Planning on launching Copilot? Here’s how to make your flight smoother.
AI has been heralded for its game changing potential. It can also come with unanticipated risk—data integrity and IP overshare, to name two. It might be why organisations light on in-house AI expertise are hesitant on where to begin.
But starting strategically using proven solutions from leading AI builders, like Copilot for Microsoft 365, plus the guidance of a trusted IT partner, can be a canny way to take-off. But it pays to run through this checklist before first.
Who is Copilot for?
With Microsoft’s AI offering nested across their app ecosystem—Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, etc—one of Copilot’s drawcards is how it’s been seamlessly and securely integrated into the user experiences most people use daily. Those that stand to benefit most include organisations:
Looking to leverage AI in any capacity.
Whether analysing trends, enhancing decision making, supporting creativity, or streamlining collaboration, AIs applications are endless. And here to stay. Like the introduction of PCs, email, and the internet, it makes business sense to master new and transformative technology as it emerges.
With workloads already in Microsoft 365.
Because Copilot out-of-the-box can’t access or return data sitting outside of 365 tenants, it only comes into its own for organisations that have already migrated workloads into Microsoft 365.
Looking to streamline functions.
One of Copilot’s promises is its ability to action common, repeatable tasks faster and more accurately than its human counterpart, making it ideal for organisations looking to streamline resources and costs linked with onerous functions.
Who can fly Copilot?
Like private jet ownership, Copilot launched to a select few. Then in early 2024, all limits were scrapped, opening the door for any organisation to buy and assign Copilot licences, either through Microsoft or a credentialed service provider.
But those licences are not standalone. As of writing, Copilot is only available as an add-on, which means you’ll need one of these active Microsoft licenses:
Microsoft E3 & A3
- Microsoft 365 E3 (A3 for faculty)
- Office 365 E3 (A3 for faculty)
Microsoft E5 & A5
- Microsoft 365 E5 (A5 for faculty)
- Office E5 (A5 for faculty)
Microsoft Business
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Premium
If you have one of these licenses, you’ll have already seen Copilot availability flagged inside most Office 365 apps.
And for apps outside of the Office 365 suite? They enjoy their own dedicated Copilot, like Microsoft Copilot for Security, or Microsoft Fabric.
As of writing, there’s no floor on license numbers, meaning you can kickstart Copilot with one. Yes, there’s an upfront cost (currently $44.90 per licence, per month). And yes, you’ll have to commit to a year. But that should be ample time to trial Copilot without breaking the bank.
Taking to the air.
Microsoft have put plenty of thought into how to turn Copilot on. But ensuring it slots seamlessly into your organisation hinges on implementing some key fundamentals first.
- Get information ‘search-ready’.
Much of the magic behind Copilot is the orchestration of its Large Language Models, Microsoft Graph, and the Microsoft 365 apps. Although a users’ overall Copilot access is controlled by Entra ID, Microsoft Graph acts as data gatekeeper, working with Copilot’s Semantic Index to orchestrate information retrieval during search.
By design, Copilot only returns information users have explicit, Graph-reviewed permission to access. Which is why getting data search-ready is so crucial. If your organisation has robust access policies and controls in place (or ‘just-enough-access’), users will only retrieve data they’ve permission for. Even if you don’t plan on adopting Copilot, ‘just-enough-access’ will improve your organisations’ overall information protection.
- Switching Copilot on.
Housed within the Microsoft 365 admin centre is a simple Copilot set-up guide to step you through the prerequisites to leverage the full Copilot experience. These include the enterprise apps, services, and licenses you’ll need in place, as well as assigning available Copilot licenses.
- Devote time to training. And sharing.
Input equals output. Knowing how to structure strong prompts (aka ‘prompt engineering’) will improve the odds of tighter, more relevant responses. Dedicated user training is invaluable. And as AI evolves, so too will Copilot—meaning users across the board will benefit from regular refreshers. In parallel with training, creating Centres of Excellence for users to share experiences and ask questions creates a virtuous circle for adoption and improvement.
AI is evolving rapidly. Almost daily. Copilot is no exception. New updates, naming conventions, and integrations are rolling out all the time. It’s worth working with a trusted and experienced Microsoft Partner, like Brennan, to confirm you’re working with the right version and integrating it across your organisation properly.