New Year, New Momentum: Here are three Copilot updates to get you started into 2026

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It's a new year, so I thought I'd start the year by mentioning three features already released, or soon going to be released. One of the features improves the workflow of sharing files with comments, the other improves the application specific Copilot, and the last feature makes it easer to find the nest available timeslot for a 1:1 meeting. As with all of my other posts, timelines can shift, and the timelines in this post is as written in the Message Center at the time of posting. AI-Summary experience when sharing files. With this new feature, copilot intent to help users share files with clearer context in just a few steps. Users will get the capability to generate a concise summary of a file and include it when sharing from the File Explorer share dialog or the OneDrive activity center. This will make it easier to share the context of a file and giving the receiver a faster understanding of what a document or file contains before they open it. General Availability announced...

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat - Pay As You Go

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Here is an update that really caught my eye this week. Microsoft is introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat (BizChat) as a Pay-As-You-Go (PayG) service. This option will be available starting late January 2025, with full availability by mid-February 2025.

Key Highlights:
  • Flexible Access: Organizations can offer Copilot on company data without requiring individual licenses. However, a license is still needed for Copilot within applications like Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint.
  • Controlled Costs: The PayG service is disabled by default and only activates after billing setup in the Microsoft 365 admin center, preventing unexpected expenses.
  • Easy Setup: To enable PayG billing, navigate to "Settings -> Org Settings" in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. An Azure subscription and a dedicated Resource Group are required.
For more details on Azure subscriptions and Resource groups, refer to these articles:
  • Create your initial Azure subscriptions - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn
  • Manage resource groups - Azure portal - Azure Resource Manager | Microsoft Learn

The PayG model offers a low-cost entry point to Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, ideal for testing or intermittent usage. It provides flexibility to scale usage based on actual needs, avoiding the cost of unused licenses. However, it's crucial to monitor usage to prevent unexpected costs, as PayG can be more expensive than fixed licenses if not managed properly. For consistent, high usage, a fixed license per seat may be more cost-effective.

Fixed licenses offer predictable costs and additional features, making budgeting simpler. While PayG is limited to the Chat application, it’s a great way to introduce Copilot into your organization.

It is going to be interesting to see if organizations embrace this new model, and how it potentially can drive the usage of generative AI even further within companies.