Australian businesses are swiftly adopting artificial intelligence to enhance productivity.
However, the widespread use of unapproved AI tools, often referred to as “Shadow AI”, introduces considerable risks regarding data security and compliance. Microsoft 365 Copilot provides a secure, enterprise-grade solution by embedding AI directly within well-known Microsoft 365 applications such as Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
This approach enables teams to work more efficiently while protecting sensitive information.
What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Microsoft 365 Copilot serves as an AI-powered assistant integrated into your existing Microsoft 365 environment. It utilises your organisation’s data, including emails, files, calendars, and chats, to offer real-time, context-aware support. Its main features include:
- Meeting support: Automatically captures transcripts, summarises discussions, and highlights action items. For example, after a project kickoff session, Copilot can generate a summary email listing key decisions and next steps, ensuring all participants are aligned without manual follow-up.
- Communication: Facilitates seamless communication across teams by providing concise summaries, drafting messages, and ensuring that key information is clearly conveyed in chats and emails.
- Document creation: Generates reports, proposals, and presentations, refines writing for clarity, and analyses data for trends, all within your secure Microsoft environment.
- Information retrieval: Quickly finds and summarises information from across your organisation using everyday language, acting like a 24/7 smart researcher.
- Data analysis: Automates the analysis of complex datasets, identifies trends, and generates actionable insights, empowering staff to make informed decisions without specialist expertise.
- Specialised “Agents”: Advanced AI agents handle detailed research or data analysis, delivering expert-level insights without the need for extra tools or coding.
Solving the Shadow AI Problem
Shadow AI occurs when staff use unauthorised AI tools, which can result in data leaks, breaches of compliance requirements, lack of oversight, and unreliable outputs.
Sensitive business data entered into public AI tools may leave your secure environment, increasing the risk of exposure or misuse and creating audit and regulatory headaches. In addition, external AI tools can generate hidden data copies outside your organisation’s control, further elevating the risk of unauthorised access or data loss.
Before Copilot can effectively manage these risks, it’s important to understand that it isn’t a simple “switch on and go” tool, as highlighted in Copilot Security Risks. Copilot addresses these concerns by operating within your Microsoft 365 tenant, thus ensuring data privacy, auditability, and compliance.
Why Microsoft 365 Copilot is Different
- Data security: All processing happens within your Microsoft 365 tenant, and no data is used to train public AI models or leaves your organisation’s control.
- Compliance: Copilot honours your organisation’s security, identity, and permission settings. Activities are logged and auditable via Microsoft Purview.
- Integrated workflow: As Copilot is embedded in familiar applications, it reduces the appeal of Shadow AI and allows IT to maintain oversight. Deployment can be supported by our Microsoft 365 solutions for a structured rollout.
- Contextual accuracy: Copilot responds based on your business data, rather than relying on random sources from the internet. This minimises misinformation and improves the relevance of information provided.
Business Value for SMBs
- Time savings: Copilot streamlines everyday tasks, allowing employees to reclaim valuable time from repetitive work.
- Boosted productivity: By handling routine activities, Copilot enables staff to focus on tasks that add genuine value to your business.
- Faster collaboration and output: Teams can work together more effectively and deliver higher-quality results more quickly, experiencing a notable reduction in drafting and editing time.
- Return on investment: Studies estimate a return on investment ranging from 132% to 353% over three years, with operational costs potentially decreasing by as much as 20% and revenues increasing by up to 6%.
Source: microsoft.com
Get Started
Microsoft 365 Copilot empowers organisations to embrace AI securely and efficiently. Contact ITConnexion today to ensure a secure, efficient Copilot rollout. Our team can assess your environment, address compliance needs and provide tailored training to help you maximise Copilot’s benefits. Don’t let Shadow AI compromise your productivity or security.
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