Microsoft 365 Copilot: New Navigation, Voice, and Context Enhancements Arriving Soon

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Here are three new updates to the user interface of Microsoft Copilot. These releases improve usability, expand interaction options, and streamline how users incorporate work content into prompts. All three of these features were actually announced "a long time ago", and the initial release started almost 6 months ago. But I guess the setup is complicated, as the rollout hasn't completed yet. This only proves the importance of paying attention to the official roadmap and the tenant message center in order to understand when features are being implemented for your organization. Timelines may continue to evolve as deployments progress, and this summary includes the official reference IDs and documentation links for verification. Refreshed Navigation Experience There is a redesigned navigation experience for the Microsoft 365 Copilot app heading your way, delivering a cleaner, more efficient layout. The update flattens the menu structure and groups related components to help...

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.