Today, Microsoft unveiled the second wave of its intelligent assistant, Microsoft 365 Copilot, at a highly anticipated event.
The update, dubbed “Wave 2”, brings a series of enhancements and new features that promise to transform the way we work with Microsoft 365 applications.
Full video of the announcement
Copilot Pages
Microsoft has introduced a new feature called Copilot Pages, a dynamic and persistent canvas designed for intelligent collaboration among many.
This innovation makes it possible to create, edit and share AI-generated content in a sustainable way.
You and your team can collaborate on a page with Copilot, seeing each other’s work in real time and interacting with Copilot as with a partner, adding content from your data, files and the web to your page.
It’s a whole new way of working.
For Microsoft 365 Copilot customers, Pages starts rolling out today and will be generally available at the end of September 2024.
Copilot Builder
Another big news is the introduction of Copilot agents, personalized AI assistants optimized to perform specific tasks with little or no human intervention.
These agents enable business processes to be automated and executed faster than ever before.
You can quickly create a Copilot agent in BizChat or SharePoint, tapping into the vast knowledge base of your SharePoint files.
In just a few clicks, connect it to SharePoint to feed it with relevant data, and share it with colleagues in Teams or Outlook.
Mention the agent as a teammate to share information and ask questions in real time.
For more advanced agents, customize them in Copilot Studio.
Copilot agents and the agent builder in BizChat will be available to all customers in the coming weeks.
Copilot agents and the agent builder in SharePoint will go into preview at the beginning of October.
Copilot in Excel and with Python
Copilot for Excel is now generally available!
For data lovers.
Microsoft has also integrated Python into Excel, enabling advanced data analysis directly within the application.
Narrative Builder in PowerPoint
A new option called Narrative Builder has been added to PowerPoint.
This feature helps you create presentations more quickly by generating a first draft of the presentation.
Narrative Builder provides a presentation structure that you can adjust by adding, deleting or moving topics.
What’s more, Copilot automatically adds presentation notes, animations and transitions, bringing you closer to a ready-to-use presentation.
Prioritizing e-mails in Outlook
Another notable feature is Copilot’s ability to prioritize e-mails in Outlook.
Using the “Prioritize my inbox” option, Copilot can sort emails in order of importance, highlighting those that require immediate action.
This enables users to manage their inboxes more efficiently, concentrating on the most critical e-mails.
These features will be available in public pre-release from the end of 2024.
Copilot in Teams
Copilot in Teams has been enhanced to deliver an even smarter working experience.
Copilot in Teams can now analyze both the meeting transcript and the chat to give you a complete view of what was discussed.
For example, you can ask Copilot if there are any questions you’ve missed, and it will quickly scan what was said and typed in the chat to see if anything was left unanswered.
With Copilot in Teams, no question, idea or contribution is left unanswered.
This feature will be generally available in September 2024.
Copilot in OneDrive
Copilot in OneDrive can now quickly scan all your files for the information you need, allowing you to easily preview, summarize and even compare up to five files.
It provides a clear, easy-to-read summary of the details and differences between your files, without having to open them.
Deployment of Copilot in OneDrive has already begun, with general availability scheduled for late September 2024.
General improvements
Microsoft has also made over 700 product updates and introduced more than 150 new features this year, based on feedback from almost 1,000 customers.
Copilot responses are now twice as fast on average, and response satisfaction has almost tripled.
Impact on Productivity
With these new features, Microsoft 365 Copilot Wave 2 aims to improve user productivity by making Microsoft 365 applications even smarter and more intuitive.
Whether you’re managing meetings in Microsoft Teams, analyzing data in Excel, or managing your inbox in Outlook, Copilot is designed to make your day-to-day tasks easier and faster.
Conclusion
The second wave of Microsoft 365 Copilot marks a milestone in the evolution of productivity tools.
By integrating advanced AI features and listening to user feedback, Microsoft continues to push the boundaries of what technology can achieve in the world of work.
To find out more about these new features, please consult Microsoft’s official announcement.
I hope you found this article useful!
