What’s New in ​Microsoft 365 Copilot

The Microsoft Ignite 2024 event has brought a wave of exciting updates to Microsoft 365 Copilot, enhancing its capabilities and introducing new features that promise to revolutionize the way we work. Here’s a comprehensive look at what’s new and what’s coming soon to Microsoft 365 Copilot.

BizChat: Enhancing Collaboration

BizChat has been integrated into Copilot Pages, allowing users to create rich artifacts like code, interactive charts, tables, diagrams, and math based on web or work data. These artifacts are interactive and synced across Microsoft 365 apps such as Outlook and Teams. Multi-Page support enables users to create multiple Pages in a single chat session or combine content from different sessions. These features will be available in early 2025

Adoption: Measuring Impact and Enhancing Productivity

To measure the adoption and business impact of Copilot, Microsoft has introduced Copilot Analytics, which includes Viva Insights at no extra cost. Additionally, the new Copilot Prompt Gallery allows users to create, save, and share their favorite prompts, enhancing collaboration and productivity. The Copilot Business Impact Report, now in public preview, helps businesses gain insights to enhance productivity and improve overall business value

Microsoft 365 Apps: New Capabilities

Several Microsoft 365 apps have been enhanced with new Copilot capabilities:

• Excel: Copilot with Python is now available for US users on the Windows desktop app. New features include a start experience for creating tailored tables, cross-file references, data import using natural language queries, and web search capabilities
• Outlook: New features include focus time scheduling and agenda drafting, which will be available starting December 2024 through Q1 2025
• PowerPoint: Enhancements include narrative builder grounding on files, presentation translation into 40 languages, and automatic speaker notes
• Teams: Copilot can now summarize content from Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs in chat, and analyze content shared on-screen
• OneNote: New features include Copilot Chat for summarizing and rewriting notes, interactive note-taking, and quick organization of Notebook pages

Administration, Management, and Security

Microsoft has introduced several security and governance innovations for Copilot:

• SharePoint Advanced Management: Helps identify and mitigate issues like oversharing and content sprawl
• Data Lifecycle Management: Allows for better management of Copilot interactions, with separate retention and deletion policies
• Enhanced Web Search Controls: Provides greater visibility into Copilot-generated web queries and allows for more granular management of web search capabilities
• Copilot Control System: Designed for IT to confidently adopt and accelerate the business value of Copilot and agents, including data protection, management controls, and measurement and value reporting
  
  

New Agents in Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 Copilot now includes several new agents designed to enhance productivity:

• Facilitator Agent: Takes real-time notes during meetings and shares summaries
• Interpreter Agent: Provides real-time speech-to-speech translation in up to nine languages
• Project Manager Agent: Automates project tasks in Planner
• Employee Self-Service Agent: Quickly resolves common HR and IT policy questions
  

   

Developer and ISV: New Capabilities

Developers and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) can now leverage new capabilities:

• Microsoft 365 Agents SDK: Allows developers to build enterprise-grade, scalable, multi-channel agents with code using the SDK. Initially launching with support for C#, and coming soon for Node.JS and Python
• Plugin Upgrades: ISVs that have created plugins will see their plugins upgraded to agents by the end of the year
• Partner Center Publishing: ISVs can now publish their agents and connectors through the Microsoft 365 and Copilot program in Partner Center
• Certification Evidence: ISVs can provide their Microsoft 365 Certification evidence to IT admins, ensuring that apps meet rigorous security and compliance standards

The updates announced at Microsoft Ignite 2024 demonstrate Microsoft’s commitment to enhancing the capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot, making it an even more powerful tool for productivity and collaboration. With these new features and improvements, users can look forward to a more efficient and secure working experience.

Stay tuned for more updates as these features roll out in the coming months!

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