Is the Dutch business community ready for Copilot Microsoft 365?

Starting this week, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be integrated even more effectively into business. Microsoft launched Copilot Pro and Copilot Microsoft 365. What are these AI tools? And how do you set them up securely for your team?

Microsoft's commitment to making artificial intelligence accessible is already clear. In January 2023, Microsoft and OpenAI announced the third phase of their long-standing partnership. With a new multi-billion dollar investment in OpenAI, Microsoft aims to accelerate breakthroughs in AI.

These advances are, of course, also being integrated into Microsoft's own services. For example, Azure is the exclusive cloud provider for OpenAI, and Microsoft Copilot is rapidly developing as a functional AI assistant.

As we have closely followed with some of our clients, 40% of Fortune 100 organizations joined the Microsoft Copilot Early Access Program in November. Enrollment started at 300 licenses—a significant investment. Starting this week, Microsoft is opening its doors to all business users, and organizations with 1 to 299 licenses can also get started.

Unlike Copilot Pro (for individuals), Copilot for Microsoft 365 even integrates with Microsoft Teams. The tool helps you write texts in Word, analyze data in Excel, and quickly design presentations in PowerPoint. And all that for around €30 per month (on top of a Microsoft 365 Business Premium or Business Standard license). Even better, for that price, Copilot is also available as a mobile app. Standard features like GPT-4 and Dall-E 3 (this tool generates images based on your textual description) are freely accessible on both Android and iOS.

A world of business efficiency awaits us. Fantastic. But of course, there are some caveats. What kind of company data can Copilot actually access? And can a colleague access your data? Setting up and managing company data immediately becomes crucial when starting with tools like Copilot or OpenAI. So, at a minimum, make sure that you:

• have an overview of all active devices and licenses,
• organize the size and structure of company data securely and reliably, and
• everyone has the correct authorization.

The added value of Copilot Microsoft 365 will only truly reach your organization after a thorough implementation. Failing to do so can actually pose a risk to your business using a tool like Copilot. By participating in the Early Access Program, we have experienced the challenges organizations face with Microsoft Copilot firsthand. This allows us to clearly inform you about the opportunities and risks. Creating a comprehensive step-by-step plan is easy.