AI Assistant

Microsoft Copilot

Replaces manual meeting minute-taking, basic data entry, and the initial blank-page phase of drafting internal documents.

Monthly Cost
£19.00–£23.50/month
Category
AI Assistant

AI Features

  • ✦Real-time Teams meeting summarisation and action item tracking
  • ✦Automated slide deck creation from Word documents in PowerPoint
  • ✦Natural language data analysis and formula generation in Excel
  • ✦Drafting and tone-coaching for Outlook emails
  • ✦Cross-app data retrieval via Microsoft Graph
  • ✦Internal document querying for instant knowledge management

✅ Best For

  • ✓Microsoft 365-heavy organizations
  • ✓Project managers balancing multiple meeting schedules
  • ✓Operations teams handling extensive internal documentation
  • ✓Data analysts needing quick spreadsheet prototypes

⚠️ Limitations

  • •Excel capabilities struggle with complex, non-tabular data structures
  • •Creative writing output often feels overly formal and 'corporate-beige'
  • •Requires significant internal permissions cleanup to avoid surfacing sensitive data
  • •Strict per-user licensing makes it a high fixed cost for large teams
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Penny's Verdict

Microsoft Copilot is less of a 'creative genius' and more of a highly efficient digital librarian. Its true power isn't in writing the next great marketing campaign; it's in its deep integration with your company's data. If you've ever spent 20 minutes looking for 'that one PDF' or trying to remember what was decided in a meeting, Copilot pays for itself in a week by cutting through that friction. But here's the candid truth: it’s a 'Copilot,' not an autopilot. If your internal file storage is a mess, Copilot will just help you find the mess faster. It is also a significant investment—on top of your existing M365 license, you're essentially doubling your per-user software spend. For a small team, it’s a luxury; for a 50-person agency drowning in internal comms, it’s the only way to stay sane.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a specific Microsoft license to get Copilot?+
Yes. You need a Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Premium, or Enterprise license first. You cannot buy Copilot for Business as a standalone product; it’s an add-on that costs approximately £23.50 per user per month.
Is my business data used to train the public AI?+
No. When using the Business/Enterprise version, your data remains within your 'tenant.' Microsoft does not use your internal documents, emails, or chats to train the global models used by other customers.
Can it actually write Excel formulas?+
It can write basic to intermediate formulas and create charts from text prompts. However, it still struggles with very complex nested logic or spreadsheets that haven't been formatted as a 'Table' within Excel.
Is it better than ChatGPT Plus?+
ChatGPT is generally 'smarter' for pure brainstorming and coding. However, ChatGPT doesn't know what's in your internal emails or SharePoint folders. Copilot wins on context; ChatGPT wins on raw reasoning.
Can I use it on a Mac?+
Yes, as long as you are using the Microsoft 365 suite (Word, Outlook, etc.) on your Mac. The functionality is tied to the software ecosystem, not the computer's operating system.

Tasks Microsoft Copilot Can Automate

Data AnalysisDocument DraftingEmail ManagementMeeting Summarization

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