The Microsoft Copilots: an overview
Microsoft’s AI train is gaining momentum. And to top it off, Microsoft Ignite 2023 is adding a touch of inspiration. Satya Nadella, CEO of the big tech company, has a clear final destination in mind; create virtual assistants that help you with any task in your life. Philosophical? Maybe. But to be honest, we’re already pretty close.
How does Microsoft aim to achieve that? They do so with the help of their so-called “Copilots.” The power of AI is now in your hands. With a virtual assistant and the right inputs by your side, you work significantly faster and more efficiently. But what tools are there exactly? In this blog article, you’ll discover an overview of the various Copilots that Microsoft offers. Which one will accelerate your organization to the next level?
In this blog you will read more about:
- • What are Copilots?• What are Copilots?
- • What Copilots are there?• What Copilots are there?
- - Copilot (Bing Chat Enterprise)- Copilot (Bing Chat Enterprise)
- - Microsoft 365 Copilot- Microsoft 365 Copilot
- - Github Copilot- Github Copilot
- - Microsoft Copilot for Security- Microsoft Copilot for Security
- - Microsoft Copilot for Sales- Microsoft Copilot for Sales
- - Microsoft Copilot for Service- Microsoft Copilot for Service
- - Windows 11 Copilot- Windows 11 Copilot
- • Microsoft provides a breakthrough in AI capabilities• Microsoft provides a breakthrough in AI capabilities
What are Copilots?
Copilots are AI-driven tools that use Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, to understand and generate natural language. LLMs handle massive amounts of data to analyze, summarize and create content. Currently, all Copilots run on the faster GPT-4.
And what can these Copilots help you with? Basically with just about everything! Like writing code, analyzing data, managing your cybersecurity, closing sales deals or providing customer service – your AI partners are on standby. They are like virtual assistants that work seamlessly with your trusted Microsoft apps, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and more. They provide you with real-time intelligent assistance, enhancing your creativity, productivity and skills.
What Copilots are there?
Microsoft offers a range of Copilots for different purposes and audiences. Discover a list of virtual assistants you can deploy in your organization now:
Bing Chat Enterprise (Now also called Copilot)
This is the basic version of Copilot that you can use to chat with Bing and get answers to your general questions. You can also ask Copilot to generate content such as poems, stories, code, essays, songs, celebrity parodies and more. You can read all about Bing Chat Enterprise in this blog.
Pricing and availability
The basic version is free. But as an organization, you value your data. The Enterprise version offers a solution to this problem. Here, your entered text is not used to train the chatbot. So you can provide company information as input without worry. This version is available for $5 per user per month or is included for free in the following Microsoft 365 licenses:
- E3
- E5
- A3
- A5
- Business Premium
- Business Standard
You can use Copilot (Bing Chat Enterprise) via:
- Copilot.microsoft.com
- bing.com/chat
- The sidebar in Microsoft Edge
- Mobile versions of Microsoft Edge (iOS and Android)
Microsoft 365 Copilot
This is the most advanced version of Copilot. Microsoft’s true crown jewel. This 365 Copilot builds on Bing Chat Enterprise but is in a class of its own. It includes enterprise-grade security, privacy, compliance and responsible AI to ensure all data processing happens within your Microsoft 365 tenant. Microsoft 365 Copilot also gives you a revolutionary AI experience: Microsoft 365 Chat. This is a chat interface you can use to solve complex problems using your data in the Microsoft Graph, your Microsoft 365 apps and the Web. This gives you a virtual employee who is aware of all documents and chats. A detailed explanation of privacy and copyright will follow soon.
Pricing and availability
To use this groundbreaking tool in your organization, you need 1 of the following licenses:
- Microsoft 365 E5
- Microsoft 365 E3
- Office 365 E3
- Office 365 E5
- Microsoft 365 A5 for faculty
- Microsoft 365 A3 for faculty
- Office 365 A5 for faculty
- Office 365 A3 for faculty
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium
On top of that, you need the 365 Copilot license which costs $30 per user per month.
The availability in Business Premium means that small- or medium-sized enterprises can also join in the momentum.
Github Copilot
This is a Copilot designed specifically for developers who want to write code using AI. Github Copilot can supplement or generate code based on your text input or existing code. It supports dozens of programming languages and can help you write tests, debug, learn new frameworks and more. Github Copilot is available as an extension for Visual Studio Code and other popular code editors.
Pricing and availability
You can try Github Copilot for free with a one-time 30-day trial. After that, you’ll need a paid subscription for continued use.
You can purchase this paid subscription on a monthly basis for $10 per month or $100 per year.
Microsoft Copilot for Security
A great right hand for security professionals looking to protect their organization from cyber threats. Microsoft Copilot for Security can help you quickly get information about an incident, assess its impact, get guidance on how to fix it, analyze data, compare threats, summarize documents, learn new skills, write code and more. And as icing on the cake, Microsoft Copilot for Security also offers commercial data protection. This ensures that your corporate data stays safe and doesn’t leave the organization unintentionally.
Pricing and availability
Microsoft Copilot for Security is currently in an Early Access Program. More information on Copilot for Sales can be found here. General availability is scheduled for the 1st of April 2024.
Microsoft Copilot for Sales
The virtual assistant for salespeople who want to personalize their productivity and customer interactions in their app of choice. Microsoft Copilot for Sales connects to CRM systems and familiar tools like Microsoft Outlook and Teams. With this copilot, you can automatically generate summaries and reports on the status, progress and important changes of your CRM in Microsoft 365 apps. It can also create contextual emails about your products, customers and specific opportunities using data from your CRM and Microsoft 365 Graph. Furthermore, it also gives you real-time conversation insights during Microsoft Teams meetings triggered by mentions of competitors or brands by customers, as well as automatically generated summaries and follow-ups after meetings, which can be stored in your CRM.
Pricing and availability
You need 1 of the following licences to purchase Copilot for Sales:
- Microsoft 365 E3/E5
Business Standard
Business Premium
Office 365 E3/E5
Copilot for Sales is a standalone licence that also includes Copilot for Microsoft 365. It costs $50 per user per month
If you already have a Copilot for Microsoft 365 licence, you can purchase Copilot for Sales for an additional $20 per user per month. Customers with Dynamics 365 Sales Premium will pay $30 per user per month for Copilot for Microsoft 365 to get the full Microsoft Copilot for Sales experience.
Microsoft Copilot for Service
This is a Copilot designed specifically for service personnel who want to better support and satisfy their customers. Microsoft Copilot for Service can help you respond quickly and accurately to customer inquiries, feedback or complaints via email, chat or phone. It can also provide suggestions for resolving issues, offering discounts or compensation and more.
Microsoft Copilot for Service can also connect to your CRM system to retrieve customer data, order history, preferences, loyalty programs and more. Further, it helps you improve your service levels by analyzing your performance, identifying trends, finding areas for improvement and learning best practices.
Pricing and availability
Copilot for Service will be available as a public preview in early December. The general launch is scheduled for the first quarter of 2024. The price is $50 USD per user per month.
If you already have Copilot for Microsoft 365, you can upgrade to Copilot for Service for $20 per user/month.
Windows 11 Copilot
A unique Copilot you can use to enhance your Windows experience using AI. Windows Copilot can help you personalize your PC. You can ask Windows Copilot to adjust your settings, manage your apps, organize your files, schedule your tasks, mix your music, edit your photos, create your videos, teach you how to code and much more. A long list of features.
Pricing and availability
Windows Copilot is free for all Windows users who have a valid license for Windows 11. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for an official release in Europe. You will soon just get a windows update where Windows 11 Copilot is included.
Microsoft provides a breakthrough in AI capabilities
Microsoft has a Copilot tailored for every need and every role in your professional world. Whether you are a dedicated developer, an adept security expert, a persuasive salesperson, an attentive service person, or just an enthusiastic office worker. Ai tools are for everyone.
Are you ready to transform your work experience into something easy, quick and enjoyable? Or would you like more information about Microsoft's Copilots? Don't hesitate to contact us. Our specialists will be happy to help you. You'll be amazed at what your Copilot can do for you.
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