Siri and Alexa; however, this can crawl your PC/Phone and perform work-related tasks. According to Pax8 and Microsoft, the timeline for small and medium businesses is scheduled for sometime in 2024.
Picture this scenario:
After three meetings, numerous emails, OneNote annotations, Word documents crafted with your team, and discussions in Teams regarding the project, you are now faced with creating a presentation for the executive team or board. Microsoft aims to simplify this process with Copilot, leveraging all these data points to generate a comprehensive presentation for you effortlessly. In this scenario, you can ask Copilot to help you generate reports in Word and Excel, then create a PowerPoint presentation using your design preferences and branding. You then can have Copilot add charts, graphs, images, and captions to make your documents and presentations more engaging and informative. Boom!! Done. Now relax and practice your delivery.
So, is it free?
Nope.
Microsoft Copilot is not free. You have to pay a monthly fee to use it. The fee depends on which version of Copilot you choose and which Microsoft 365 plan you have.
There are three versions of Copilot:
- Copilot in Windows: This is the basic version of Copilot that works on your Windows computer. It is free for commercial customers who have Windows 11.
- Microsoft Copilot: This is the advanced version of Copilot that works across your Microsoft 365 apps. It is not free. You have to pay $30 per user per month to use it. You must also have an eligible Microsoft 365 plan, such as Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, or Business Premium.
- Microsoft Sales Copilot: This is the specialized version of Copilot that works for sales professionals in Microsoft Dynamics 365. It is not free. You must pay an extra fee to use it, but the exact price is not yet announced. More to come.
The cool thing is that you do not need to license all your users. Microsoft 365 Copilot is not a mandatory add-on for Microsoft 365. You can choose to deploy it to only the users who would benefit the most from it.
How Exactly Can You Use Copilot for Small and Medium Businesses?
- Write emails faster and better.
- Make reports and presentations easily.
- Ask predictive-type questions and suggestions.
- Scheduling meetings and events without hassle. Copilot can help you schedule meetings and events in Outlook and Teams using your calendar and availability. Copilot can also help you invite attendees, send reminders, and follow up with feedback. Copilot can also summarize meetings, capture action items, and assign tasks to your team members.
- Chat more effectively with your team and customers by helping you answer questions, give information, and share files and links. Copilot can also help you make polls, surveys, and quizzes to get feedback and insights from your audience.
When Can You Use Microsoft 365 Copilot?
That’s the question that seems unanswerable at this point. Here is what we know..
- The date for small and medium businesses has not been released; however, June 2024 is the timeline we keep hearing.
- Microsoft said in June of 2023 that small and medium business (SMB) customers who have Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Business Premium could use Microsoft 365 Copilot as their base licenses; however, the recent announcements and documentation from Microsoft do not mention this statement anymore, which makes us wonder if they have changed or delayed this plan.
- Microsoft plans to release Microsoft 365 Copilot for Government Community Cloud subscribers in the summer of 2024.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot is not included in E3 and E5 business licenses but can be added for $30 per user per month with an annual commitment; however, there is no confirmation if it will be available for Microsoft 365 Education licensees.
Certain reports suggest that Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 is exclusively accessible to enterprise organizations, mandating a minimum of 300 licensed seats. As our small and medium-sized businesses explore Copilot, our Technical Account Managers will aid in strategic planning. Additionally, our Fractional CIO and Senior Strategic Consultant team is actively working to identify the best possible solution for our clients.
BEWARE…
As AI evolves, not specifically Copilot, you also need to consider these key aspects. AI requires oversight and a human touch; trusting the data blindly is not advisable. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Consider the following aspects:
- Bias: AI can exhibit biases.
- Accuracy: Check for proper citations, transparency, legality, and avoid copyright issues.
- Privacy: Ensure data privacy. This is a biggie.
- Originality: AI will show signs of patterns, same wording, phrases, etc.
- Voice & Tone: AI may generate content with a certain style; tailor it to fit your brand.
- Editing: Review and refine AI-generated content.
- Repetition: AI might use similar language; customize to maintain uniqueness.
- Compliance: Understand and adhere to rules governing AI usage. This is unchartered waters, so enter cautiously.
- Security: Prioritize the security of AI-generated content.
- Copyrights: Be cautious to avoid potential lawsuits.
Wrap Up
This is just the beginning. Microsoft 365 Copilot is a game-changer for small and medium businesses who want to work smarter and faster. It is a virtual assistant that uses AI to help you with your Microsoft 365 apps. It’s both exciting and scary but has the potential to be something great. Microsoft 365 Copilot is not a mandatory add-on for Microsoft 365, and you can deploy it only to the users who would benefit the most from it. Microsoft 365 Copilot could be the game changer your company needs.
Are you someone who embraces new technology early, or do you prefer to wait until it’s more refined? Will the gains in employee productivity justify the associated costs? What steps should be taken to be well-prepared?
These are all excellent inquiries.
Stay tuned for more updates in the upcoming months.
