The New Microsoft Copilot: Home, Code and Autopilot

Microsoft is rebuilding Copilot as one place to ask, hand off, build and automate work.

Copilot Chat, Cowork, GitHub Copilot and Scout used to be separate tools. They’re now coming together in one Copilot app. Your customers will have fewer tools to switch between, and IT will have one place to manage it all.

For MSPs and IT partners, this is a good time to start new conversations. Your customers will hear about these changes and want to know what they mean for them. Here’s what you need to know.

Home: where work starts

Home is the main starting point. Copilot Chat for quick questions and Cowork for bigger tasks now sit side by side, so users don’t have to work out which tool to open.

Copilot also gets new features inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft apps. Your customers can keep working in the apps they already use.

What it means for your customers: one place to start, less confusion and faster results.

Code: build apps in plain English

GitHub Copilot is becoming Copilot for Code. Your customers describe the app, dashboard or workflow they need in plain words, and Copilot builds it.

Apps run safely inside the customer’s Microsoft 365 environment, and IT stays in control. Teams can solve their own small problems without creating shadow IT or waiting weeks for a developer.

What it means for your customers: quick fixes for everyday business problems, built safely.

Autopilot: a digital teammate

Autopilot is the new name for Scout. Give it a role and a goal, and it gets on with the job.

It follows up, handles repeat tasks and keeps working when your customer is offline. Think of it as a team member that takes the routine work off people’s plates so they can focus on the jobs that need a human.

What it means for your customers: less manual work and more time for the work that matters.

Smarter with business data

Copilot can now use data from Power BI, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform. Answers are based on the customer’s real business information, not just documents and emails.

A new plugin catalogue also lets IT approve extras in one place, so admins decide what gets added.

Two ways to pay

Microsoft is giving customers two options:

• User subscription licence: everyday AI at a fixed cost.
• Usage based billing: pay for what you use on advanced work like Cowork, Code and Autopilot.

Customers can start with predictable costs and add more advanced features when they’re ready.

Keeping AI costs under control

With usage based billing, cost control matters. New FinOps for AI tools let admins set spending rules and choose which AI models people can use. Users can also check their own credit balance in Copilot.

This is where partners can add real value. Customers will need help setting sensible limits, tracking spend and making sure they’re getting a return on their AI investment.

Coming soon

Two more features are on the way:

• Today in Copilot: a daily view of email, calendar, meetings and tasks. It flags what needs attention and has replies and follow ups ready to send.
• @Copilot in Teams: mention Copilot in a team chat or meeting. It uses the team’s shared conversation history to answer questions and keep everyone on track.

Availability

The new Copilot is rolling out through Microsoft’s Frontier program, with more features on the way.

What this means for MSPs

These changes open a few clear opportunities:

• More customer conversations. Every customer using Copilot will want to know what’s changed and how it affects them.
• New services to offer. App building, automation setup, training and ongoing support are all easier to package and sell.
• Cost management becomes a service. Usage based billing means customers need someone to help keep spend in check.
• Stronger customer relationships. Partners who explain the changes early become the trusted advisor when customers are ready to buy.

Get your customers Copilot ready

Want help positioning the new Copilot with your customers? The Leader Cloud team can walk you through the changes, pricing options and the best opportunities for your customer base.