Copilot in Teams – New Features, Agents & More

Free Hands on a Laptop Keyboard Stock Photo

Share This Post

Microsoft Teams continues to evolve. It is a powerful hub for collaboration and communication in the modern workplace. With the integration of AI-driven Copilot, Teams is pushing the boundaries. It’s innovating how we interact with technology to streamline workflows. As well as improve productivity and unlock new business value.

Recent updates to Copilot in Teams include:

  • Enhanced agent capabilities
  • Smarter AI interactions
  • Extra features to support teams in accomplishing tasks more efficiently

We’ll explore the latest updates to Copilot in Teams, including new features and intelligent agents as well as how these innovations can transform how your business operates.

What is Copilot in Microsoft Teams?

Copilot is Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant. It’s embedded in tools like Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It’s designed to assist with various tasks.

In Microsoft Teams, Copilot acts as an intelligent agent. It helps users by doing things like:

  • Automating processes
  • Managing tasks
  • Analyzing data
  • Providing real-time insights

Copilot’s key strength is its ability to leverage existing data. It can also work seamlessly across platforms. It provides actionable recommendations, transforming how teams collaborate.

New Features of Copilot in Teams

The latest updates to Copilot in Teams bring several new features. They’re aimed at making interactions more:

  • Intuitive
  • Productive
  • User-friendly

These features help users navigate complex tasks and much more.

Enhanced Collaboration Features

Copilot is now able to work even more seamlessly within team environments. It can help organize meetings and summarize conversations as well as provide real-time suggestions during discussions.

  • Automated Meeting Summaries: A standout feature is generating meeting summaries automatically. After a team meeting, Copilot can provide a detailed recap. It can even highlight key points, action items, and decisions made. No more time-consuming notetaking!
  • Intelligent Task Management: Copilot can now help manage tasks more effectively. It analyzes conversations in chats or meetings. Then it can automatically identify tasks as well as assign them to team members, and track progress.

Smarter AI Suggestions

The new update brings more refined AI suggestions to Copilot. This enables it to provide better recommendations based on context and historical data.

  • Context-Aware Responses: Copilot’s AI has become more context-aware. This means it can provide more relevant responses during chats or meetings. This minimizes irrelevant suggestions and keeps teams focused.
  • Personalized Insights: As Copilot interacts with a team, it learns from past behaviors. It can offer personalized insights and recommendations. For example, it can suggest the best times to schedule meetings. And do that based on the participants’ availability.

Agents in Copilot: A New Way to Work

One of the most exciting developments is the introduction of agents in Copilot. These agents take automation and AI-driven support to the next level. They act as specialized virtual assistants that can handle specific business functions.

What are Copilot Agents?

Copilot agents are task-specific AI-driven assistants. You can customize them to handle particular functions or workflows. Agents focus on specific domains such as customer support, sales, or project management. Each agent is equipped to carry out specialized tasks. This makes them a valuable asset for small and medium-sized businesses.

Agent Capabilities

Let’s look at some of the key capabilities these agents bring to Teams.

  • Automating Routine Tasks: Agents can automate a wide range of routine tasks. This includes responding to customer inquiries and managing daily reports. This automation allows employees to focus on more value-added activities.
  • Integration with Business Tools: Copilot agents seamlessly integrate with other Microsoft 365 tools. This includes Dynamics 365, SharePoint, and Outlook. This enables them to offer insights. As well as answer questions, or complete tasks based on real-time data.
  • Multitasking Capabilities: Agents are also capable of handling several tasks simultaneously. For instance, a customer support agent could manage several customer queries. It can provide responses based on predefined workflows or knowledge bases. This can improve the efficiency of customer service teams.

Benefits of Using Copilot in Teams

The integration of Copilot into Teams offers several significant benefits. Here are a few.

Increased Productivity

Copilot automates routine tasks such as scheduling, meeting management, and task assignment. This frees up time for employees to focus on more important activities. Its intelligent recommendations help teams make faster, more informed decisions.

Improved Communication

Copilot can summarize meetings, track action items, and offer context-aware suggestions. This ensures that communication is more streamlined and effective. It also reduces misunderstandings and keeps projects on track.

Enhanced Decision-Making

Copilot has access to AI-driven insights and data analysis. This enables teams to make more informed decisions. Copilot helps highlight trends, provide performance metrics, and identify areas of improvement.

Better Workflow Management

Agents and automation tools help manage workflows. This ensures that teams complete tasks on time and with fewer errors. It can track project progress and automate customer interactions. Copilot helps ensure that operations run smoothly.

Looking Ahead: The Future of AI in Teams

As AI continues to advance, we can expect even more innovative features. Future updates will likely bring deeper integrations with external systems as well as smarter agents that can manage increasingly complex workflows.

The future of AI in collaboration tools like Teams represents an exciting opportunity. By adopting these AI-powered tools now, businesses can stay ahead of the curve. They can also unlock new growth opportunities.

Work Smarter, Not Harder! We can Help

Copilot in Teams is just one example of the power of Microsoft 365 in the AI age. Need help understanding how to leverage its power effectively? Our Microsoft tech experts are here for you.

Reach out today to schedule a chat.

Featured Image Credit

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore

Free computer encrypt encryption vector
Cybersecurity

Protect Yourself: 8 Steps to Take When You Get a Notice Your Data Was Breached                 

When it happens, you feel powerless. You get an email or letter from a business saying someone breached your data. It happens all too often today. Data breaches happen at banks, online sites like Facebook, and ecommerce stores. Not only that, but governments are also victims. This leaves things like your address, SSN, and credit card details exposed to thieves.  A business getting hacked is something you have little control over. But you can take important steps afterwards. We’ve outlined the most important things to do below. These steps can help you mitigate the financial losses. Change Your Passwords The very first thing you should do is change your passwords. Change the password for the service that sent you the breach notification first. Then, change it for any logins using the same password.  This is one of the reasons it’s a best practice to use unique logins for every site. Many people get in the habit of using the same password in several places. This leaves more than the single breached login at risk. Use a password manager to help you create strong passwords. You only need to remember one to access all the others. Enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA) Multifactor authentication can keep accounts secure, even if a hacker stole the password. Enable it for the breached service. Then, ensure you have MFA activated for all other logins, where possible. MFA is also called two-factor authentication or two-step verification. Common forms of MFA are: Check Your Bank Accounts If payment card details were breached, check bank accounts. You’ll want to watch these for several weeks for fraudulent charges. Report the breach to your bank to have them issue you a new card, if needed. Notify your bank about the 3rd party data breach. This can help keep you from being held responsible for fraudulent charges. It’s good to get out ahead of it. Your bank can then help you with appropriate steps to avoid fraud. Freeze Your Credit Online criminals will often sell breached personal details. These details can enable someone to take out credit in your name. Contact the three credit agencies. They each have ways to freeze your credit to protect you. You can do this right on their websites. The three credit agencies are:  Carefully Review the Breach Notification It’s important to understand exactly how the data breach may impact you. Review the notice you received. Additionally, look for updates on the company website. These are the things you should be looking for: Regularly check the company’s website. Often, they don’t immediately know how far reaching the breach is. You may check back later and find out other types of sensitive data were exposed. Get Good Cybersecurity Protections Make sure you protect your device and network. There are some simple tools you can use to beef up personal device security. These include: Another good protection you can use is a VPN. This helps mask your traffic. It is especially helpful if you’re using a public Wi-Fi. VPNs are easy to use. You can use VPNs for both computers and mobile devices. Be On the Lookout for Phishing Scams Emails are often exposed in data breaches. This means you may receive an uptick in phishing emails. Phishing is very convincing since criminals have AI at their disposal. Phishing emails often are hard to spot from the real thing. Stay ultra-aware of any unexpected emails. Follow best practices to avoid becoming a phishing victim: Make Sure to Update Software & Systems Hackers often exploit unpatched vulnerabilities. How do you get unpatched vulnerabilities? Most times it’s from failing to keep software updated. Make sure to update your device operating system. Update all apps or software on your devices. Update firmware for routers and printers. Update firmware for smart devices.  There are so many updates we need to do with our electronics. Automating your updates is a good way to stay protected. Managed Security Services You Can Count On Managed services can keep you protected at work and home. Need help improving device security? We’ll be happy to discuss our options. Contact us today to schedule a chat about device security. — Featured Image Credit This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

Free Gray Laptop Computer Stock Photo
New Technology

How Can Small Businesses Embrace the Cashless Revolution? 

The world has gone digital. We see it everywhere people shop for goods and services. Cash, check, or debit used to be the norm. Now, there are payment wallets that people expect businesses to accept. They include things like Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and more. Small businesses need to keep pace with these new methods of payment. It’s essential to adapt to stay competitive. You can easily lose business if people can’t pay the way they like. As a trusted managed IT service provider, we’re here to help. Many of our clients are navigating this shift to cashless wallets. We’ll help you find solutions to ensure your business thrives in the cashless era. Why Go Cashless? It’s not just about convenience; it’s about meeting customer expectations. People want fast, easy, and secure payment options. The pandemic accelerated this trend. Now, consumers expect businesses to offer digital payments in several forms. Here’s why going cashless is crucial: Forty-six percent of US respondents have used a form of contactless payment in the last 7 days. That number is 80% for the UK and 69% for Australia. Benefits of Cashless Payments Going cashless isn’t just about adapting; it offers real advantages. These advantages can mean more business for you. This factor helps pay for any expense to set up cashless systems. Key Steps to Go Cashless Ready to make the switch to a more cashless business? Want to embrace new forms of digital payments? Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started. Step 1: Choose the Right Payment Solutions Select payment methods that align with your customers’ preferences. Do your research by sending customers a survey. Start with the three most popular methods. You can then branch out from there. Make sure to check transaction fees. You want to keep those in mind as you add new payment options. You may need to upcharge for a certain payment service. Or you may find a wallet is cheaper for you to take than a traditional card. Step 2: Educate Your Customers Let customers know about your new cashless options. Offer incentives to encourage adoption. Get the word out over social media and through any mailing lists you have. Do this regularly and often. People’s attention spans are short these days.  Keep a payment options post in your social media rotation. Also, include acceptable payment options on invoices. You may attract new business as word spreads among friends and family. Step 3: Strengthen Security Measures Protect your business and customers from fraud with robust security measures. Make sure your point-of-sale devices are on a secure network. Use strong passwords and MFA to protect system logins. Step 4: Watch Transactions and Customer Trends  A nice thing about cashless systems is that they generate helpful data. Analyze data to optimize your payment processes and identify opportunities. You can gain detailed insights into things like: Step 5. Plan for the Future Stay updated on payment trends and be prepared to adapt as needed. Add new ones that seem to be picking up steam. Continue to survey customers on their favorite payment options. You can often get your best ideas from customer feedback.  Need Some Help Embracing Digital Payment Systems? The cashless revolution is here. It’s time for small businesses to embrace it. By adopting digital payments, you can enhance your customer experience as well as improve efficiency and reduce costs.  As your trusted IT partner, we’re here to support you every step of the way. Let’s make the transition to cashless payments a seamless one for your business. Reach out by phone or email to schedule a chat today. — Featured Image Credit This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

Do You Want To Boost Your Business?

drop us a line and keep in touch