The MS365 Conference held in Las Vegas earlier this month, was an exceptional event that provided a platform for professionals to network and establish new connections. The conference was marked by several exciting developments, including the unveiling of Copilot and advancements in SharePoint's branding capabilities. With the move to the cloud and the adoption of the Modern experience, controlling SharePoint's branding had become a challenge, but the new enhancements promise to provide greater control and more dynamic content creation opportunities. In this blog, we will delve deeper into these two new features and explore their potential benefits.

What is Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is an AI-based developer tool that uses natural language prompts to assist users in generating documents, presentations, and emails. Copilot aims to boost productivity by providing users with the necessary information and tools to finish their tasks quickly and efficiently. Think of it as the Alfred to your Batman - a true copilot that acts as your backup in case you're not there. However, it's important to note that Copilot cannot replace you. Instead, it can assist you in becoming more productive by streamlining your workflow. By researching information, providing options, and handing you the necessary tools, Copilot can save you a ton of time and makes you look more professional. Additionally, since Copilot will be integrated into almost everything that Microsoft makes, it will become a familiar tool to users across different products.

Questions

What does Copilot cost?

Unfortunately, we don't have a clear answer to that yet. Microsoft is still figuring out the pricing details for Copilot. However, it is expected that there might be an additional monthly charge for this add-on service. In some cases, it may be included in premium versions of Microsoft products like E5.

Is Copilot safe to use and does it protect user data?

Based on the available information, it appears that Copilot is secure, but we would like to dig deeper to provide a more confident answer. Copilot prevents users from accessing data that they don't have permission to access. For example, if a user tries to make a report using data they don't have permission to access, they won't be able to do it. However, it may expose that some users have access to data they shouldn't have, which is another issue.

Will AI like Copilot replace my job?

We don't think that Copilot will replace anyone's job, at least not anytime soon. Instead, it will make people more productive and allow them to concentrate on the more creative aspects of their careers. Copilot provides users with something to start with, but it's up to them to finish the job and ensure that it meets their needs.

SharePoint

The latest updates to SharePoint have been a cause of excitement for many users. With the Modern experience, users have felt constrained by the limited options for customization. However, Microsoft has listened to user feedback and is implementing enhancements to give users more control over the look and feel of SharePoint. Some of the major changes include page sharing, advanced image editing, a new SharePoint landing page, video pages, page coauthoring, Brand Center, Copilot for SharePoint, and design ideas. The Brand Center is a highly anticipated update, as it allows for more control over colors and fonts without using PowerShell. These updates will make SharePoint a more powerful Intranet for distributing information throughout organizations.

Learn more about Burwood Group’s partnership with Microsoft and our capabilities.

Resources

·       The official blog Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot – your copilot for work - The Official Microsoft Blog

·       Copilot in Dynamics Customer Service - Copilot for Dynamics 365 Customer Service – Dynamics 365 Talk (d365goddess.com)

·       Copilot in Microsoft Office - Unleash your productivity with AI and Microsoft 365 Copilot - Microsoft Support

May 15, 2023

Author: Michael Doyle