Microsoft Copilot was unveiled for Customer Service and Copilot for Sales at the annual Microsoft Ignite conference, which was held in Seattle from November 14-17. These ground-breaking tools are intended to empower enterprise service and sales teams by giving them access to data from third-party CRM and contact center platforms via generative AI-powered tools. The goal is to improve the efficiency of service and sales teams by simplifying daily workflows, reducing application clicks, and eliminating screen clutter.
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Workflow Optimisation for Service and Sales Teams
Both Copilots include a license for Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365, allowing AI to access data from Microsoft 365 apps as well as third-party platforms such as CRM systems and knowledge bases. These Copilots, which cost $50 per user per month, aim to create a unified domain for information collection, allowing teams to access data from third-party applications such as Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Zendesk.
Origins of Microsoft Copilot: Collaboration with OpenAI
Microsoft’s Copilot initiative, which includes a $13 billion investment, is a testament to its collaboration with OpenAI. Microsoft’s Copilot technology is based on OpenAI’s GPT large language model format, demonstrating the company’s commitment to incorporating generative AI capabilities into its products.
Also Read: Introducing Bing Chat Enterprise: Microsoft’s Secure AI-Powered Chat Tool for Businesses
Expanding Use Cases: Access to Third-Party Applications
Microsoft is not only simplifying workflows but also strategically expanding its reach by allowing teams to use Copilot to access databases from third-party applications. According to Joshua Greenbaum, an analyst at Enterprise Applications Consulting, Microsoft’s move reflects the company’s attempt to co-opt users from competitors such as Salesforce in order to be present in a variety of CRM environments.
Using Generative AI to Improve User Experience
By reimagining how teams input and export data, generative AI is transforming the user experience for service and sales workflows. Microsoft Copilot, according to Emily He, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of Business Applications Marketing, eliminates the need for manual data entry. Instead, users can ask questions using natural language, and Copilot will retrieve the relevant information and provide quick and accurate answers.
Copilot Studio: A Low-Code Tool for Custom AI Assistants
Microsoft announced Copilot Studio, a low-code tool with a graphical user interface that enables organizations to create custom AI assistants using natural language, pre-built connectors, and GPTs, as part of its Microsoft Copilot initiative. This newly released tool enables organizations to create AI solutions that connect to data sources other than Microsoft Graph, orchestrate workflows, and manage components in a unified central workspace.
Copilot Studio’s Integration and Features
Copilot Studio integrates tightly with Azure Services, Power Platform AI models, and OpenAI’s GPTs. Organizations can extend the existing Copilot for Microsoft 365 service by creating custom workflows and integrating with over a thousand custom connectors. Copilot Studio, which is currently in public preview, gives IT administrators granular control over user permissions, data access, deployment capabilities, and environments.
Ethical AI and Future Outlook
Microsoft emphasizes that Copilot Studio is based on Ethical AI principles, which ensure trust, transparency, and security. The company’s goal as it continues to integrate generative AI tools across its consumer and enterprise offerings is to make these tools intuitive, smooth, and integrated into Microsoft’s various product portfolios.
Gains in Productivity and Future Transformations with Microsoft Copilot
According to recent data, Copilot users experience real productivity gains, with 70% reporting increased productivity and 68% reporting an improvement in work quality. Copilot has made users 29% faster at various tasks such as searching, writing, and summarising. Copilot has also helped users catch up on missed meetings nearly four times faster and spend less time processing emails.
In conclusion, Microsoft’s Copilot initiative, powered by generative AI, is reshaping the sales and service workflow landscape. The incorporation of Copilot into Microsoft’s ecosystem, along with the release of Microsoft Copilot Studio, represents a bold step towards making AI an integral and transformative part of the workplace. As organizations adopt these tools, the potential to boost personal productivity and expand organizational capabilities becomes more apparent, establishing a new baseline for the future of work.
Disclaimer:
AI was used to conduct research and help write parts of the article. We primarily use the Gemini model developed by Google AI. While AI-assisted in creating this content, it was reviewed and edited by a human editor to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to Google's webmaster guidelines.
