The next wave of Microsoft 365 Copilot app is coming
Microsoft just announced a huge set of new features for the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as part of they call the Wave 2 Spring release. Let's dive into some of the key features and improvements coming your way. Some of them will be available for all users and some will be limited to users with a license.
Updated app layout: Navigation Pane (1)
The Microsoft 365 Copilot app's left navigation pane will provide all users (licensed and unlicensed) users with access to essential modules such as Search, Chat, Notebooks, Create, and Apps. The workspace can be personalized by users which can pin or unpin apps and agents.
New module: Notebooks (2)
Copilot Notebooks turn notes, documents, and work data into immediate insights and actions. Users can gather information from chats, meetings, pages, and files, as well as organize and store important documents, notes, and tasks. This feature then grounds chats in the contents of the user's notebook, providing more relevant and contextualized responses. This feature requires a license, but will be visible for non-licenced users with information on how to upgrade to a license.
Updated: Copilot Search (3)
The update description from Microsoft indicates slightly different updates for licenced or unlicensed users.
- Unlicensed: Search replaces the Home module. Search will have a refreshed experience displaying key files in dedicated sections for easier access and a search bar to help them quickly find what they need.
- Licensed: The new AI-powered enterprise search feature, Copilot Search, will help users find information quickly and efficiently. Users can also view Copilot generated summaries by hovering over files like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDFs. This tool will have further improvements later this year, connecting to various first- and third-party apps, providing fast, relevant results and rich, context-aware answers from across the organization.
Simplified Copilot Chat Experience (4)
The updated chat experience offers quick access to chat history, Copilot Pages, and agents, all within a collapsible navigation pane. This streamlined interface will make it easier for users to manage their conversations and interactions. (Pro tip: Users can press the Windows key + C to launch the chat from a Win 11 machine)
Updated Create Experience (5)
With the new Create experience, users can modify or customize images using GPT-4o and organization-approved brand guidelines. This feature supports the creation and editing of content like visuals, videos, text, and surveys, making it a powerful tool for content creators.
Other updates and changes
- Memory and Personalization: Copilot will improve its ability to analyze work preferences using chats, work profiles, custom instructions, and more. This enhancement ensures a more personalized and efficient user experience.
- Agent Store: The Agent Store allows users to easily find, pin, and use a range of agents. This feature simplifies the process of accessing and utilizing different agents, enhancing the overall user experience.
All of these changes are scheduled to roll out gradually, with targeted release customers about to see the first updates already in May. General availability varies from late May to end of June.
Impact on Your Organization
It is probably a good time to go through training and onboarding material, and dicuss the need for preparing employees for the upcoming changes (Many changes affect Web and Mobile as well, not just the App as described in this post.
The updates will roll out automatically, and no actions are required. However, there are quite a few configuration options organizations might want to look into, as admins can manage Microsoft 365 Copilot app scenarios with various controls, including managing web search queries, agents, notebooks, pages, and the Copilot key. Detailed settings configurations can be found in the provided links.
Guides
- Managing Web Search: Manage Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat
- Managing Agents: Manage agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot in Integrated Apps
- Managing Notebooks and Pages: Manage Loop components in your organization
- Mapping the Copilot Key (Win+C): Policies to manage the Copilot Key
Thank you for reading, and feel free to subscribe to my blog or following me on LinkedIn. Your feedback is invaluable, so please share your thoughts and experiences!
