AI is everywhere right now.
Within the realms of Microsoft’s products, you’ll have heard Copilot mentioned often. It’s Microsoft’s AI assistant, designed to bring increased productivity to the core software your business already uses.
Over the last few years, Microsoft has invested significantly in the development of AI. In more recent months, we’ve seen Copilot rolled out across different products, promising innovative use cases and time-saving benefits for users.
As Copilot increasingly enters the zeitgeist, more people are exploring it. Businesses in particular can gain exponential rewards from using it, with many already considering the impact on their operations.
If you’re contemplating bringing Copilot into your organisation, there’s a simple question that must be answered first: how do you get it?
This blog will answer all your questions about how to get Microsoft Copilot, including the cost and the steps to getting started.
An overview of Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot is an AI tool designed to seamlessly integrate with Microsoft’s suite of productivity and business applications, including the likes of Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
It leverages advanced AI models, including natural language processing and machine learning, to help users achieve more. Copilot can assist users in creating documents, emails, presentations and more. It can also help you to get quick answers to complicated questions.
Copilot offers many benefits to businesses, including:
- Protect your data with enterprise-grade security, privacy and compliance
- Gain significant time savings, by automating manual tasks
- Drive efficiency – 70% of users state Copilot makes them more productive
- Get real-time tracking of meetings and discussions, with suggested action items recorded immediately
- Offer your entire team helpful coaching tips to create impactful communications
- Find bespoke use cases to support every area of your business
- An ROI of up to £48,000 per month (based on our findings)
How to get Microsoft Copilot for your business
Copilot is now available for businesses, with per-user licensing.
To get it, you first need to have a Microsoft 365, E3 or E5 license. If you don’t have one of these licenses for your business, you’ll need to get one before you can get Copilot.
Next, you’ll need a Copilot licence. Prices start from £27.40, per user per month.
Everyone who is using Copilot will need their own licence. However, if you’re new to Copilot, we recommend starting with just a few licences while you uncover the value. You can then scale over time.
There is no minimum seat requirement, meaning you can buy as many or as few licences as you want, regardless of the size of your business.
You will need to get your Copilot licence from a Microsoft Partner. The benefit of working with a partner is that they can also help you to deploy and get more value out of Copilot.
Once you’ve obtained your licence and enabled Copilot, you’re ready to experience the benefits of AI across your Microsoft tools.
What about other types of Copilot?
There’s more than one type of Copilot. Typically, when people refer to ‘Copilot for Business’, they mean the Copilot that integrates with Microsoft 365 products like Teams and Excel. It’s sometimes referred to a ‘Microsoft 365 Copilot’, and you can get it using the steps described above.
Below, we’ve listed other types of Copilot you might utilise in your business and how to get them.
- Copilot Pro: A chatbot style AI, offering answering to user questions and prompts. It can fetch information within your organisations, and there is some integration with selected Microsoft 365 apps. To get it, you just need to get a Copilot Pro subscription – there are no other prerequisites!
- Copilot for Sales: This offers the same functionality as the M365 Copilot, but is designed for Sales teams to efficiently manage their pipeline and close deals. It can be added on top of a Copilot licence for an additional £19 per user per month.
- Dynamics 365 Copilot: This integrates with Dynamics 365 modules (including Business Central) for improved functionality and automated tasks. All you need is a Dynamics 365 licence and to enable Copilot within your deployment.
- Copilot for Security: An AI assistant specifically to secure your systems. This sits separately from Microsoft 365 Copilot, and charged on a pay as you go basis.
- GitHub Copilot: This supports developers in the completion and quality control of code. Again, it’s licensed separately, with prices starting from £19 per user per month.
- Power Platform Copilot: An AI assistant that can complete tasks and provide guidance within the Power Platform. You don’t need a Copilot licence, but you will need a Power Platform licence.
If you aren’t sure what Copilot is best for you, focus on the tools you tend to use most.
You can also speak to your chosen Microsoft Partner to identify the best uses of Copilot within your processes and get a licensing agreement to suit.
Can you get Copilot for free?
Yes, there is – but it doesn’t offer the same functionality as Microsoft 365 Copilot.
The free version of Copilot operates as a chatbot, which the user can prompt to get responses. It can help you to create content, gather answers and reduce manual tasks. However, it does not integrate with other Microsoft tools.
You may also find yourself limited in use, as the free Copilot has some performance barriers. For example, in peak usage periods, you may face slow response times.
If you’re new to AI completely, the free version can be a great way to dip your toe in the water. It’ll still protect your commercial data, plus it gives you an opportunity to embrace AI without a cost.
Are you ready to start the Copilot revolution in your business?
We know that incorporating AI into your business requires significant change. Although Copilot can bring much value to your operations, it’s still an adjustment to use it within your daily work.
However, we can make the transition smooth so you experience the benefits faster.
We are Microsoft Cloud Solutions Partners, with a deep understanding across Microsoft software – including Copilot. We can help you pinpoint the best ways to utilise Copilot across your operations, with a focus on gaining ROI and improving user workload.
From getting Copilot licences for your team members to identifying internal use cases, we can get you started. We can even conduct AI readiness assessment to highlight what your business is ready for and create an action plan.
Get in touch with our team to discuss your next steps.
In the meantime, if you’re looking explore Copilot, you can download our guide with 45 ways to test Copilot within your business.
