Advanced AI is a new buzzword in cloud computing. The launch of tools like ChatGPT and Bard have made big waves. Developers are now racing to introduce the next level of features to apps. Features that do part of your work for you. Such as writing emails or making follow-up checklists based on contact data.
These AI-based applications do much more than automate processes. People are using them to write business correspondence, create websites, and write scripts. AI is also quickly transforming the everyday office workflow.
Microsoft is one of the biggest players in the office application field. It’s at the forefront of introducing transformative technology. The company is about to transform Microsoft 365 in a huge way with its new Copilot tool.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is a new tool designed to help users get the most out of their Microsoft 365 apps. This revolutionary tool is an intelligent, personalised assistant. It’s designed to help users navigate and use M365 more efficiently.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Microsoft 365 Copilot. And tell you the key ways it’s going to improve M365 apps and your business workflows.
What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Microsoft 365 Copilot is an AI-powered assistant. It helps users with their day-to-day tasks in M365 apps. It’s like having a personal assistant right in your Office apps. Users can ask questions, get help with tasks, and receive personalised recommendations. Copilot responds leveraging the context of their usage patterns.
Microsoft 365 Copilot works across all M365 apps. This includes:
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Outlook
- Teams
- and more
Whether you’re doing any number of tasks, Microsoft 365 Copilot is there to assist you. This includes working on a document, meeting scheduling, or collaborating with a team.
How Does Microsoft 365 Copilot Work?
Microsoft 365 Copilot uses AI and machine learning to understand users’ needs. It provides personalised help. It uses data from users’ interactions with M365 apps. It learns a user’s usage patterns and offers recommendations based on their preferences.
For example, say you frequently use certain features in Excel. Microsoft 365 Copilot will learn this. It will offer suggestions when it detects that you’re working on a similar task.
Say that you’re working on a presentation in PowerPoint and struggling with design. Microsoft 365 Copilot can offer design suggestions based on your company’s brand guidelines.
Microsoft 365 Copilot can also help users with common tasks. Tasks such as, scheduling meetings and managing emails. Users can simply ask Copilot for help. They can ask it to schedule a meeting or find an email from a specific person, and Copilot will take care of the rest.
Why is Microsoft Copilot Important?
Copilot is important because it can help users be more productive and efficient. By providing personalised support, the tool can save users time and reduce frustration.
Imagine you’re working on a report in Word and you’re struggling to format a table. Instead of spending time searching for a solution online, or trying to figure it out on your own, you can simply ask Microsoft 365 Copilot for help. Copilot can offer suggestions. It can even walk you through the process, saving you time and reducing frustration.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is also important because it can help users get more out of their M365 apps. Many users may not be aware of all the features and capabilities of their M365 apps. But with Copilot, they can discover new ways to work more efficiently and effectively.
The capabilities of Copilot go even further. Say that you need to give your team an update on a marketing strategy. You won’t need to dig out emails, chat threads, or meeting notes. Instead, you can ask Copilot to “tell my team how we updated the marketing strategy.” The app will then search all those places for you and craft an update for your team.
Need a first draft of a meeting agenda or presentation? Just ask Copilot. It can access existing M365 documents and content and craft an initial draft for you.
Benefits of Using Microsoft 365 Copilot
Personalised Help
Microsoft 365 Copilot provides personalised help based on users’ usage patterns and preferences. This means that users get the help they need when they need it, without having to search for solutions on their own.
Time Saving
Microsoft 365 Copilot can help users save time on common tasks. Such as scheduling meetings and formatting documents. It can take on many information gathering tasks, like summarising meeting notes. This saves users considerable time. Especially for manual tasks such as searching for information.
Knowledge workers spend an average of 2.5 hours per day searching for information.
Reduced Frustration
Microsoft 365 Copilot can help reduce frustration. It provides solutions when users are stuck on a task. The tool can also help users struggling with an Excel chart or table. Instead of having to figure out how to generate it, they can simply give a command to Copilot to do it for them.
Improved Productivity
Microsoft Copilot handles tasks that go beyond what business apps have historically done. For example, you can use it in PowerPoint to create a presentation for you. Use a command such as, “Create a six-slide presentation based on (this) document.” You can also tell it to find appropriate Microsoft stock photos and insert them.
The sky is the limit right now for how much this tool is going to impact office productivity.
When Will Microsoft 365 Copilot Be Available?
At the writing of this article, Microsoft hasn’t announced a release date yet. It is currently testing Copilot with a limited number of users. You will most likely see it coming out sometime soon. Its preview commenced in June 2023 and pricing has been released in July 2023. It is anticipated that it will be widely available later in the year.
Improve Your Microsoft 365 Value & Security
Need help with security or setup in Microsoft 365? Give us a call at Perth Systems today to talk to one of our cloud app experts.
Article used with permission from The Technology Press.
