Why Get a Microsoft Copilot License for Your Business?

Microsoft Copilot offers outstanding efficiency benefits for small businesses. But there’s a big difference between the licensed version of Copilot and the unlicensed one. Here, we’ll go into the details about licensed versus unlicensed Copilot and why businesses should always use a licensed version.

At a COUPLE of GURUs, we offer AI assessments to help companies understand how ready they are for Copilot adoption and what data, security, and other gaps they may need to fill. We can also help you license Copilot, add it to your technology platforms, and provide training on how to use it effectively for your business. Visit our IT Assessments page to learn more about this service. 

Let’s take a look at the licensed and unlicensed versions of Microsoft AI for small business and discuss why we believe that a licensed version is the best option for most businesses.

What Is the Difference Between Unlicensed and Licensed Microsoft AI?

It’s likely you’ve played with AI tools, feeding questions into the public and unlicensed versions of ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot. But there’s a world of difference between what the free, publicly available, unlicensed version of Copilot can do and what the licensed version can do.

The difference between unlicensed and licensed Microsoft AI lies in the features, functionality, and integration they offer:

Unlicensed Copilot AI (Free)

The unlicensed or free version of Microsoft Copilot is available to everyone and provides basic AI capabilities. It relies on publicly available internet data and is integrated into tools like Bing, Edge, and some Microsoft 365 apps. While it offers robust features like document summarization and email drafting, tasks may require manual steps, such as uploading files for processing. And once those files are uploaded into Copilot, they become part of its vast data repository, so never upload confidential documents like business plans, human resources information, and other proprietary materials. 

Licensed Microsoft AI (Paid)

The licensed version unlocks advanced features and seamless integration into Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, and Teams. It provides deeper insights by securely accessing your organization’s data, enabling personalized and efficient workflows. For example, it can summarize documents directly within Word or analyze meeting transcripts in Teams. Licensed versions are ideal for businesses or individuals needing enhanced productivity tools. When we talk about AI-enhanced business productivity, we are referring to the features found in the licensed version of Microsoft Copilot.

Copilot Work Mode: The Powerhouse of Efficiency

Once you’ve licensed Microsoft Copilot and it has been integrated into your existing Microsoft 365 environment, the next step is to learn the differences between “work” and “web” mode.

Work Mode in Microsoft AI

Work Mode in the licensed version of Microsoft Copilot is designed to integrate with your Microsoft 365 environment. It accesses internal organizational data through tools like SharePoint, Outlook, and Teams, providing a personalized and context-aware experience. Using Microsoft Graph, Work Mode allows Copilot to retrieve relevant information from your company’s shared documents, emails, and meeting notes. This capability enables it to draft responses, summarize internal communications, or provide insights tailored to your organization’s needs.

This mode is particularly valuable for tasks requiring access to sensitive or private data within your workplace. For instance, you can prepare reports by pulling details from shared resources or composing emails that align with company communications. Its integration ensures your workflows remain streamlined, allowing you to focus on decision-making and collaboration rather than manual information-gathering.

Copilot’s Web Mode

Web Mode, part of the licensed version of Microsoft Copilot, uses publicly available internet data to assist with external tasks and research. Unlike Work Mode, it does not access internal organizational information, ensuring a clear separation between private and public data. This makes Web Mode ideal for market research, gathering external insights, or finding general knowledge beyond your company’s resources.

With Web Mode, users can explore online content without leaving your company’s Microsoft environment. Imagine you’re working on a report. You can use web mode to search for industry trends, locate data and statistics, or summarize publicly available articles. This mode ensures that users can easily navigate between work and web modes, maintaining privacy over work-related data while accessing publicly available information.

Eight Practical AI Business Use Cases with Microsoft Copilot

The licensed version of Microsoft Copilot can perform an astonishing number of tasks within a business environment. Once you get the hang of using AI, it becomes your very own indefatigable personal assistant.

Here are eight practical examples that demonstrate how it can become an invaluable partner in your day:

1. Finding Contact Information: Imagine needing the phone number of a colleague or client quickly. Copilot can search through your Outlook emails or Teams conversations to locate the contact information and present it to you instantly.
2. Scheduling Meetings: If you want to schedule a meeting with a team, Copilot can identify everyone’s availability by checking shared calendars in Outlook. It can then propose the best time slots and even send calendar invites.
3. Retrieving Specific Documents: If you’re preparing for a meeting and need a particular presentation or report stored in SharePoint, you can ask Copilot to locate it. For example, “Find the sales report from last month in SharePoint.”
4. Meeting Summaries and Notes: Copilot can analyze the transcript and provide a concise discussion summary after a team meeting in Teams, highlighting key action items and decisions made.
5. Drafting and Personalizing Emails: Copilot can draft professional emails by pulling relevant details from previous communications. For example, you can say, “Draft a follow-up email to the client based on the last email thread,” it will generate a tailored response.
6. Task Follow-ups: If you have ongoing tasks, Copilot can track them through Planner or To-Do, remind you of deadlines, or update you on progress based on team members’ input.
7. Analyzing Data in Excel: Need insights from a dataset? Copilot can run analyses, create charts, or even draft summaries directly in Excel to help you make informed decisions efficiently.
8. Locating Policy Documents: If you need clarification on company policies, Copilot can fetch internal documents stored in SharePoint or Teams channels, saving you the trouble of searching manually.

AI: Your New Personal Assistant

Most small businesses cannot afford to hire a personal assistant for every manager. But they can afford the licensed version of Microsoft Copilot, which puts your “AI Assistant” within keyboard reach. Many of the tasks that the licensed, work mode Copilot performs will make you wonder how you worked without it. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll enjoy the added efficiency it brings to your workday.