Unlocking the Power and Pricing of Microsoft Copilot
By now many of the employees in your firm have tested the waters of an AI tool such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Grok and Copilot. Users are learning how to maximize these AI assistants to simplify and automate many manual and time-consuming tasks. However, with numerous AI platforms available, selecting the right AI solution requires evaluating how each tool's capabilities align with your organization's specific workflows, budget, and business objectives.
Web Based Microsoft Copilot
If you are a Microsoft customer, you are probably familiar with Copilot, however, users may be confused as to which version of Copilot they're using, as the company offers two distinct versions with different capabilities and pricing structures.
Web-Based Copilot operates when you access copilot.microsoft.com or utilize the integrated Copilot feature within Microsoft Edge. This version functions similarly to standalone AI tools like ChatGPT or Grok, using a straightforward chat interface with file upload capabilities. It excels at general inquiries, web research, content drafting, and basic productivity tasks. Those requiring consistent, high-performance access can upgrade to Copilot Pro for $20 monthly, which provides GPT-4 Turbo capabilities and priority processing speeds.
Where the Magic Happens
Different AI assistants excel in different areas. Microsoft Copilot’s strength is supercharging your productivity using Microsoft 365 applications. Here are some examples:
- Imagine taking a completed e-book you wrote using Word and having Copilot automatically create a stunning PowerPoint presentation with visual elements along with speaker notes or summaries for each slide.
- The next time you inherit a complex 20-message email thread, Copilot's “Summarize” feature can instantly summarize the conversation into a clear overview with numbered citations that link directly to specific messages. No more having to wade through lengthy exchanges.
- What if after a lengthy Microsoft Teams meeting you could have AI summarize the meeting in real time, list action items, and answer questions
- While working on an Excel spreadsheet, you instruct Copilot to create a formula for your data. Then, you ask it to merge two columns seamlessly, handling all necessary data cleanup to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Of all the AI assistants out there, only Microsoft Copilot integrates directly with Microsoft applications. Once you are licensed, the Copilot icon appears in the upper right hand tool menu of each of your Microsoft 365 applications as shown below.
What Does it Cost?
Microsoft 365 Copilot is designed for companies that already use Microsoft 365, unlike Copilot Pro which focuses on individual users. This enterprise version provides compliance with major industry regulations, connects with Microsoft Entra ID for user management, and supports permission controls based on employee roles within the organization. The Enterprise benefits of Microsoft Copilot require the following licenses:
- Enterprise Users: Require Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, or Business Premium licenses.
- Education Users: Faculty and higher education students aged 18+ need Microsoft 365 A1, A3, or A5 licenses.
- Additional Requirement: Beyond the Microsoft 365 license, you must also have the Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on license.
The additional Copilot license is 30 monthly per user ($360 annually) and includes everything from Copilot Pro as well as additional enterprise-specific features.
Copilot Savings
Copilot can supercharge the workloads of your users when working with their Microsoft 365 applications. Whether it is assisting in the drafting of Word documents, analyzing data, creating charts from Excel spreadsheets, or prioritizing emails, Copilot saves time by automating a variety of tasks throughout the workday. These small bits of time add up to real savings by the end of the day. According to a Microsoft survey, Copilot users reported a daily time savings of 14 minutes, or 1.2 hours a week on average. In fact, 70% of Copilot users claimed to be more productive, with 68% saying it improved the quality of their work.
Microsoft Copilot eliminates the need for complex AI infrastructure or specialized technical staff. All you need is the right license so that your users can harness the power of AI automatically every day. You can also license as few or as many users as you need, to make sure that your most impactful users have access to AI. Its time to join the AI revolution.
Want to learn how you can transform your enterprise with Microsoft 365 Copliot? Download our MS Copilot Ebook to learn more.
