Microsoft has rolled out its artificial intelligence-based productivity service, Microsoft 365 Copilot, for Microsoft 365 enterprise customers. The service, which will cost $30 per user per month on an annual payment basis, promises to enhance application functionalities like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint using generative AI features.
n May, Microsoft 365 Copilot Early Access Program opened. However, it is an invitation-only preview that customers must also pay for. Announced in March, Copilot combines the power of large language models (LLMs) with the data in the Microsoft Graph and the Microsoft 365 apps to turn natural language prompts into actions and outputs. It combines an integration of OpenAI's GPT-4 with Microsoft's own Bing Chat and Microsoft Graph.
With Microsoft 365 Copilot, the major Office apps on Microsoft's productivity stack have natural language AI capabilities. Specifically, Microsoft introduced Word Copilot, Excel Copilot, PowerPoint Copilot, Teams Copilot, and Viva Copilot.
Bing Chat Enterprise Chatbot & Supported Languages
According to Microsoft's recent statement on their blog, Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 enterprise customers can start deploying the Bing Chat Enterprise chatbot, a component of Microsoft 365 Copilot. The service at the moment offers support for selected languages. However, plans for including additional languages have been slated for rollout within the first half of 2024.
Future Plans and Potential Revenues
Within an expected timeline stretching to the summer of 2024, Microsoft intends to launch a government customer variant labeled Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC. Information about the consumer version's launch date, however, still remains undisclosed. Meanwhile, Microsoft, on its Microsoft 365 YouTube channel, has provided several tutorial videos demonstrating how Copilot functions in Word and Excel, assisting users in creating documents, charts, and identifying ways to visualize critical insights.
Previously included as a public preview feature in the Microsoft Windows 11 Moment 4 update in September, Copilot could potentially add value to Microsoft's revenue. According to analysts Brent Bracelin and Hannah Rudoff from Piper Sandler in a CNBC report, Microsoft 365 Copilot's launch could contribute up to $10 billion in annual revenue to Microsoft by 2026, based on the assumption of an 18% usage rate among eligible users.
