Learn to Use New Microsoft Copilot Features

Beth Varcho | October 16, 2024
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In September, Microsoft announced Copilot Wave 2, which will bring new features, product name changes, and other updates over the next few months. Changes to Copilot continue on an ongoing basis; in the 18 months since Copilot was announced, there have been more than 700 product updates and 150 new features. Microsoft will continue to make updates to the desktop, web and app interfaces in the coming months.

The first change you will notice – when you log in at copilot.microsoft.com. – is that you are now redirected to the Copilot page within your Microsoft 365 account. This page serves as a central hub for accessing various Microsoft applications and services, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneDrive – and now Copilot.

Name Changes for the Copilot Products

Microsoft refers to its AI products at Copilot, but different Copilot interfaces have differing functionality. At Ohio State you may use:

  • Microsoft Copilot is the new shortened name for what was previously called Copilot with Corporate Data Protection located at copilot.microsoft.com. This version gives you additional security and privacy measures to safeguard organizational data when using Microsoft Copilot. It is included with your Ohio State Office 365 suite, but you need to log in on the Copilot page to ensure that data protection is in place.
  • Microsoft 365 Copilot is the version of Copilot that requires an additional license to give Microsoft 365 apps and services Copilot abilities as an AI assistant. This is a new name for what was "Copilot for Microsoft 365." New features now available in Microsoft 365 Copilot include Copilot in Excel, Copilot in PowerPoint, Copilot and Teams, Copilot in OneDrive, Copilot and Word, and Copilot and Outlook. Cost is $30 per license per month and requires a 1-year commitment. Visit the ARC for full details on purchasing Microsoft 365 Copilot

Some new features in Copilot are available now and others are rolling out now through November, so different users may see updates at different times over the next month or so. Here are a few highlights:

  • BizChat is a specific feature that focuses on providing a chat-based interface to interact with your work data. It requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription. When you sign into Copilot, you will see a tab option to switch from Work to Web. The Work tab is what Microsoft refers to as BizChat.

One enhancement that is being rolled out soon is Copilot Pages - a new dynamic, persistent canvas AI collaboration (using Loop) that works alongside Copilot Chat to create and share content created with Copilot assistance. This feature is in the process of being rolled out and will eventually be available to both users of web Copilot when signed in and for those who have Microsoft 365 Copilot. While available, Copilot Pages has limited features at this time. Begin a conversation with Copilot as you normally would. When you receive a response from Copilot that you want to keep, click the “Edit in Pages” button that appears under the response. This will create a new Copilot Page and open it side-by-side with your chat. You can not share and collaborate on Pages with others under the Ohio State tenant. You can return to your Copilot Pages anytime by clicking the link in the chat where you first created the page or by opening the Pages tab in Microsoft 365. The information is typically saved in SharePoint or OneDrive for Business and counts toward your storage limits.

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Reach out to the IT Service Desk or your local IT team with other questions. The IT Service Desk is available to support you 24/7. Request IT support online, via email or by calling the Service Desk at 614-688-4357 (HELP).