Microsoft Copilot officially joined the Microsoft family last year, leveraging years of Microsoft ingenuity and breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) research.
Released in November 2023 and made further available to businesses of all sizes in January 2024, Copilot is redefining the user experience of all Microsoft platforms and applications – from web searches to cybersecurity, Microsoft 365, Windows, and more. With AI-powered Copilot built into the fabric of these everyday favourites, individuals and enterprises can now benefit from a significant boost in efficiency, productivity, and creativity.
In fact, Microsoft’s Work Trend Index data (which quantifies extensive Microsoft user research), found these results when tracking Copilot use:
- 70% of Copilot users said they were more productive.
- 68% said Copilot improved the quality of their work.
- 64% said Copilot helps them spend less time processing email.
- 85% said Copilot helps them get to a good first draft faster.
- 75% said Copilot “saves me time by finding whatever I need in my files”.
- 77% said once they used Copilot, they didn’t want to give it up.
Additionally, users were able to complete certain tasks 29% quicker and catch up on missed meetings nearly 4x as fast.
At Microsoft’s Ignite event last November, the impressive potential of AI and Copilot dominated conversations, with Microsoft announcing an array of AI-driven enhancements that are already (or will soon be) available in their products.
One such enhancement is the enterprise version of Copilot. This represents an expansion of Copilot’s capabilities, tailored to meet the specific needs of businesses and larger organisations by bringing advanced AI functionality to enterprise-level operations. For example, it adds commercial data protection so (unlike ChatGPT) data inputs cannot be used for training AI models and customers can be assured that their private information is kept safe.
Different needs, different Copilots
Copilots are now integrated with all major Microsoft products and have been engineered to simplify daily repetitive and manual tasks. Dubbed your “everyday AI assistant”, Copilots enhance user efficiency and productivity across a variety of applications by leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms to understand context, make suggestions, and automate tasks.
For instance, the M365 Copilot in Word revolutionises writing and editing. In Excel, it transforms the way users interact with data. Copilot in PowerPoint aids in transforming rough ideas into compelling presentations, while the version in Outlook simplifies email management.
Beyond M365 Copilot, Microsoft offers specialised Copilots in other domains such as:
- GitHub Copilot assists programmers with coding to speed up development time and provides relevant recommendations to improve code quality.
- Sales Copilot which enhances customer relationship management by providing insights and automating tasks within the sales process.
- Windows Copilot drives efficiency in navigation and task management within the Windows operating system.
- PowerApps Copilot helps with app creation by offering suggestions and automations to streamline the development process.
- Security Copilot provides real time cybersecurity alerts and advice to mitigate potential threats.
These examples represent just a fraction of Copilot’s full potential. With Microsoft’s strategic focus and investment in AI for future developments, the scope and functionalities of all Copilots are expected to expand significantly.
Optimising your Copilot with help from Antares
Making the most of artificial intelligence in your organisation requires shaping the parameters to fit your specific use cases. For example, it’s no good to have a Copilot that can simply schedule meetings or send basic email responses when you really need it to perform a specific task and be able to integrate with existing systems.
This is not something that’s achievable out-of-the-box or with everyday support, which is why Antares has developed a range of distinct services to help our clients make the most of AI-powered technology and tools such as Copilot. Some of these include:
- Copilot readiness – which prepares your business to integrate Microsoft Copilots with a focus on technical requirements, data integration, and security.
- AI Center of Excellence (CoE) – to ensure successful AI implementation with a robust framework, tailored governance, and expert solutions.
- Enterprise GPT – which equips your business with its own private ChatGPT that solves specific business use cases while protecting your data and intellectual property.
As Microsoft Gold partners with a vast depth and breadth of expertise across all aspects of data science and AI, we are in a unique position to guide your organisation through the complexities of implementation and support you in harnessing the power of AI for transformative business solutions.
Our goal is to enable a deeper integration of AI into your business practices and processes so ingenuity such as Copilot can become a powerful engine for business intelligence and innovation.
For a free initial consultation on how to optimise Microsoft Copilot and emerging AI in your organisation, call us on (02) 8275 8811 or get in touch.
