11th MVP Award Rewarded

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I am actually on vacation, but as I sit here under the summer sun, toes in the pool and a cold drink within reach, I have been waiting for that email confirming that I’ve been awarded my 11th Microsoft MVP Award! As last year, I am being awarded in both the Teams and Copilot category. To say I’m humbled would be an understatement. Being part of the global Microsoft MVP community for over a decade now has been an incredible journey, filled with learning, sharing, speaking, and connecting with passionate technologists from every corner of the world. What is the Microsoft MVP Award? The Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award is given to technology experts who share their knowledge and real-world expertise with communities. With fewer than 4,000 MVPs worldwide, it’s an honor to be part of such a vibrant and dedicated group. MVPs contribute through speaking engagements, writing, open-source contributions, and helping others online and offline. You can learn more about the progra...

Microsoft 365 Copilot Audio Overviews: A New Way to Engage with your Content

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Audio overviews powered by Copilot

I think we all knew this some time ago, the speed at which new AI related news and updates are coming will only accelerate. Here is yet another change in how we can and will interact with our documents in Microsoft 365 Office. Associated with no less than 5 roadmap Items, Microsoft is releasing a new user-centric feature: audio overviews powered by Copilot. The rollout started in May and is probably on it's way to your users as you read this post. 

What does it do:

With a simple prompt in the Copilot chat pane, users can generate an audio overview, a narrated summary or a dynamic dialogue between two virtual hosts like a discussion on a podcast (Microsoft's description, not mine). These hosts don’t just read content; they analyze, connect ideas, and even banter, making the experience engaging and digestible.

Users be able to customize the experience with the following choices:
  • Choose between one or two speakers
  • Adjust the tone (concise, informative, or playful)
  • Set the length (short, medium, or long)
The feature will be integrated into tools you already use: Word, Teams, OneDrive, and Copilot Notebooks, making it accessible wherever you work.

Timeline

As I mentioned, this updated is related to 5 separate roadmap items (487423, 478649, 485747, 487854 and 490051), and will probably not be implemented all at once. My understanding is that the first features have stared rolling out already, but it will not be completed until the Late June or July. According to the message center, there will be three waves:
  • May 2025: Available in English for Word (web & desktop), OneDrive (web), and Copilot Notebooks (web)
  • June 2025: Expands to Teams (desktop & mobile) and OneDrive (mobile)
  • June 2025: Customization options for audio overviews arrive in Word
You can read more about all of this in detail in this newsletter.

As with many of these features, they will light up automatically for users without any admin actions required. But the feature does require a Copilot license. I do recommend updating your training material and maybe share some news internally to your users, so they know how it works and how it can help them.