Microsoft Copilot: in-depth overview
Tags: ai, productivity, datascience, microsoft
Published: 2024-06-20 15:09:36

_This post is a quick overview of an Abto Software [blog article](https://www.abtosoftware.com/blog/what-is-copilot-technology-in-depth-overview)._

This year’s Microsoft Copilot debut opened an exciting new chapter in the information & technology industry.

This groundbreaking AI assistant has generated considerable excitement by promising unmatched productivity. With this AI solution, you control your workflows while leveraging facilitated creativity, analytical capabilities, and efficiency in your everyday activities.

## What is Copilot in simple terms?

**A Copilot is an advanced technology that implements artificial intelligence to facilitate business productivity.**

Microsoft’s Copilot is designed to enable the capabilities of large language models all across Microsoft 365. Microsoft Copilot can work within standard MS applications – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Outlook – to help out with digital assets.

## How is Copilot different from ChatGPT?

Microsoft’s Copilot and ChatGPT were designed to automate usually resource-intense everyday processes. While seeming quite similar, those have sensible differences.

In particular:

- Microsoft’s technology, while working alongside popular MS applications, is leveraging the capabilities of large language models to provide personalized assistance
- OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a chatbot and state-of-the-art virtual assistant, is using autoregression mechanisms to generate human-like responses

MS Copilot is automating repetitive workflows by using artificial intelligence and retrieving business insights. The technology is embedded in applications to assist with documents, tables, presentations, content creation, email management, and more.

OpenAI ChatGPT is engaging in dialogues by using machine & deep learning, and natural language processing. The chatbot can mimic human interaction and provide context-rich responses.

## What is Copilot’s divergence among competitors?

### Google Duet

Microsoft Copilot presents several advanced functionalities – text and voice input, image handling, and others. The assistant can empower business leaders by automating customer service, sales activities, and cooperation.

Google Duet offers fewer modern capabilities, but provides regular updates and patches driving performance. The solution is perfect to accelerate software development.

### GitHub Copilot

What about GitHub’s Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is an advanced assistant that provides essential capabilities to automate software development. The solution is perfect to streamline software development and other related activities.

## What is Copilot usually used for?

### Healthcare industry

In the healthcare domain, among many other things, the assistant can handle:

- Data processing and management – data analysis to provide accurate diagnosis and treatment
- Appointment scheduling and reminders – administrative processes to simplify appointment scheduling, patient management, automatic reminders, and other related activities

### Retail industry

In the retail domain, talking about essential functions, the assistant can handle:

- Behavior analysis – data analysis to determine customer needs and preferences, thus facilitating shopping experiences
- Sales forecasting – market analysis to recognize future trends and demand, thereby eliminating potential overstocking and stockouts

### Finance & banking industry

In the finance and banking segment, the solution might improve:

- Risk management – dataset analysis to assess market risks and predict potential problems
- Fraud detection – pattern analysis to detect fraudulent activity and secure financial transactions

### Education industry

In the education segment, the solution might enhance:

- Personalized programs – the analysis of progress to create personalized programs
- Interactive materials – the creation of engaging, interactive materials and presentations

## The cost of integrating MS Copilot

If you get the free subscription, you get to use:

- GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo access during non-peak times
- Text, voice, and images for advanced conversational search
- Image generation, enabled through AI algorithms, with 15 daily boosts
- Additional plug-ins

If you get the paid subscription, you access additional functionality, in particular:

- GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo access during peak times 
- Intelligent assistance all throughout Microsoft applications
- Image generation, enabled through AI algorithms, with 100 daily boosts
- Custom GPTs to cater individual needs and interests

## The process of installing MS Copilot

To activate the assistant and automate your workflows, you’ll need to have several prerequisites:

- Monthly subscription
- Entra ID 
- OneDrive account
- Network configuration
- Personal accounts within the Microsoft 365
- Microsoft Whiteboard

After activation, the assistant will provide multiple features within prominent Microsoft applications:

- Within Word – document drafting and revision, improvement suggestions
- Within Excel – insight generation, information visualization, pattern detection, workflow creation
- Within PowerPoint – presentation creation using natural language processing 
- Within Outlook – email management, including suggestions 
- Power Platform – prototyping assistance in particular
- Business Chat – content generation, event navigation, and more

## Microsoft Copilot’s smooth integration

Any integration should encompass critical components from thorough environment preparation to assessment. Business continuity, desired efficiency and performance, future sustainability, and even regulatory compliance are benefits enabled through these stages. 

In particular, the process should comprise:

- The validation of prerequisites and preliminary environment analysis
- The review of established access and security settings
- The evaluation of risks
- The deployment to the pilot group & documentation
- The adjustment of parameters
- The deployment to the target group & assessment

## Microsoft Copilot’s future prospects 

The technology is revolutionizing the approaches towards implementing and leveraging artificial intelligence. The solution is transforming business operations across industries by harnessing machine and deep learning, recursive neural networks, large language models, and large image datasets.

The assistant does also present concerns – data leakage, unauthorized access, and other common problems. But applying robust mechanisms, you can mostly eliminate the potential reputational and financial damage.

## Summing up

Abto Software, Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, can deliver enterprise-level products empowering leaders. Our company, by leveraging Microsoft Copilot along with other technology and specialized domain expertise, can facilitate code generation, context awareness, thorough testing and debugging, prototyping, hackathons, and more.

Our services:

- .NET development
- ASP.NET development
- Web app development
- Mobile app development
- VB6 migration
- Full-cycle, custom software development