Microsoft to launch 365 Copilot for enterprise

The unified Copilot is also making its way to Windows, Edge and other services

Microsoft announced on Thursday that it will start rolling out the AI assistant, Microsoft 365 Copilot, for enterprise customers beginning on 1st November 2023.

"We have been building AI-powered copilots into our most used and loved products - making coding more efficient with GitHub, transforming productivity at work with Microsoft 365, redefining search with Bing and Edge and delivering contextual value that works across your apps and PC with Windows," the company said in a blog post.

"Today we take the next step to unify these capabilities into a single experience we call Microsoft Copilot, your everyday AI companion."

Microsoft 365 Copilot was initially introduced to a limited number of enterprise users via its Early Access Program (EAP), enabling the company to collect valuable feedback and enhance the product based on real-world usage.

Now, the tool is poised to aid businesses worldwide in streamlining their workflow and enhancing productivity, according to Microsoft.

In July, Microsoft said that it would charge US $30 per month premium per user for access to this feature, nearly doubling the overall subscription cost for businesses on certain lower-tier plans.

Google recently launched its own AI tools named Duet AI within Google Workspace. The company is pricing access at the same rate, charging $30 per user per month, and the feature provides many of the same advantages as Microsoft's offering.

Microsoft is also rolling out a version of Copilot across all its applications and services. The unified Copilot experience in Windows 11 is scheduled to debut on 26th September.

The new "everyday AI companion," now known as Microsoft Copilot in Windows, will be accessible across frequently applications.

"Copilot will uniquely incorporate the context and intelligence of the web, your work data and what you are doing in the moment on your PC to provide better assistance - with your privacy and security at the forefront," Microsoft said.

"It will be a simple and seamless experience, available in Windows 11, Microsoft 365, and in our web browser with Edge and Bing. It will work as an app or reveal itself when you need it with a right click."

With the appropriate permissions, Copilot will enable users to pull information from emails, calendar, documents and other sources to assist composing texts and emails.

Moreover, it will offer real-time suggestions within apps like Outlook. Additionally, it can gather context from Bing Mobile and Edge on your smartphone.

The upcoming Windows 11 upgrade is set to deliver AI-powered enhancements to popular applications such as Paint, Photos and Clipchamp, featuring over 150 new capabilities.

Microsoft plans to integrate the latest DALL.E 3 model from OpenAI into Bing to offer more personalised search results based on users' search history.

Furthermore, Bing will introduce enhancements to Bing Chat Enterprise, focusing on improved mobility and visual communication, as well as an AI-powered purchasing experience.