Microsoft Ignite 2024: Top Microsoft 365 Copilot Updates

Microsoft Ignite 2024 has arrived, unveiling cutting-edge advancements in AI-driven tools for the digital workplace. Microsoft 365 Copilot is front and center this year, with announcements aimed at enhancing productivity, collaboration, and communication. These updates promise to streamline workflows, empower teams, and redefine how we work in the age of AI.

But that’s not all! AvePoint is also making waves at Ignite with groundbreaking benchmarking capabilities and enhanced data security solutions to provide comprehensive data security, governance, and resilience for Microsoft 365 Copilot. Here’s a breakdown of the top announcements you need to know—and how AvePoint can help you maximize their potential.

New AI Agents to Transform Business Processes

Microsoft 365 Copilot has introduced a powerful lineup of specialized AI agents designed to manage routine tasks, handle complex workflows, and simplify collaboration. These agents work seamlessly with teams and individuals to enhance productivity. Here are the highlights:

• Agents in SharePoint (Generally Available): Customize agents to interact with specific files, folders, or sites, and support business processes while maintaining strict permissions and sensitivity label adherence.
• Employee Self-Service Agent (Private Preview): Simplify HR and IT requests in one location—such as accessing payroll, starting leaves of absence, or requesting equipment. Save employees time while ensuring secure access to sensitive information.
• Facilitator Agent (Preview): Automate notetaking and co-authoring during meetings. Share real-time summaries in Teams chats to keep everyone on the same page.
• Interpreter Agent (Coming Early 2025): Enable real-time translation in Teams meetings across up to nine languages. Create an inclusive environment with voice simulation features.
• Project Manager Agent (Preview): Automate project management in Planner, from task creation to progress tracking. Generate new plans, assign tasks, and provide updates effortlessly.

In addition to these agents, Microsoft announced updates to Copilot Studio. The enhancements include autonomous agents, a robust agent library, and an SDK for building advanced solutions using Azure AI. These updates empower developers and businesses to customize AI tools tailored to their specific needs.

Earlier this year, we sat down with Dona Sarkar, Chief Troublemaker for Copilot and AI Extensibility at Microsoft on our #shifthappens in the Digital Workplace podcast. She shared her insights on further redefining the AI experience we know with extensibility and her perspective on the future of AI as an agent that can plan, recommend, and execute tasks alongside humans.

Streamlined Collaboration and Communication

Microsoft 365 Copilot is making teamwork easier than ever with new updates across popular apps:

• Copilot in Teams: Previewing in early 2025, these features allow you to quickly gain insights from screen-shared content during meetings and summarize shared files in chat.
• Copilot in PowerPoint: Translate entire presentations into one of 40 languages while maintaining your design’s integrity or create branded designs with tailored speaker notes. General availability begins in December.
• Copilot in Outlook: Launching by the end of November, this update simplifies scheduling and agenda creation.
• Copilot in OneNote: Now in preview, this feature helps organize your ideas from typed, handwritten, and voice notes.

Need more helpful tips on how to get the most out of Microsoft 365 Copilot? Check out our series led by Chris Casingena, Change Management & Adoption Lead at AvePoint. He’s covered how to write better Microsoft 365 Copilot prompts, the difference between Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot, how to maximize Microsoft 365 Copilot for meetings, and more.

AvePoint’s Innovations: First-to-Market Benchmarking and Enhanced Data Security

AvePoint is taking Microsoft Ignite as an opportunity to showcase its leadership in data security, governance, and resilience. This morning, we announced benchmarking capabilities for Microsoft 365 Copilot within AvePoint tyGraph, marking a significant industry first.

These tools help organizations:

• Benchmark: Offer anonymized licensing and Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption data to help compare against industry peers and set growth targets.
• Predict: Assign licenses to users likely to adopt AI based on their Microsoft 365 behaviors, and identify key individuals driving AI integration and change management.
• Act: Provide detailed insights into Microsoft 365 Copilot user activity to identify under-utilization and adoption challenges, enabling the customization of learning and development for effective AI transformation.

As Gartner highlights, 30% of generative AI projects will fail at proof-of-concept due to inadequate data quality, and 60% of organizations won’t realize their AI investments’ full potential by 2027. AvePoint is uniquely positioned to solve these challenges, ensuring businesses adopt AI with confidence.

Empowering Data Owners Through MyHub Enhancements

AvePoint is also enhancing data governance within Microsoft Teams. Updates to MyHub now include:

• Risk Assessments for Data Owners: Address issues like sensitive file shares and oversharing directly within Teams.
• Simplified Permissions Management: Equip business owners with intuitive tools to manage governance more efficiently.

These advancements make AvePoint a critical partner for organizations looking to protect their data while embracing AI innovations like Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Ready to Unlock Your AI Potential? Visit AvePoint at Ignite

Microsoft Ignite 2024 is brimming with opportunities to revolutionize productivity and collaboration through AI. With AvePoint’s solutions, you can take these innovations even further, ensuring success with secure, governed, and resilient data.

Visit us at Booth #402 to explore our latest features in person or access our online resources for more insights. From benchmarking tools to advanced security, governance, and resilience solutions, AvePoint is here to guide your AI journey.