Microsoft is the most recent firm to unveil enhanced synthetic intelligence (AI) choices to its prospects. Rolling out this fall, Microsoft Copilot is an AI help function designed for Microsoft 365 purposes and providers, Edge and Home windows. The software leverages the superior capabilities of OpenAI’s GPT-4 massive language fashions.
Given Copilot’s skill to streamline tedious duties, many companies might think about transferring to Microsoft 365 to make the most of this AI companion operate. Earlier than doing so, nevertheless, their IT groups and MSPs should consider their present programs and put together for the in depth migration forward of them.
Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at the advantages of Microsoft Copilot and what IT groups ought to concentrate on earlier than transferring to Microsoft 365.
Microsoft Copilot and its advantages
As talked about above, Microsoft Copilot leverages the superior capabilities of OpenAI’s GPT-4 massive language fashions. As an AI assistant for Microsoft customers, the primary purpose of the software is to assist streamline every day duties and create time-saving shortcuts in Microsoft’s purposes.
In Home windows, Microsoft Copilot allows customers to create sooner, full duties with ease and reduce the cognitive load, making once-complicated duties less complicated. For instance, within the new Outlook for Home windows, customers can join and coordinate varied accounts reminiscent of Gmail, Yahoo! and iCloud in a single utility. Copilot’s clever instruments then assist customers write clear, concise emails and seamlessly connect necessary paperwork and images from OneDrive, making your complete course of simpler.
As well as, Microsoft has launched a modernized File Explorer house, deal with bar and search field, all of that are designed to assist customers extra simply entry necessary and related content material, keep updated with file exercise, and collaborate with out even opening a file.
In the end, Microsoft Copilot is designed to make these time-consuming duties faster and simpler to navigate, saving customers invaluable time and assets that may be allotted to different tasks. These efficiencies and automation improve productiveness for customers, which is a big motive why many companies could also be migrating to Microsoft to entry this new AI-driven function. Nonetheless, earlier than they do, there are a variety of things that should be thought of to make sure a seamless migration.
What to think about earlier than migrating to Microsoft 365
Migrations generally is a complicated course of that requires plenty of steps, planning and precautions to execute them accurately and effectively. For these seeking to migrate to Microsoft 365 particularly, varied elements have to be evaluated earlier than, throughout and after a migration.
Licensing and Prices
Perceive Microsoft’s licensing fashions, as they are often moderately complicated. It’s necessary to make sure you’re conscious of the licensing necessities for the services or products you intend to make use of and be ready for potential value implications. The licensing fashions obtainable can considerably differ from the service supplier firms at present use, so it’s necessary to pay attention to the associated fee discrepancies and consider budgets prematurely.
Compliance and Safety
Microsoft supplies a variety of compliance certifications and safety options. It’s important to know the precise compliance necessities every enterprise wants to fulfill and the way Microsoft’s providers may also help them obtain and preserve compliance.
For instance, Microsoft makes use of Multi-Issue Authentication (MFA) for enhanced identification safety. It additionally has varied conditional entry insurance policies to regulate entry primarily based on sure situations, serving to to maintain info and consumer identities protected. As well as, Microsoft deploys Superior Menace Safety (ATP) to guard towards superior threats in emails and paperwork.
These compliance and security measures might have a studying curve for some customers, so it’s necessary schooling and coaching are factored into planning as soon as the transfer to Microsoft 365 is full.
Information Governance
Microsoft providers usually deal with delicate information. For example, Microsoft deploys eDiscovery instruments that allow organizations to establish, maintain and export content material for authorized or compliance functions. That is significantly essential in authorized investigations or audits.
Corporations should set up information governance insurance policies and procedures to make sure information privateness and compliance with laws just like the Normal Information Safety Regulation (GDPR) and the Well being Insurance coverage Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). These insurance policies and procedures ought to align with the capabilities and instruments Microsoft can provide to make sure final safety and general information administration.
Use The Proper Migration Device
There are a lot of migration instruments available on the market, which makes deciding on the proper one a tough and typically strenuous course of. In relation to migrating from a system supplier to Microsoft 365, it’s important to make use of a migration software that’s purpose-built for Microsoft to keep away from hiccups or setbacks that might derail a migration and its outcomes.
For instance, firms could also be tempted to make use of free, first-party instruments due to the worth level. Nonetheless, these instruments usually have restricted options and performance, scalability points and hidden prices. Utilizing a third-party platform will usually present superior configuration choices, 24/7 technical assist, cost-effective instruments and appropriate Microsoft capabilities that meet firms’ Microsoft 365 migration wants.
Efficiency Testing
With any migration, efficiency testing is vital. When it comes to migrating to Microsoft 365, IT groups ought to conduct efficiency testing to make sure the brand new Microsoft setting can deal with the workload and ship the required efficiency. This course of will establish any bottlenecks and permit IT professionals to resolve them earlier than conducting the precise migration, serving to to mitigate issues and complications that may negatively affect a venture.
Change Administration
Following a migration, it’s important that firms develop a change administration plan to assist staff adapt to the brand new Microsoft programs, processes and workflows. Coaching and assist are key parts of this plan.
Thankfully, Microsoft has a number of processes that may make the transition to its platform seamless and straightforward. Microsoft supplies a Change Administration Framework for organizations to information planning and implement modifications to their Microsoft environments. This framework consists of greatest practices, templates, and steering for change administration processes.
As well as, Microsoft Endpoint Supervisor is a unified administration answer for deploying and managing units in a corporation. It permits directors to plan and deploy software program updates, purposes, and configurations in a managed and arranged method.
Embracing the facility of AI and Copilot
Microsoft Copilot marks a big milestone on the planet of AI, creating one other subtle software for companies to make use of at their disposal to enhance operations and streamline every day duties.
As firms put together emigrate to Microsoft 365 to make the most of Copilot, it’s crucial that IT groups think about plenty of elements and implement a number of steps to make sure the migration to the system supplier is easy and headache-free. As soon as the migration is full and firms have transitioned to Microsoft 365, they’ll reap the advantages of Copilot and embrace the facility of AI for a extra productive future.
By Stacey Farrar
