It snuck in quietly, like all meaningful innovations do. I didn’t see a press release, or announcement – and just saw it “pop” up for me today with one small pop-up. Just one single word, Smart. And yet, beneath the understated label lies perhaps the most pivotal shift in the way generative AI models like Copilot and ChatGPT work since manual “model selectors” first became a thing.
This is, yes, you’ve guessed it GPT5!
Smarter Than Smart – the quiet revolution of reasoning
Copilot (i’m talking the consumerversion currently at copilot.microsoft.com) or via the Windows, IOS and Android app, currently has three modes of chat which you choose based on the discussion with Copilot you want to have. This is similar to how ChatGPT works also today.
Quick Response [for every day conversations]
Think Deeper [for more complex topics]
Deep Research [Detailed reports with references]
That is changing – Microsoft Copilot’s new ‘Smart’ mode doesn’t ask you to choose a conversation type anymore. Instead it now adapts for you – automatically and intuitively.
This means, that depending on your query, for example whether you’re scoping customer insights, untangling a tricky dependency in a network diagram, or storytelling your way through a general chat, summarisation of marketing ideas, ‘Smart’ mode calibrates itself to the conversation and task at hand.
In short – in this mode, Copilot will now decide what model it thinks it needs to help you. Copilot has auto reasoning — true adaptive, context-aware reasoning based on the ask.
What Makes This Mode Smart?
‘Smart’ mode is likely powered by OpenAI’s upcoming GPT-5, a model anticipated to merge the OpenAI o-series and GPT-series models into one unified framework.
What we’re seeing as these models evolve is:
An intuitive reasoning engine, not just predictive text- task “and” context aware
Self-calibrating depth, reducing cognitive load by using the right tool for the right job
Model abstraction, freeing users from having to pick the right tool for the job themselves
Microsoft hasn’t just added another dial. It’s looking to hide the dial entirely — and taught the model how to turn it for you (however as it’s in preview you do need to turn the auto mode on – for now at least).
Copilot’s Human Centric UX
As you can see above, instead of users needing to flip between “Think Deeper,” “Quick Response,” and “Deep Research,” (or not evening understanding what these mean and therefore ignoring it), Copilot’s Smart mode does what most tools never do: it assumes responsibility. That’s more than a UX shift — it’s a culture shift. This means no longer asking (non technical) users to understand what the different models the model hierarchy or decoding acronyms like o4-mini. Instead Copilot is getting cognitive delegation.
This means we will be able to “trust”Copilot to know when to dig deeper and when to skim the surface.
Examples: Tech Architects, Storytellers, and Strategists
The table below gives some examples of where Copilot Smart mode can make a big different in use:
Role
Before Smart Mode
With Smart Mode
Solution Architect
Manually toggling depth based on task complexity
Instant adjustment to scope and context
Content Creator/Marketing
Selecting modes based on tone and detail required
Natural flow from quip to deep dive
Enginner
Testing prompts for clarity vs depth
Getting both — with nuance — the first time
This isn’t just about being faster. It’s about being right-sized. Strategically aligned, creatively agile, and cognitively respectful.
What about control and “mode anxiety”?
We’ve all wrestled with prompt engineering, hoping we’re not asking too little or too much. Smart mode is Copilot whispering, “I’ve got you.” That’s a leap from assistant to partner — the kind we’ve spent decades trying to design into our workflows, team cultures, and tech stacks.
Copilot Smart Mode Preview?
This is in preview clearly – or was it rolled out silently. Anyway, if you have it, give it a try (I have it on desktop and web plus mobile). Let me know your thoughts.
It will be interesting to see if eventually the modes disappear and we just have an “auto” mode.
Copilot Memory is a new capability within Microsoft 365 Copilot (similar to what ChatGPT has) that allows Copilot to remember key facts about your preferences, working style, ongoing projects, and other things you want it to know about you. This enables it (think PA) to be able to tailor its responses over time. You can add and change this as needed so it evolves with you, reducing repetitive prompts, adapting to your style and speeding up your daily tasks.
Key Capabilities
Persistent Facts
Copilot picks up on explicit instructions like “Remember I prefer bullet points in my writing” or “Always use a formal tone in emails” and retains these details across sessions.
Custom Instructions
Beyond passive memory, you can proactively shape Copilot’s baseline behavior. Ask for brevity, wit, or a specific document style, and Copilot applies those instructions automatically in Word, Excel, Outlook, and other 365 apps.
Contextual Recall
Copilot integrates with Microsoft Graph and ContextIQ to ground conversations in your files, meetings, and chats, ensuring its outputs align with your latest work context.
How It Works
Explicit Memory Prompts
Copilot only stores information when you ask it to. This prevents unwarranted data collection and keeps your AI focused on what matters to you.
Memory Updated Signal
Whenever it logs a new fact, you’ll see a subtle “Memory updated” badge—confirmation that Copilot has learned something new about your preferences.
Privacy Controls
You can control its memory: You can view, edit, or delete entries in Copilot’s Settings pane and if you need to can wipe it’s memory and start fresh by simply toggle the Memory function off entirely.
Admin and Compliance Oversight
Organisations can disable Memory for specific users or tenant-wide, and all memory actions flow into Purview eDiscovery for audit and compliance purposes.
Timeline & Availability
Rollout date: July 2025 (staged)
Why Copilot Memory Matters
Efficiency Gains
This is really about efficiency and personalisation since you will no longer need to keep telling Copilot your preferred tone or formatting preferences. This speeds up document creation, email drafting, and data analysis.
Deep Personalisation
By remembering your recurring topics—Project Alpha, Python for data science, or icon-size images—Copilot provides responses that are more tailored to each user, not generic AI outputs.
Enhanced Adoption
For organisations, personalised AI interactions drive higher engagement and adoption of Copilot across teams, leading to greater ROI on AI investments.
Trust & Transparency
Visible memory updates and clear controls build user confidence in the AI, ensuring you always know what Copilot retains and why.
Enabling Copilot Memory
Memory is an option feature and can be enabled, modified and disabled as needed. To enable it, follow the instructions below.
Open Microsoft 365 Copilot and head to Settings › Account › Privacy.
Under Personalisation & memory, toggle Memory on or off.
Tell Copilot what to remember: “Remember I prefer bulleted lists,” or “Keep my summaries under 100 words.”
View, edit, or delete memories any time from the same settings pane.
Microsoft is removing password support from its Authenticator app this summer. As of June, you haven’t been able to add new passwords; in July autofill stops working; and by August all saved passwords will be deleted. The replacement?
FIDO-based passkeys that are stored encrypted on your device and use biometrics / PIN for phishing-proof sign-ins.
The Password Problem
Passwords have been the backbone of online security for decades and the way we into most our work and online services like shopping sites, email, Snapchat etc.. You name it.
But.. They are a huge weak link and the primary way people and companies get hacked and online identities stolen!
Microsoft report they see password account attacks in the realm of 7,000 attempts per second against Microsoft consumer accounts alone.
People reuse weak or memorable passwords across dozens of sites because they are hard to remember
Password managers whilst helpful, provide a single attack space for hackers.
Phishing, brute-force and database leaks make passwords a persistent liability and AI in increasing the number of attacks.
Microsoft’s stats show password success rates (getting a log in correct with your password) of 32%, compared with 98% for passkeys—proof that passwords aren’t just less secure, they’re also more error-prone and easier to use once set up.
What Are Passkeys?
Passkeys are an evolution of authentication built on FIDO (Fast Identity Online) standards. Here’s what makes them different:
Stored only on your device protected by your Pin and Biometrics and never on a central server.
Rely on biometrics (Face ID, fingerprint) or a local PIN.
Immune to phishing and replay attacks because there’s no password to steal.
Seamless: once set up, you tap or scan to log in anywhere passkeys are supported.
Easier to use since you don’t have to remember complex passwords.
Microsoft Authenticator Timeline
To ease the transition away from storing passwords and moving to passkeys, Microsoft has shared the process which started last month.
June 2025: Microsoft disabled ability to add new passwords to Authenticator.
July 2025: Password autofill in Authenticator is disabled.
August 2025: All passwords saved in Authenticator are permanently deleted (export before then).
Keeping/Exporting your passwords.
If you want to export your passwords stored in Authenticator you can. These can then be imported into other password managers. To do this:
Open Authenticator
Goto Passwords, then Export.
Save the CSV file securely or import it into another password manager.
If you still rely on passwords, migrate them to Microsoft Edge’s built-in vault or a third-party manager like 1Password.
Start creating Passkeys.
Still in the Authenticator app or via your Microsoft account’s security settings, select Passkeys > Add new passkey.
Follow the prompts to register with Face ID, fingerprint or PIN.
Update your accounts to use Passkeys
This is unfortunately a bit laborious, since you will need to visit each website or service that offers passkey login and link your new passkey.
Why go Passwordless.
There’s a heap of reasons once you’ve got past the process of creating Passkeys.
Stronger Security: No password to steal means it’s virtually impossible to phish or brute-force your credentials.
Better Usability: Unlock with a quick biometric scan or PIN—no more juggling complex passwords.
Future-Proof: Passkeys and the move to passwordless is backed by all major identity provider platforms (Microsoft, Cisco, Apple, Google, Amazon) and over 15 billion accounts already support them.
The industry is moving to passwordless: all the tech giants are moving this was to finally try to rid the world of passwords. Apple, Google and Amazon have also committed to a passwordless future. Whether it’s signing into an app, online banking or shopping, passkeys are becoming the universal standard.
Today, the use of passkeys is growing but with the tech giants behind the Phasing out of passwords they will soon be the way we sign into all. Out online services.
Microsoft 365 Copilot now includes two advanced AI agents – Researcher and Analyst that became generally available in this month ( June 2025). These agents use powerful reasoning models (based on OpenAI’s o3-mini and deep research models) to handle complex tasks beyond what the standard Copilot could do.
Researcher is a specialised agent for multi-stepresearch – it can securely comb through your work data (emails, files, meetings, etc.) and the web to gather information, ask clarifying questions, and produce well-structured summaries and insights. It’s ideal for tasks like market research, competitor analysis, or preparing for big meetings – work that used to take hours, now done in minutes with higher accuracy.
Analyst is a virtual data analyst/data scientist built into Copilot. It excels at advanced dataanalysis, working through messy spreadsheets or databases step-by-step using chain-of-thought reasoning and even running Python code when needed. From identifying sales trends to spotting anomalies in finance data, Analyst gives you in-depth answers and visuals that mirror human analytical thinking.
Compared to the standard Microsoft 365 Copilot, these agents go much further in reasoning and capabilities for these specific tasks. While the native Copilot mod helps draft documents or summarise content, Researcher and Analyst tackle complex reasoning tasks (deep research and data analysis) with a level of thoroughness and skill akin to an expert – essentially “like having a dedicated employee at your side ready to go, 24‑7,” according to Microsoft’s Jared Spataro. They are accessed through the Copilot interface (pinned in the Copilot app and via Copilot Chat) and come with a usage limit of 25 queries permonth per user due to their intensive workloads.
Analyst vs. Copilot for Finance:
Analyst is a general-purpose data analysis agent available to any Copilot user, whereas Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance is a separate, role-based Copilot designed specifically for finance teams. Copilot for Finance connects to financial systems (like Dynamics 365 and SAP) and Microsoft 365 apps (Excel, Outlook) to automate finance workflows (reports, reconciliations, insights). Unlike the Analyst agent which works on data you provide, Copilot for Finance directly taps into live enterprise finance data for real-time insights. Importantly, Copilot for Finance is not limited to Dynamics 365 – it can integrate with various ERPs including Dynamics 365, SAP, etc via connectors though it is deeply optimized for Dynamics 365 Finance.
The Age of AI Specialists in Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft 365 Copilot is evolving from a single assistant into a team of AI specialists. Earlier this year, Microsoft announced two first-of-their-kind “reasoning agents” for work: Researcher and Analyst. After a period in preview (through the Frontier program) for early adopters, these agents are now generally available to all users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license as of June 2025. This marks a significant expansion of Copilot’s capabilities beyond its initial skill set.
The new Researcher and Analyst are advanced Copilot modes (agents) specialised for particular scenarios – complex research and data analysis. They join other Wave 2 Copilot features (like the new Agent Store, Copilot Search, Memory, Notebooks, and image generation) that Microsoft has been rolling out to enhance the Copilot experience. Jared Spataro, Microsoft’s CMO for AI at Work, describes these agents as delivering “advanced reasoning” and notes “it really is like having a dedicated employee at your side ready to go, 24-7.” In other words, Microsoft 365 Copilot is no longer just a helpful assistant within Office apps – it can now also act as an on-demand subject matter expert that tackles higher-order tasks.
From a technology standpoint, both agents leverage the latest AI models tailored for their specific domains. They use OpenAI’s powerful models (codenamed o3-mini for Analyst, and a deep research model for Researcher) combined with Microsoft’s orchestration, search, Responsible AI, and tool integrations. This means they don’t just generate quick answers; they actually reason through problems in multiple steps, consult various data sources, and produce more comprehensive results. This blog explores each agent in detail:
Microsoft 365 Researcher Agent
Researcher is the new Copilot agent that acts as a highly skilled research assistant. It’s designed to help you tackle complex, multi-step research projects right from your Microsoft 365 environment. Researcher brings together OpenAI’s “deep research model” with Microsoft 365 Copilot’s advanced orchestration and search. In practice, this means it can scour both your organisational data *and* external sources on the web to find the information you need, synthesize it, and present insights in a coherent way.
What can Microsoft 365 Researcher Agent do?
Microsoft describes Researcher as “an agent that can analyse vast amounts of information with secure, compliant access to your work data – your emails, meetings, files, chats, and more – and the web” to deliver expert insights on demand. In simpler terms, Researcher is great at doing all the digging for information, reading it and then summarising the findings for you. Some of its capabilities include:
Multisource Information Gathering: It can search through your files, emails, SharePoint, and external online / Web sources to collect relevant data and. For example, if you’re exploring a new market or analysing a topic, Researcher will pull from both internal documents and credible websites to gather material.
Smart Summaries: After collecting information, Researcher summarises what it finds in plain, easy-to-read language. You get a clear, tailored report instead of a dump of raw data. It will highlight key points, trends, and insights rather than making you sift through hundreds of pages or search results.
Trend and Insight Identification: Researcher uses its AI reasoning to spot patterns, trends, and opportunities in the information. It can draw connections and highlight things that might make a difference for your project or question. For instance, it might notice an emerging customer preference across feedback data or identify a common thread in market research reports.
Interactive Refinement: If your initial query is broad, Researcher often asks clarifying questions to narrow down the scope and ensure it’s on the right track. This interactive back-and-forth helps it deliver more relevant results. You can guide it by answering those questions or giving additional instructions, much like you would with a human researcher.
Citations and Source Transparency: When delivering its findings, Researcher provides well-sourced content. It can include citations or references for where information came from, so you can trust but verify the results. (This is crucial for workplace research, and you can ask it to only use authoritative sources for extra confidence, as in one example prompt Microsoft shared).
Use Cases for Microsoft 365 Researcher Agent
Researcher is great in situations where you need to quickly learn or compile knowledge on a topic or subject area but are not sure where to look. This could be for tasks like assessing the impact of the new Trump tariffs on business lines, preparing for vendor negotiations by gathering supplier intel, and collecting client research before sales pitches.
Researcher Agent Example
In a business context, imagine your sales / marketing team are looking for a fresh perspective on top technology investments organisations are making in the UK based on industry research which needs to be in a report. You could ask Researcher “What are the top technology investments and projects by “small to medium” and enterprise organisations in the UK. Use trusted market data from repuatble sources such as Gartner, IDC, Cisco, Microsoft, Canlays, CRN etc.”
What I love is how you see the deep thinking and reasoning Researcher is using to compile the information and generate your report. This is so much easier than manually searching the web and reading dozens of articles. Instead, Researcher gives you a report in just a few minutes.
Instead of manually having to search the web and read loads and loads of articles, Researcher gives you a report in under ten minutes. You can of course tweak the response by asking more questions or requesting adjustments to ensure it meets you needs. When the report is finished you’ll see how comprehensive and well formatted it is, allowing you to export to, add it to a collaborative Copilot Notebook or leave it as is.
Sample output from Researcher Agent.
Microsoft 365 Analyst Agent – Data Analyst
If Researcher is your content and knowledge scout, Analyst is your number-crunching, data-savvy AI team member. The Analyst agent is all about diving into data (often numerical or structured data) to extract insights, find patterns, and answer complex analytical questions. Microsoft describes Analyst as “thinking like askilled data scientist”, using an advanced reasoning approach to tackle data problems step-by-step https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/06/02/researcher-and-analyst-are-now-generally-available-in-microsoft-365-copilot
What makes Microsoft 365 Copilot Analyst Agent special?
The Analyst agent runs on a finely-tuned AI reasoning model (post-trained on OpenAI’s o3-mini model specifically for analytical tasks). Unlike a standard chatbot that might try to answer a data question in one go (and often make mistakes), the Analyst agent uses a chain-of-thought process to break problems down and solve them iteratively. It can even generate and execute actual code (like Python) in the background to manipulate data, perform calculations, or generate charts. Throughout this, it adjusts to new complexities and can recover from errors autonomously – essentially debugging and refining its approach as it goes, much like a human analyst would. The end result is a thorough analysis with reasoning that is transparent to the user.
Here are some of the key capabilities of the Analyst agent:
Data Analysis Across Formats: Analyst can work with Excel spreadsheets, CSV/TSV files, databases, Power BI reports, and other structured datasources . It can even extract financial data from PDFs. It is possible to upload or point it to a dataset, even if the data is messy or hidden across multiple files. For example, if you have sales data split across a few different Excel sheets and files, you can use Analyst Agent to ingest them all. The agent can also clean up many of the typical issues found in spreadsheets such as wrong delimiters in a CSV, or values buried in an unexpected place before it starts to work. This means that your data does not need to be perfectly prepared beforehand .
Iterative Reasoning and Problem Solving: When you ask Analyst a question, it will hypothesise, test, and refine repeatedly. For instance, you might ask, “What insights can you find about our Q4 sales data, and why did some teams underperform?”. Here, Analyst might break this down into steps: first identifying overall sales by region, then noticing why one sales team is lower, then digging into possible factors (maybe inventory issues or lower marketing spend), then correlating that with other data. It takes as many steps as needed to arrive at a sound answer. This multi-step approach leads to more accurate and nuanced results than a one-shot response.
Code Generation and Execution: A standout feature – Analyst can write and run Python code behind the scenes to perform calculations or data transformations. If your data question requires a formula, statistical analysis, or creating a chart, Analyst will generate the code to do it. Even better, it shows you the code in real time as it works, so you have complete transparency into how it’s reaching its conclusion. You effectively have an AI that can program on the fly to solve your data problem. This is like having a data analyst who is also a programmer working for you instantly.
Insight Generation and Visualisation: Analyst doesn’t just provide text based results – it will also explain the “story” behind the numbers in plain language and can also create simple charts or graphs to illustrate key points. It could, for example, produce a trend line graph of sales over time or a bar chart of top-performing products if those help answer your question. It will highlight findings such as “Sales Team A had a 20% increase in Q4, outpacing their previous year results ,,,, ” By narrating and illustrating the data, it helps you quickly understand the business implications.
Actionable Recommendations: Analyst can often suggest next steps or recommendations based on the data patterns it finds. If it discovers, say, that a certain region’s sales are lagging due to low inventory, it might recommend increasing stock or marketing in that region. Or if a customer segment is showing poor engagement, it could suggest targeted outreach. These suggestions turn raw analysis into useful advice, bridging the gap from insight to action.
Microsoft 365 Analyst Agent Use Cases:
The Analyst agent is useful anywhere you have data and questions about that data. Some real-world examples Microsoft has noted include using Analyst to assess how different discount levels affected customer purchasing behavior to identify the top customers who aren’t fully utilising the products they bought, and to visualise product usage trends and customer sentiment for informing go-to-market.
Analyst Agent Example
In the example below, I took some Customer Support Tickets from an excel (see below).
Sample Customer Support Ticket Export
I then have asked the Analyst Agent to “review the support ticket and create me an exective summary of the tickets, pulling out trends and themes that my team should look at and how they might reduce future support call duration.”
The results below are the first run with data that represeted as I have asked.
How Do Researcher and Analysts Agents Compare to the Standard Microsoft 365 Copilot Experience?
With all the excitement around Researcher and Analyst, you might wonder how they differ from the core Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat experience that users have been trying out in apps like Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook.
The key difference comes down to depth of reasoning and specialisation. The core Copilot Chat experience is like a well-rounded generalist – great at everyday productivity tasks, such as drafting an email, summarising a document or thread, writing in Word, generating a PowerPoint outline, or pulling insights from a single Excel worksheet. It uses a large language model (LLM) to understand your prompt and the context from the active document, then provides a response.
However, it typically gives a direct answer or action based on available content, without doing prolonged multi-step reasoning. For example, standard Copilot can summarise a document or create a draft from prompts, but if you ask it to perform a very complex analysis that requires digging through multiple files or doing calculations, it may hit its limits. Thats where these specialist agents differ:
Advanced Reasoning vs. Quick Responses: “Standard” Copilot Chat is designed for quick assistance within the flow of work (one-shot answers or short tasks). In contrast, Researcher and Analyst use advanced reasoning algorithms (chain-of-thought) that allow them to work through a problem in multiple steps). They will plan, execute sub-tasks (like searching sources and creating and executing code), and then refining its output. This means they can handle questions or tasks that the regular Copilot would either answer superficially or not manage at all.
Tool Use and Data Access: These specialist agents have access to a much broader set of information and models. Researcher can tap into web search and internal knowledge bases simultaneously, something standard Copilot doesn’t proactively do by itself. Analyst can use the equivalent of a built-in scripting engine (Python) to manipulate data. These abilities let the agents produce more accurate, data-backed results (for instance, Analyst can compute exact figures or generate a pivot table behind the scenes, rather than guessing).
Use Case Focus: Out of the box, Microsoft 365 Copilot has a breadth of capabilities across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, etc., but each in a somewhat scoped way – e.g. helping write, summarise, or create within that app. It is “broad but shallow”. Researcher and Analyst are narrower but much deeper in their domains. If you don’t need multi-step research or advanced data analysis, you might not need to use them and the regular Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat or in app Copilot experience might suffice. But if you do have those needs, these agents provide a level of expertise that feels like a specialist joining your team.
For example, consider interpreting a complex financial report: Standard Copilot in Excel can summarise that report or maybe answer something about it if asked directly, but Analyst could take multiple financial files (ledgers, budgets, forecasts) and do a cross-file analysis, then produce a summary and suggest optimisations – a far more sophisticated outcome.
Interaction Model:Using Researcher/Analyst is a bit like launching a specific mode of Copilot meant for heavy tasks. They’re accessible via the Copilot app’s Agent Store or as pinned which is a different entry point than simply typing to Copilot in Word. This interface guides the user to ask bigger questions (“Help me investigate X” or “Analyse Y data for Z”) rather than the smaller in-app prompts. The agents also tend to show their working process (especially Analyst showing its code or reasoning steps), whereas standard Copilot just delivers the end answer in a friendly tone. This transparency is great for users who want to trust the results – you can literally see how Analyst arrived at an answer, step by step.
Analyst vs. Copilot for Finance – What’s the Difference?
With the introduction of the Analyst agent, you might also hear about Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance – another AI offering that targets data and analytics, but specifically for finance professionals. It’s important to clarify how the Analyst agent and Copilot for Finance differ, because their names might seem related. In fact, they serve different needs:
Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance (formerly introduced simply as “Copilot for Finance”, now in preview) is a role-based Copilot experience tailored for finance departments. This was announced in early 2024 as a way to “transform modern finance” by bringing generative AI into the daily workflows of finance teams. Unlike the Analyst agent – which any user with Copilot can use for various kinds of data analysis – Copilot for Finance is a separate add-on Copilot designed to integrate deeply with financial systems and processes. It essentially combines Microsoft 365 Copilot with a specialized finance agent and connectors to your financial data.
From what I have managed to assess these are the main differences between the Analyst agent and Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance:
Aspect
Analyst Agent (Microsoft 365 Copilot )
Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance
Purpose & Domain
General-purpose data analysis for any domain or department. Helps users analyse spreadsheets, databases, or other data to get insights.
Designed to work across certified and connected systems such as Microsoft 365 Dynamics, Salesforce and some others
Integration and Data
Works on provided or accessible data in Microsoft 365 (e.g. Excel files, CSVs, SharePoint data). No built-in direct connection to ERP systems – user typically uploads data or points to files for analysis
Connected to enterprise financial systems and data sources. Draws context from ERP systems (like D365 Finance & SAP) and the Microsoft Graph . Integrates in real-time with live finance data, assuming connectors are set up. Optimised for D365 Finance (seamless data access). Can connect other systems via custom or pre-built connectors).
Features and Skills
Uses chain-of-thought AI reasoning and Python code execution to perform analytics. Ideal for ad-hoc data analysis: e.g. combining sales data with customer data to find trends, identifying anomalies in operational data, generating charts from raw data. Acts as AI data analyst for any project.
Uses AI to streamline finance-specific processes and provide insights within finance workflows. For example, can automate variance analysis in Excel, perform reconciliations between systems, generate reports, summaries, and even draft emails for collections with relevant account info. Understands accounting principles and the company’s financial data.
User Experience
Accessed through the Copilot app as one of the agents (no special deployment beyond having Microsoft 365 Copilot license). The user asks questions or tasks in natural language and often provides the data files to analyze. The output is an interactive analysis in Copilot chat with optional visuals and code transparency.
Integrated into the tools finance teams use: primarily Excel, Outlook, and Teams in the context of finance work. For example, in Excel a finance user might invoke Copilot for Finance to run a budget vs. actual report or find anomalies in ledger data. In Outlook, it can summarise a customer’s account status from ERP data to help a collections officer. Works in flow of existing finance tasks, bringing AI where needed.
Availability & Pricing
Included as part of the Microsoft 365 Copilot (the Analyst agent is available to any user who has Copilot enabled). General Availability as of mid-2025. Usage is capped at 25 queries/month for heavy reasoning tasks.
Available as add-on to Copilot targeted at enterprises. Paid offering for organisations that use Microsoft 365 and want AI assistance in finance for supported systems like D365.
Dependencies on Microsoft Dynamics
Not dependent on Dynamics 365 – Analyst can analyse any data you give it. If your financial data is in Excel exports from SAP or Oracle, Analyst can still work with those exports, but it won’t directly pull from those systems on its own.
Deeply integrates with D365 Finance & Operations. Designed to plug into D365 modules so can act within that ecosystem (e.g., directly reading transaction data, posting results back). Through “connectors”, it can interface with other ERP or CRM systems too. Advantage is native use with D365 – without manual data exporting or integrations
To put it simply, the Analyst agent is like an AI data expert you can use for virtually any type of analysis by feeding it data, whereas Copilot for Finance is a comprehensive AI-powered solution built into Microsoft’s ecosystem to assist with a company’s financial operations in real-time. They might overlap in the sense that both can do things like variance analysis or finding trends in financial figures, but the context is different: Analyst would do it when you ask and give it the data (say, a couple of Excel files containing financial info), while Copilot for Finance would do it as part of your normal finance workflow, already knowing where the data is (in your ERP and Excel models) and proactively helping you in that domain.
Does Copilot for Finance only work with Dynamics 365?
No. Copilot for Finance is not limited to Dynamics 365, though that’s a primary integration. It brings together Microsoft 365 Copilot with a finance-focused agent that connects to your existing financial data sources including ERP systems like Dynamics 365 and SAP. So if your company runs SAP for finance, Copilot for Finance can use that data as well. Microsoft has built it to be flexible via connectors, because they know not everyone is on Dynamics. That said, organizations using Dynamics 365 Finance get a more seamless experience – Copilot for Finance can sit right inside the D365 Finance interface and offer insights without any data transfer.
In summary, Copilot for Finance is cross-platform in terms of data sources, but tightly integrated with Microsoft’s own finance solutions for maximum benefit. It’s an example of Microsoft creating role-specific Copilots (others being Copilot for Sales, Copilot for Service) that extend the core Copilot capabilities into specialised business functions.
Further Reading and Sources
As well my own experimentation, the following sources were also inferred and read when writing this blog. I did also use Copilot to help tweak the tone and flow.
Yesterday I read the “Omdia Universe: Smart Collaboration Devices 2025 report“. This was promoted by Cisco who, as you may know are currently the fastest growing Microsoft Teams Room MTR provider whilst also of course having their own Webex Meeting platform and experiences.
In this blog, I summarise the key insights that jumped out to me and cover how the report reveal how Cisco are re innovating in this crowded space and differenting themselves through their inter-connected portfolio.
I also look at what it all means for organises who use Webex and of course Microsoft Teams, and why – in this rapidly shifting collaborative landscape – why not all vendors in this space are equal.
The Omdia Universe Report
The report looks at 11 of the top-tier vendors across 18 categories and 20 subcategories, evaluating everything from AI-driven features to deployment simplicity. It looks at the current state and evolution of our hybrid work era where every meeting room is expected to deliver a seamless blend of hardware and functionality to drive productivity and foster a culture of meaningful collaboration.
Early on in the report they bring out the market trends and growth which is important.
State of the Meeting Room Market
The report reveals that one of the primary priority for most organisations is to expand video capabilities across every type of meeting room. This ambition to improve the user experience, together with regular room refresh initiatives, is fueling continuous market growth. Key sectors such as local government, finance, legal, education, and technology are actively deploying these solutions to support both hybrid and in-office workforces.
Although the video conferencing market is mature, recent innovations, especially AI enhancements like active speaker tracking, auto-framing, presenter tracking, background noise cancellation, and audio/video zone fencing, are reinvigorating this space. These features are designed to ensure meeting equity by making every participant visible and audible.
Additionally, collaborative services that offer meeting transcription and summarisaon have become transformative, as enterprises increasingly desire devices that operate seamlessly without manual intervention.
The report concludes that looking ahead, industry leaders like Microsoft and, Cisco are expected to spearhead the integration of meeting room budgets and projects through unified platform-driven experiences.
With hybrid work becoming the norm, the smart collaboration devices market is poised for further expansion, building on a 10% year-over-year revenue increase in 2024 and anticipated even stronger growth in 2025.
Key needs from business include’
Broad solutions matter: What organisations demand goes beyond just high-quality video; it’s about having the flexibility to address complex meeting room setups, catering to diverse environments – from intimate huddle spaces to large, multifunctional boardrooms.
Integration is king: Unified and connected ecosystems are essential to success. Devices must not only work well independently but also integrate with the software platforms we use every day such as like Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams.
AI and automation: From real-time noise suppression, participant identification, smart meeting notes and inclusion, to intelligent framing and dynamic meeting analytics, AI is transforming devices into interactive partners rather than mere tools.
Refresh is at an all time high. The Covid Era of quick purchases and decisions is past us and the next 2 years show huge demand from customers and growth from partners who operate and excel in this space.
Deep Impact: Cisco’s Differentiation
In short not all collaboration vendors are equal. When we ask, “Who really understands the future of collaboration?” the answer resonates with Cisco’s long time history and performance in this space.
Image by Omdia
Despite the decline of Webex platform usage over the years and the huge adoption of Teams, the report shares how Cisco is truly the “full stack” visionary in this segment, and here’s why according to the report:
End-to-End Ecosystem Integration: the report calls out that Cisco’s Webex devices aren’t just about a good video endpoint. They are part of a growing broader ecosystem that unifies Cisco’s hardware, network infrastructure, observability platform and other software. For customers and partners, this means easier deployment, streamlined management and an elevated user experience across different meeting room types which leads to higher productivity and a sense of continuity. What really impacts this is that the integration even extends to Microsoft Teams, offering a fluid experience for organisations that want to maintain their existing Teams environment while leveraging Cisco’s robust hardware solutions.
AI-Driven Excellence: while platforms like Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams have AI embedded in the software, the newest Cisco hardware leverages NVIDIA GPUs and NPUs to go beyond “good enough.” The report calls our how they deliver advanced features like intelligent framing, active speaker tracking, and background noise elimination at the hardware layer. Just like Copilot+PCs that do the same on the desktop, Cisco by putting in their meeting room endpoints don’t simply improve call quality, they change the dynamics of how teams interact in both in-person and remote settings. This AI-first approach creates a “meeting equity” where every participant is seen and heard clearly an essential ingredient for effective hybrid work and something that is key for inclusion and accessibility too.
Webex Control Hub & Management Simplicity: Another big call out is Cisco’s centralised management suite. Whilst Microsoft Teams has a Teams Room Pro portal which is very good, the report details how Cisco takethe headache out of device provisioning and monitoring especially where organisations have a mix of platforms but standardise on Cisco hardware. This ease of use, combined with proactive analytics, provides a level of operational insight that few competitors can match. With new AI features around management and the integration of the network this kind of thoughtful design allows IT teams to focus on strategic priorities rather than firefighting everyday issues across rooms, network etc.
Interoperability with Teams: In today’s environment, larger organisations are often split between different collaboration platforms or may be shifting from one to the other. Cisco’s revised strategy is smart, as it ensures that while Webex remains the backbone for in-room experiences, its devices are “platform agnostic” enough to also be a Microsoft partner and fully support Microsoft Teams. This means businesses don’t have to compromise on one technology over another—they can have the best of both worlds. This is good for sustainability, consistency and for Cisco and Microsoft partners a kind.
Where other vendors fall short
The report also pulls out that while many organisations have vendors preferences (or at the flip end don’t – and use a mix devices, not all are equal.
This is based on the pain points reported by enterprises which are summarised in the report as follows
The report gives scores across the main key vendors and shows Cisco as a clear leader mainly because.
“Cisco emerges as a leader in this Omdia Universe report on smart collaboration devices. Cisco’s” Leader” status is attributed to its exceptional performance across all evaluated categories. The company achieved an impressive overall unweighted score of 90% for its capabilities, 85% for strategy and execution,and a solution breadth score of 97%”
Webex & Teams: Bridging the Divide
Back on Cisco, the report calls out that conversation around collaboration tools is incomplete without recognising the symbiotic (and still new) relationship between Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams. The once enemies in the Collaboration spaces, Cisco, to avoid loosing any more market share have now truly partnered. The report calls out tha while Webex hardware is the go-to for feature-rich, AI-driven collaboration experiences, Microsoft Teams remains indispensable due to its deep integration into enterprise productivity suites like Microsoft 365 and of course Copilot. This unification of the two brings the best of both!
The report also calls out the reasons some firms still stand behind Webex and why Teams as a platform is the choice by most.
Webex: Cisco’s Webex is celebrated for its polished, intuitive interface and extensive feature set. By offering advanced meeting controls, real-time transcription, immersive audio, and intelligent device management, Webex sets the standard for what “smart collaboration” should feel like.
Teams: Teams is deeply entrenched in the daily workflow of almost every enterprise thanks to its seamless integration with other Microsoft 365,its extensibility and of course Their Copilot AI offerings. Cisco’s ability to support Teams via its hardware bridges the gap, allowing organisations to invest in robust, vendor-supported devices without needing to choose exclusively between platforms. Those that choose Teams (as long as they don’t need Windows powered systems) get a truly awesome experience.
Cisco, by ensuring that devices work seamlessly across these two major platforms, they not only reassures current customers but also attracts enterprises looking to future-proof their collaboration investments.
This value is multiplied for organisations that also invest in Cisco networking solutions with the integration, aligned management and insights across their estate that no other vendor can provide.
NOTE: Whilst this blog pulls out the huge advantages of Cisco, the full report actually show that as well as Cisco, HP Poly, Logitech, Neat, and Yealink also shine.
Regardless of your vendor of choice the message to IT leaders grappling with hybrid work challenges is to ” invest in solutions that blend robust performance with seamless platform integration. Whether you lean towards the established sophistication of Webex or the cohesive productivity experience provided by Teams, the future of collaboration demands a thoughtful, integrated approach.
My view
As a proud Cisco and Microsoft partner, I believe that Cisco’s revamped video collaboration solutions integrate seamlessly with both Webex and Microsoft Teams while driving innovation for both platforms.
Cisco is also (through help of partners and putting their money where their mouth is) effectively overcoming its legacy reputation of “complex and expensive” , where customers once perceived their devices as outdated, expensive, and burdened with complex licensing and procurement processes.
As highlighted in the report and reflected in our customer experiences, those concerns are now outdated. Cisco devices are readily available at competitive pricing through collaboration partners like Cisilion, and the benefits are further amplified when customers invest in the broader Cisco infrastructure portfolio, including networking, ThousandEyes for enhanced visibility and performance, and secure access solutions.
One of the most frustrating thing about Teams intelligent Recap and Copilot in meetings is in its ability to not understand company acroymns and internal “language” or terms.
Scheduled to rollout in July 2025, tenant administrators will be able to upload a Custom Dictionary through the Microsoft 365 Admin Portal’s Copilot Settings page.
This feature will finally enables organisations to improve transcription accuracy in Copilot and Teams meetings and calls by enabling Microsoft 365 to understand company-specific terminology. This will means that will be able to understand things such as
Industry jargon,
Internal product names and terms
Multilingual terms
This should help ensure conversations are transcribed and interpreted with greater precision.
Why this matters?
Organisations rely on Microsoft Copilot and Teams transcripts for insights, documentation, and knowledge retrieval. However, standard AI transcription can misinterpret niche terms or acronyms, leading to confusion and even sometimes humorous transcriptions.
This new Custom Dictionary feature addresses this by allowing businesses to define key terms their workforce frequently uses.
Real Benefits.
Legal & Compliance Accuracy: Law firms using specialised legal terminology (e.g., “prima facie,” “voir dire”) can ensure precise transcripts without ambiguity.
Enterprise Acronyms & Branding: Technology companies like Cisilion will be able to maintain more accurate documentation of internal project names (e.g., “Project Nebula”) and proprietary solutions.
Global Team Collaboration: Multinational organisations can optimise transcription quality across multiple languages and regional dialects.
Better AI Insights & Search:Copilot will be able to retrieve knowledge more effectively, ensuring summaries, recommendations, and contextual responses align with an organisation’s unique vocabulary.
This update is part of a broader set of Microsoft 365 enhancements including improved accessibility for sign language users in Teams meetings and expanded Copilot capabilities for 1:1 and group calls.
By refining AI-driven language models, Microsoft aims to make workplace collaboration smarter, clearer, and more inclusive.
You can read more and track this features release on the official Microsoft 365 Roadmap.
There’s instructions for enabling and configuring it here.
Cisco has been named as the fastest-growing partner for Microsoft Teams Rooms.
This was announced by Ilya Bukshteyn, VP for Teams calling, devices, and premium experiences at Microsoft at an event at the Cisco office in Oslo, Norway. UC influencer and Cisco employee Chris Palmero took to LinkedIn and shared the news and some other great quotes from Cisco and Microsoft that came from the event.
Ilya Bukshteyn and Espen Løberg discussed the progress and growth of Cisco in this space, Ilya said that: “We want Microsoft Teams in every space, and Cisco is so great at designing devices for every space.”…….
“The combination of our companies is uniquely positioned to deliver ‘eyes,’ ‘ears,’ and ‘brain’ for every space. And that is the future of work and this partnership (with Cisco) is based on providing customers with choice.”
During the chat, Espen Løberg added: “This collaboration of two world-class engineering teams that have strengths in different areas is moving the industry forward; it’s making the world better.“
As a leading UK Cisco and Microsoft Partner, it’s really great to see the power of these two collaboration giants redefining the entire employee journey. Whilst Cisco are still a way from being the largest Teams Meeting Room partners and still. Of course have their own Webex experiences they promote and drive, the combination of Cisco’s network, security, observability platform and their devices running Microsoft Teams and of course AI powered Microsoft 365 Copilot experiences are showing what two previously competing UC and Meeting room provider can achieve when they combine forces.
Cisco is one of a number of Teams Room OEMs and sits along side, Poly, Neat, Lenovo, Logitech and Yealink who are currently the number one provider globally.
At Microsoft Ignite in Chicago in November, I covered an interview with Cisco where they clearly expressed their ambitions to be number one Teams Room provider by the end of 2025.
It seems they are well on their way to achieving this…
After years of silence around bringing more functionality to the Windows 11, Microsoft have quietly announced a new Calendar app for Windows 11.
This doesn’t replace the Calendar Fly out but is instead the latest Microsoft 365 “Companion app” and joins the recently launched People and File Search apps.
It’s only availble for Commercial customers with a Microsoft 365 Business or Enterprise License.
What does the new Calendar app do?
The goal of the new Calendar companion is to essentially bring back the show your day and schedule at a glance with a simple flyout the opens up right above the Windows taskbar as shown in the screenshot below.
It also provides more interactivity allowing you to accept and even join meetings directly from the calendar without having to go to Outlook or Teams.
New Windows 11 calendar flyout
This is quite slick and simple to use and not only provides much needed and quick access to common calendar related things, but also provides more use than the Windows 10 Calendar Fly out and significantly more than what is native on the Windows 11 calendar.
Image (c) Microsoft.
Microsoft says on their blog that:
“The Calendar companion app lets users quickly view their Microsoft 365 calendar directly from the Windows taskbar, eliminating the need to switch between apps and lose context. View upcoming events, join meetings, and search for appointments to stay on top of your schedule. “
When can I get the new Calendar App?
The new Calendar app is currently available to Microsoft 365 Insiders in the Beta Channel but will roll out to other channels over the next few weeks based on customer feedback.
I had the pleasure in taking part in a podcast last week with some of my team, Microsoft and Westcoast. This was aimed at demystifying Copilot+ PCs, part of which got us into the tech trenches of security and sustainability, two of the main reasons, organisations invest in Microsoft and Surface.
As such I thought I’d break out and do a spotlight on Microsoft’s Chip to Cloud Security approach.
Security is a critical consideration across any technology purchase and the laptops/tablets you buy should be no different. Whilst security can be layered on, it works best when it is built-in and part of what you buy. With Surface this is front and centre.
With cyber threats growing more sophisticated each day both at software and hardware layers, Microsoft has a bold and powerful stance: embedding security from chip design, supply chain, firmware/UEFI, Windows and of course the Cloud.
Microsoft Surface is more than a premium class device. Surface is a manifestation of Microsoft’s holistic, Zero Trust security philosophy. Secure by design and Secure by default.
Surface is also the only Windows OEM that controls and owns the entire security stack from the hardware, to the Windows OS to the Cloud Security like Defender.
Microsoft Surface Chip to Cloud Architecture.
Microsoft sets a compelling example of agile defense against emerging threats in what they term “From Chip to Cloud”.
What Does “Chip to Cloud” Mean?
At its core, “chip to cloud” is about ensuring security at every stage – from design, supply chains, the hardware integrated into the device to the operating system and finally, into the cloud where robust analytics and cloud defense form a huge part of the Surface blueprint (see above).
This approach means that when you first power on a Surface device, the user is protected. This starts at the hardware level and continues seamlessly into Windows, the software applications you run, and the cloud services you use.
The Microsoft Surface: A Manifestation of Microsoft’s Security Vision
Microsoft Surface is not just another OEM device. It is built by Microsoft at every level. Surface combines the very best of Microsoft’s technologies under one roof – Windows 11, Defender, and Microsoft 365 security to provide an enterprise-grade, secure experience.
Rather than just layers on, this is security by design built in and baked into every layer including the silicon.. The commitment to Zero Trust is evident, as every layer, whether hardware, firmware, or software, works in concert to provide continuous protection.
Key Takeaways:
Zero Trust Architecture: Every access point, both physical and digital, is continuously verified.
Full-Stack Security Ownership: With Microsoft owning the entire security architecture, the Surface delivers a unified defense that spans the entire ecosystem.
In Windows 11, hardware and software work together to reduce the attack surface, protect system integrity, and safeguard valuable data. New and enhanced features are designed with security by default which include running Win32 apps in isolation, token protection, passkeys, and Microsoft Intune Endpoint Privilege Management providing just some of the latest capabilities helping to shield from attacks.
Windows Hello and Windows Hello for Business integrate with hardware-based features such as Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0, biometric scanners, and Windows presence sensing to enable easier, more secure sign-on and protection of your data and credentials. Microsoft are also closer than ever in moving to a Passwordless future.
It Starts with Silicon – the Pluton Security Processor
The journey of security begins at the hardware layer / the silicon. Newer devices are built in collaboration with Intel, Qualcomm and AMD, ensuring that their internal architecture is as robust and secure as possible. Newer devices will leverage Microsoft’s internally designed Pluton processor which can also act as the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and hardware root of trust further improving hardware based security.
Pluton Processor Architecture (c Microsoft
Microsoft Pluton security processor is a chip-to-cloud security technology built with Zero Trust principles at the core. Microsoft Pluton provides hardware-based root of trust, secure identity, secure attestation, and cryptographic services. Pluton technology is a combination of a secure subsystem, which is part of the System on Chip (SoC) and Microsoft authored software that runs on this integrated secure subsystem.
The way it works (simplified) is that when the system boots, Pluton hardware initialisation takes place by loading the Pluton firmware from the Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) flash storage on the motherboard. During Windows 11 startup, the OS uses the latest available version of the Pluton firmware. If no newer firmware is available, Windows defaults to the version loaded during hardware initialisation. This diagram illustrates the process:
Pluton boot process in Windows 11 (c) Microsoft
Note: Microsoft Pluton is currently available on devices with AMD Ryzen® 6000, 7000, 8000, Ryzen AI and Qualcomm Snapdragon® 8cx Gen 3 and Snapdragon X series processors. Microsoft Pluton can be enabled on devices with Pluton capable processors running Windows 11, version 22H2 and later.
Highlights of Pluton.
Secure by Design at the Chip Level: Even if one component is challenged, the Zero Trust framework ensures there is backup protection within other layers—including during the manufacturing and supply chain process.
The Pluton Security Processor: Unlike traditional hardware security modules, Pluton is embedded right into the CPU. This integration provides hardware-based root of trust, secure identity, and cryptographic operations that are virtually immune to physical tampering. Such a design minimizes the risk of sensitive data extraction even when attackers try to bypass conventional boundaries.
Microsoft Pluton can be used as a TPM, or with a TPM. Although Pluton builds security directly into the CPU, Windows device manufacturers might choose to use discrete TPM as the default TPM, while having Pluton available to the system as a security processor for use cases beyond the TPM. Microsoft are adopting the latter for all new devices built. It’s also leveraged by the new Windows 365 Link Devices.
Preempting Advanced Threats: Learning from Spectre & Meltdown
Back in early 2018, vulnerabilities like Spectre and Meltdown demonstrated that even the most advanced processors could be exploited via speculative execution. Microsoft’s response was swift and agile:
Rapid Patch Deployment: Security updates were rolled out on the day of public disclosure, ensuring devices were immediately protected.
Agile Firmware Development: Microsoft built its own UEFI, reducing dependency on third-party providers. They even introduced secure programming languages like Rust to minimize vulnerabilities from the start.
Holistic Integration: By leveraging its full-stack ownership, Microsoft coordinated an end-to-end defense – from patching the OS to reinforcing the hardware.
This agility and forward-thinking approach are core to maintaining trust in a world where new threats emerge on a daily basis.
Moving forward, the March 2021 Security Signals report found that more than 80% of enterprises had experienced at least one firmware attack in the past two years.
OS and Cloud Defense: The Next Layers of Protection
Moving from hardware to software, Microsoft ensures that Surface devices benefit from Windows 11’s robust security features:
Operating System Security: Built-in features such as Windows Hello, TPM 2.0, and Secured-Core PC (with Pluton processors) protections safeguard the operating system, providing seamless defense as soon as the device boots up.
Cloud Integration: The cloud plays a critical role by delivering powerful analytics and AI-driven threat detection. Microsoft Defender continuously monitors devices and endpoints, ensuring that potential breaches are thwarted before they escalate.
Real-Time Intelligence: Integration with Microsoft 365 security tools like Microsoft Defender and cloud-based analytics means Surface devices receive continuous updates and proactive defenses regardless of where the device is located.
A Secure Ecosystem for the Future
What sets the Microsoft Surface apart is its integration into a broader ecosystem that is built from the ground up with security in mind. From hardware collaboration with Intel and silicon experts, the innovative use of the Pluton processor, to agile responses against threats like Spectre and Meltdown – all these measures come together in an environment where the chip is only the beginning. The real secret lies in how this interconnected world of Windows, Defender, and cloud-based intelligence creates a fortress that’s always one step ahead.
Microsoft Surface is not just the most secure Windows device you can buy it is the point into a cohesive zero trust security architecture that works tirelessly to protect your data, your device from hardware to Windows OS through Office apps and Microsoft 365 services and of course Defender.
Conclusion
Secure by design and Secure by default. Microsoft Surface exemplifies this chip-to-cloud approach by combining robust hardware protection with powerful OS and cloud defenses. With Zero Trust principles woven into every layer, Surface devices are designed not only to meet today’s challenges but to anticipate tomorrow’s threats.
Microsoft Surface isn’t just “the most Secure Windows device” on the market, it is part of Microsoft’s wider secure ecosystem that enables security from Chip-to-Cloud.
Microsoft has today announced new (smaller) Copilot+ PC Surface Pro and Laptop 13″ which amongst other things provide a more cost effective Windows-powered alternative to the Apple iPad Pro 11-inch which is also due to launch this week.
These devices focus on hypermobility, versatility, and durability as key user priorities based on extensive user feedback and end user device surveys and studies.
These new devices include a “more portable” 13-inch Surface Laptop and a 12-inch Surface Pro, both of which are smaller/lower-spec versions of Microsoft’s flagship Laptop and Pro.
Both are Copilot+PCs though and powered by an eight-core Snapdragon X Plus processor with an NPU rated at 45 trillion AI operations per second (TOPS).
New Surface Laptop (Left) and Pro (Right)
Both come with a base config of 16GB of RAM (the minimum required for a Copilot+ PC), 256GB or 512GB of UFS storage. They come in three colours, Platinum, Ocean and Violet, and Platinum.
Release date for orders is May 20, 2025, and pricing starts at $899.99 for Laptop and $799.99 for the Pro. Pre-orders are available now from Microsoft and major resellers and these will start shipping to consumers later this month and for Business customers in July.
These devices form part of Microsoft’s continuing efforts to really make their devices and experiences more accessible to more people bringing smaller, seeker devices along with much lower price points when compared to the larger Surface Laptop and Pro range without sacrificing on power, performance, and AI capability.
This latest update to the Surface line up is part of their new Copilot+ PC family, designed to handle the latest AI workloads that are flooding the market including Microsoft own Windows 11 inbox tools including Click-to-Do and Recall.
Different look and feel
These new devices sit in the middle of the Flagship Pro and Laptop and the Go range. They look sleeker and more modern too with rounder edges and softer sides. This means they will also feel like different devices but retain that premium Surface familiarity and build quality.
You will note from naming structure that these devices also fall in line to be part of the Pro and Laptop but at their very core show Microsoft’s initial take what it means to be a Copilot+ PC.
These are also the first Surface devices not to ship with the Surface Connect Port which has been a stable for Surface since the Surface Pro 4. Instead these now support USB-C PD chargers something Microsoft (along with many others) are shifting to from a standardisation, and sustainability perspective.
New Surface Pro12″
The new Surface Pro is a hybrid 2-in-1 as you’d expect with the usual gorgeous adjustable kickstand, offering a smaller alternative to the current 13-inch Surface Pro 11th Edition.
To keep the price down, this new 12″ version comes with the 8-core Snap-Dragon Plus processor (rather than the 10 or 12 core version), the touchscreen has a lower refresh rate, resolution, and contrast ratio compared to the flagship versions.
There’s also a new Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard which is needed to turn Pro into a laptop, while the (also optional) Surface Slim Pen 2 enables the user to take notes on draw its display. Taking innovation from the Surface Laptop Studio, Slim Pen can now magnetically attach to the back of the new Surface Pro for safekeeping. Despite its compact footprint, it includes a full-size keyboard with backlit keys and a customizable touchpad
Where this device excels however is in battery life, with this being rated for 16 hours of local video playback per charge.
There is no compromise on connectivity, with 2x USB-C and a USB-A too. You also get Wi-Fi-7, and Bluetooth 5.4.
Size wise, this 12-inch Surface Pro measures 10.8 x 7.47 x 0.3 inches and weighs just 1.5 pounds, making it “the thinnest and lightest Copilot+ PC yet“.
New Surface Laptop
The new 13″ Surface Laptop, like the smaller Pro, features a downgraded 60Hz touchscreen display with lower resolution and contrast ratio and is powered by the 8-core Snap-Dragon Plus CPUs. Battery power is where this really shines with a 23 hours (rated) of local video playback per charge, compared to the Surface Laptop 7’s 20 hours.
There’s also no compromise on connectivity, with 2x USB-C and a USB-A too. You also get Wi-Fi-7, and Bluetooth 5.4.
Dimension wide, the new Surface Laptop measures 11.25 x 8.43 x 0.61 inches and weights 2.7 pounds – making it the “thinnest and lightest Surface Laptop yet” according to Microsoft.
Go or No Go?
The launch of the 13-inch Surface Laptop and 12″ Surface Pro, seems to signal the end of Microsoft’s “Go line”, and also confirms Microsoft’s commitment Windows on ARM over Intel x86-based processors. The most recent Surface Laptop Go 3, a 12.4-inch model, was powered by a 12th-gen Intel Core CPU.
Leveraging ARM based chipsets still provide the best power/performace/battery life ratios and by debuting with these again sets the differentiator and gold standard for what a Microsoft expect other Windows OEMs to follow up with.
The most sustainable and repairable Surface devices ever
Surface continues to deliver sustainability advancements. According to the Microsoft blog, the new Surface Laptop contains 100% recycled cobalt in the battery cell and 100% recycled rare earth metals in the magnets.
Microsoft have even given us a peak inside the Surface Laptop to see how just repairable they are.
Inside Surface Laptop
Microsoft has also redesigned internal components for easier access and replacement, extending the potential lifespan of these devices.
Many components can be replaced by authorised service providers or skilled technicians — supporting a more repairable, circular approach to device design.
Standardising the Copilot+PC experience
With these new devices, it means that all new Surface devices can now provide the same amount of NPU processing power (TOPS) across the fleet across-the-board meaning a great Copilot+ PC experiences.
It also means it enables all the latest native AI experiences in Windows 11, including Recall, Click-to-Do, as Microsoft continue to push the boundary of what it means to have a Copilot+ PC.
Final thoughts.
Microsoft’s original vision of “a computer in every home and on every desk” has evolved alongside the ever-changing landscape of computing. Today’s Microsoft knows that devices need to prioritise adaptability multi modal input and mobility, tailoring themselves to individual workflows rather than enforcing standardised interaction models.
Microsoft has just released its annual Work Trend Index report, and as anticipated, its focus is boldly centered on the transformative impact of generative AI in the workplace.
The report reveals that we’re on the brink of a paradigm shift where AI will not only reason but will also solve problems in unprecedented ways. Much like the industrial revolution or the dawn of the Internet, Microsoft suggests that a complete overhaul of work practices may take decades to fully materialise.
The annual Work Trend Index conducts global, industry-spanning surveys as well as observational studies to offer unique insights on the trends reshaping work for every employee and leader across more than data from 31,000 workers across 31 countries, LinkedIn labor market trends, and trillions of Microsoft 365 productivity signals,as well as leading AI-native startups, academics, economists, scientists, and thought leaders.
The full report is in the link below, but I’ve summarised the key insights around how the report claims generative AI is reshaping work and leadership dynamics.
AI’s Transformative Role
AI continues to advance in its reasoning and problem-solving ability, with the potential to revolutionise work.
Major transitions like the industrial revolution and the Internet took decades and view is that full wide scale AI may follow a similar path.
Immediate Impact of AI on work
Key Finding
Stats
AI Adoption
82% of industry leaders acknowledge AI is changing work
New Work Models
The “Frontier Firm” concept describes organisations using AI-powered intelligence on demand.
New emerging roles
The rise of “agent bosses”—professionals managing AI agents to enhance productivity.
Productivity Challenges
Challenges from the last 5 years continue to plaugue employees and impact productivity with tech overload and AI is seen as a “potential” to reduce this and bring better focus to information workers.
The report reveals that 80% of the global workforce feels overburdened by constant interruptions—an email, meeting, or ping every two minutes. Consequently, about 82% of leaders plan to harness AI and digital labor within the next 12 to 18 months to alleviate these pressures.
82% of leaders plan to harness AI and digital labor within the next 12 to 18 months to alleviate work and resource pressures.
Bridging Business Needs and Human
AI is making intelligence more accessible, shifting focus from headcount to on-demand expertise.
It helps close gaps between business demands and human workload.
Organisations are urged to invest in adoption training and business process reviews to determine the most optimum areas to leverage AI.
Key Finding
% impact
Executives concerned about productivity
53%
Global workforce feeling overburdened
80%
Average interruption rate
Every 2 minutes
Leaders planning to use AI to improve work
82% (within 12–18 months)
Talent, Hiring and Employment Trends
Addressing common concerns about AI replacing jobs, the report delves into LinkedIn data that indicates that top AI labs are hiring at twice the rate of traditional big tech companies. Interestingly, it says that much of this new talent is transitioning from established tech firms, underscoring a dynamic reshuffling of skills and expertise in the workforce.
The report also underscores the necessity for executives to strike the perfect balance between human talent and AI agents. As these digital assistants become ever more integrated into daily tasks, the role of the “agent boss” is emerging leaders who build, delegate, and manage AI agents to magnify their impact and steer their careers in the age of AI.
The report talks of a future where every worker, from the boardroom to the frontline, must adopt a CEO-like mindset for an agent-powered startup, predicting that within five years, 41% of teams will be actively training and 36% managing AI agents.
AI labs are hiring at 2x the rate of big tech firms.
Many AI hires come directly from established tech companies.
Human vs. AI Balance in Workplaces
Leadership Perspective
Employee Persective
67% of leaders understand AI agents.
40% of employees understand AI agents.
79% of leaders believe AI will accelerate careers.
67% of employees believe the same.
AI’s current and future role in Work Automation
AI Usage
Areas Impacted
46% of leaders use AI agents to fully automate workstreams.
Customer service, marketing, product development.
Organisations evaluating human-to-AI balance
AI integration must match societal expectations and business needs. |
But…..it states that AI is shifting the global work landscape, demanding strategic adaptation with..
Percentage
Areas Impacted
83% of leaders
believe AI will enable employees to tackle more complex tasks.
78% of leaders
want to recruit for new AI-related roles.
The report highlights that 67% of leaders are familiar with AI agents compared to only 40% of employees, and 79% believe that AI will accelerate their careers, outstripping the 67% noted for the broader workforce.
What other leaders are saying…
Bill Gates (Founder of Microsoft) said publically that AI might eventually perform “most things,”. We have also seen Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff already rethinking his company’s hiring strategies for 2025. This says that as we navigate this transformative wave, company leaders need to carefully consider when and what digital labour can complement, or in some cases, surpass that of human expertise, especially in roles that demand a personal touch or entail significant responsibility.
There is a necessity for executives to strike balance between human talent and AI agents. As these digital assistants become ever more integrated into daily tasks, the role of the “agent boss” is emerging—leaders who build, delegate, and manage AI agents to magnify their impact and steer their careers in the age of AI
Microsoft Work Trend Index Report
Summary
Microsoft’s Work Trend Index report paints a vivid picture of a future in which they show how AI is starting and has the potential to reshape every facet of our professional lives.
It claims that 83% of leaders believing that AI will empower employees to tackle more complex challenges and 78% actively looking to fill new AI roles, the global work landscape is poised for a dramatic evolution—one that necessitates a delicate balance between harnessing digital innovation and preserving the unique value that human insight brings to the table.
Before we start, why should we get excited about a change to Start Menu?
Afterall, it is something that has been under constant critique since Microsoft changed it up (ok – ruined it) with Windows 8, which was a bold (yet poorly received) attempt to modernise the Start menu after years of “consistency” of the Windows 95 start menu which didn’t really change all the way up to Windows XP.
Classic Windows 95 Start Menu (left) and much “unloved” Windows 8 Start Menu (right
Windows 11 Start Menu Changes
The days of the Windows 8 “start menu-less” UI (which was very optimised for touch and aligned to Microsoft’s entry into the devices market with the Surface RT and now more familiar Surface Pro) are thankfully way behind us. The Start Menu came back with Windows 8.1, evolved through Windows 10 and is now clean and elegant blend of what worked well in Windows 95 and what modern touch friendly interface should look like in 2025.
Windows 11 is a great interface, clean and crisp, but there has been lots of feedback around the need to bring more grouping and controls in to Windows 11. This has also led a to plethora of third-party apps that bring some of this functionality back for power-users.
It is now great to see that, in the latest Dev build of Windows 11 introduces a refreshed Start menu design that is designed to enhance user experience and productivity.
New Windows 11 start menu – in Windows Insider Dev Build
This new design aims to provide a more intuitive and seamless interaction, making it easier for users to access their favorite apps and settings. The updated Start menu features a cleaner layout, improved search functionality, and customisable options that allow you to tailor the experience to your professional needs.
How do I try it out?
The new Start Menu design is being tested for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel .
So if you enrolled (or want to), you can get the latest update and check it out. Don’t forget to file feedback in the Windows Feedback Hub.
This new feature is subject to Microsoft’s usual A/B testing meaning not everyone will see the new start menu straight away.
Share your feedback with the community too and if you find this useful, please share this post and help and help shape the future of Windows!
Change is the only constant
Microsoft continuously refines and updates various components of their Windows Operating system, using the Windows Insider Community for early testing and feedback.
Windows 365 Link is aimed (currently) for commercial / business customers and provides a simple, fast, secure and fast way to connect directly to the Windows 365 cloud service provide access to a dedicated (or shared in the case of front line workers) Windows Cloud, a full persistent Windows desktop in the Cloud. The configuration of these desktop experiences is managed via Intune and the specification of each users Cloud PC is configurable subject to the license allocation for the user.
Windows 365 Link
The Windows 365 service itself as a service is not new however, with it being available through the browser and via the Windows App which is available on Windows, Mac, Android and Apple iOS.
The combination of dedicated device and Windows 365 Cloud Service should make for a simple and more easily manageable experience for IT departments than managing physical fleets of desktops and Laptops while also significantly reducing the needs of hands on support.
Is Windows 365 Link just a Thin Client?
No. But there is a definately similarity!
Many organisations have used Thin Client devices (such as igel thin clients) that run a virtual Windows desktop (shared or dedicated) from a local or data centre deployed server farm. They can also be used to access Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) services such as Citrix, VMware and Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop.
Windows 365 Link is, essentially a modern version of the thin client, but designed especially to run full Cloud PCs from Microsoft’s Windows 365 infrastructure over the Internet. There is not support for VDI infratrautre and won’t even run desktops hosted on Azure Virtual Desktop. It just runs Windows 365 as the name suggests!
The device is small, weights just, and is vesa mountable as you’d expect. It’s also capable of driving multiple displays at 4K resolution.
Thin Client vs Windows 365 Link
Being a purpose built device (it’s not just a generic thin client device) it is built with Microsoft’s commitment to Security. It’s built by the same team that build Surface. It leverages Chip to Cloud security with features including Secure Boot and TPM and also includes Microsoft’s Pluton processor.
The device is designed to boot in seconds, which sounds like a better experience than the thin clients of the past and performance of Windows 365 experience and the office apps (including Teams) has been rigorously tested and performance tuned with the Windows and Microsoft 365 development team.
Windows 365 Link on Dual Screens at 4K
Windows 365 Link has been in a private preview program by over 100 organisation, Microsoft MVPs and internal employees to help refine and perfect the out of box experience, configuration and performance since November
Secure by Design
Windows 365 Link is a dedicated Cloud PC devices that has no local data, doesn’t allow boot to anything other than Windows 365, has no local admin users, and supports the strongest security including passwordless authentication using Microsoft Entra ID and passkeys. This significantly reduced the attack surface.
It also has security locks and vesa mounts for secure and concealed mounting.
Windows 365 Link promotes sustainable computing
Windows 365 Link is built using more than 63% recycled components and materials, has 100% paper-based packaging, is an ENERGY STAR-certified device, and is designed to be long-lasting and repairable. They are super low power too and because Microsoft Cloud is committed to being carbon negative by 2030, the cloud compute they consume is also green and sustainable.
Availability
Windows 365 Link is available now (from April 3rd) in the US, Canada, Australia, UK, Germany, Japan, and New Zealand.
I’ll be doing a hands on review next week when mine arrives!!
To celebrate, they are holding a special 50th anniversary Copilot event today (Friday, April 4) at 9:30 AM Pacific Time (5:30pm UK Time). This actually makes me feel very old, as Microsoft were founded the year I was born!!
The event will be live-streamed here, directly on Microsoft’s website, so you can watch the announcements as they happen. If you go to the website, they have kindly included a calendar invite, which you can add to your calendar app of choice.
What to expect from the Microsoft @ 50 event
Microsoft have said that the “event” will focus on consumer AI announcements related to Microsoft Copilot, but knowing Microsoft, I expect there will be some other teaser announcements too.
Microsoft as a Copilot Company
Microsoft does not hide behind the fact that Microsoft are in fact a Copilot Company. Over the last few months, Microsoft has completely rebuilt the Consumer Copilot app for Windows and across mobile platforms and have recently included unlimited access to Copilot Voice, Vision and their latest Deep Research language models.
We have also seen (this year) the launch of the Copilot+ PCs, which were announced last year on both Qualcomm and Intel chipsets and their new flagship Copilot+ PC devices in Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7. We also continue to see more exclusive AI features that are powered by dedicated NPU chips coming to Windows 11 PCs. Features like Windows Recall, Click To Do, and AI in Windows Search, and of course updates to Windows Studio Effects and more. We have also seen new AI features across core “inbox” apps such as Paint, Notepad, Snip & Sketch and more. I expect there is more coming …..
Microsoft have also said that there is much more to come for Copilot so maybe we will get to see more of this vision and plan tomorrow (April 4th).
My personal glance back over the 50 years of Microsoft
Everyone will have their own stories and memories of milestones that made Microsoft who they are today. Personally I remember getting my first PC (Intel P90 processor, 2MB RAM and 100MB Hard drive) which ran MS-DOS 5.0 . I remember using Word Perfect in MS-DOS before deploying Windows 3.0 I seem to remember.
My next memory was working with Windows for Workgroups and Novell Netware, and then deploying Windows NT 3.51, Windows 3.11 and then working with an Oil Company doing Windows 3.11 to Windows 95 migrations on oil rigs in my early 20s.
I remember my first Xbox, my kids are no using Xbox One X and love games like Flight Simulator and Minecraft.
I’ve used Windows Phone (yes ok!), had a Microsoft Fitness Band (yes ok) and used MSN Messenger and Skype at length during my teen and early adult years!
We are now about to say goodbye to Windows 10, have seen Azure continue to gain market share in Cloud, Microsoft 365 be the worlds productivity suite and Microsoft become the biggest security company in the world.
The last few years has been all about AI with everything being about Copilot, even the PC with the launch of the Copilot Plus PC.
Today, I write this, after coming back from an incredible week at Microsoft MVP Summit in Seattle, full of excitement for what is coming next across the Microsoft eco system.
Microsoft has finally unveiled a dedicated Windows 11 roadmap website, designed to simplify the lives of IT pros, and IT technical management and users who care about new features and updates.
This addresses longstanding frustrations about the lack of transparency in the Windows Insider program, where new features are tested before going live.
Why Was This Roadmap Needed?
In short – there has never really been one.
For years, IT professionals grappled with inconsistent communication and unclear timelines in the Windows Insider program. Managing systems with this uncertainty was a challenge, to say the least. Microsoft listened to feedback and responded with a user-friendly roadmap that offers:
Feature Tracking: It shows the current status of features—whether in testing, gradual rollout, or general availability.
Intended Timelines: Features now come with estimated release windows, helping IT teams prepare systems for upcoming changes.
Simplified Navigation and Transparency
The roadmap include features that are in testing with users enrolled in the Windows Insider Program, features in a gradual rollout phase, and features that are generally available. Many of the features will include a target release window, which should help with preparing for upcoming features and changes.
Microsoft new Windows Roadmap
This empowers IT and Change Management teams to manage changes effectively, a step forward from the often-criticised lack of clarity in past processes.
What about Windows Server?
No, not yet. For now, it only covers Windows 11 client editions – leaving out Windows Server.
Conclusion – Yes! Finally!
This roadmap marks an important evolution in Microsoft’s approach to transparency, giving IT administrators the tools they need to keep systems running smoothly. Though it’s still early days, the potential for this tool to grow and cover more updates is vast.
Of course just like the Microsoft 365 roadmap, features listed on the roadmap remain subject to change, postponement, or cancellation.
For more details, check out the Microsoft announcement
As March 2025 comes to an end, Microsoft have unveiled several exciting updates across Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Chat, and Copilot Studio.
Copilotannouncementsthis week
1. Updates to Copilot Studio Message Rates
Effective April 2nd, 2025, updated (cheaper) message rates for Copilot Studio will go live. These adjustments cover tenant Microsoft Graph grounding and agent actions (previously known as autonomous actions). The prices of tenant Microsoft Graph grounding and autonomous actions are being reduced from 30 messages and 25 messages to 10 messages and 5 messages respectively, from April 2nd, 2025.
The following table illustrates the differences in the subscription models for the cost of Copilot Studio events.
Copilot Studio feature
Billing rate [non M365 Copilot Licensed users]
Billing rate [M365 Copilot licensed users]
Autonomous triggers1
Classic answer
1 message
No charge
N/A
Generative answer
2 messages
No charge
2 messages
Agent action
5 messages
No charge
5 messages
Tenant graph grounding for messages
10 messages
No charge
10 messages
Agent flow actions per 100 actions
13 messages
13 messages
13 messages
1 - Autonomous triggers refer to events or conditions that automatically initiate an agent to take action, without requiring a user to manually invoke it.
Also coming is Agent flows which allow agent creators to bring Power Automate automation features directly into Copilot Studio to quickly and consistently automate business processes. There will also be new deep reasoning in agents combines reasoning models including Open AI o1 with the ability to access enterprise data to complete complex tasks.
Microsoft are also updating pricing with a new zero-rating for Microsoft 365 Copilot licensed users in Microsoft 365 apps and services, ensuring inclusive, seamless integration and cost-effective use of these tools. This means licensed Microsoft 365 Copilot users will not be charged for using agents in their organisation
2. Rule-Based Workflows in Copilot Studio
From April 2025, Copilot Studio will introduce structured, rule-based workflows for agents. This aims to simplify process automation, enabling users to create efficient, consistent workflows with minimal manual effort. Usage of this functionality will contribute to the Copilot Studio meter, encouraging innovation while maintaining transparency in resource utilisation.
3. Deep Reasoning in Copilot Studio
So this is a big one – Microsoft have made deep reasoning capabilities available in Copilot Studio’s public preview from today. This will empowers users to address complex, decision-intensive tasks by leveraging advanced reasoning algorithms.
Whether it’s managing intricate processes or solving challenging problems, this tool offers remarkable precision and depth in its execution.
4. Two new Deep Reasoning Agents
Microsoft announced two new deep reasoning agents—Researcher and Analyst—as part of an early preview which will also be coming “soon” with previews coming in April before wider rollout.
Researcher Agent: has been designed for content creation and information synthesis, this agent combines OpenAI’s advanced deep research model with Microsoft Copilot’s orchestration. By integrating Copilot Chat’s web and work grounding capabilities, Researcher enables users to brainstorm ideas, generate high-quality content, and analyze data more effectively.
Researcher Agent in Copilot.
Analyst Agent: This is powered by a new reasoning model. the Analyst agent will function as a virtual data scientist and will have the ability to process complex datasets and provide real-time code validation (using Python) and will be able to deliver actionable insights and visually compelling representations of data in minutes.
Microsoft say that these agents will be gradually rolled out to Microsoft 365 Copilot licensed users through the Frontier program, an early access programme for customers to test out early and new Copilot innovations.
Surface Pro has always been about versatility and is the ultimate 2-in-1 device for business and consumers who want the flexibility and agility of a tablet and laptop in one.
Surface Pro can start as laptop, but when you detach the keyboard, you have a tablet, re-attach it and voilà – it is now a laptop again.
Over the years, the once flimsy feel keyboard of the first generation keyboards has got better and better to the point where it now competes in sense of feel, key travel and general use with even a laptop keyboard.
What if you could take this flexibility a step further?
IntroducingThe Surface Flex Keyboard?
Surface Flex Keyboard was released in 2024. It is a like a traditional Surface type cover but continues to work when you detach it. This enables a new style of working since you can use the Surface Flex Keyboard in detached mode thanks to the “auto-pairing” Bluetooth connectivity. This makes it great for flexibility, posture and helps you (if you want or need to) change your desk set-up.
Surface Pro Flex Keyboard
With Surface Flex Keyboard, pairing is instant and seamless. Simply connecting the keyboard pairs it instantly and when you detach the keyboard, you can keep working “with” the keyboard not attached.
Surface Pro Flex Keyboard
This means, whether you are taking notes in OneNote, mind-mapping in WhiteBoard or just repositioning your workspace/desk to be more ergonomic. This also works really well when you are working on a train or plane (or sofa) and need to reposition your device.
The best bit – you don’t need to buy the very latest Surface to use it. I’ve just got my hands on one this week whilst at MVP Summit in Seattle and am now using it with my two-year old Surface Pro 9.
Surface Flex Keyboard actually work with all Surfaces going back to the original Pro X which was released in 2019!
Seamless Connectivity, Premium Feeland Different usecases
The Flex Keyboard’s transition between physical and Bluetooth connections is seamless, making it feel like magic. As you’d expect, this is a premium accessory, and it shows. The keyboard really good travel, feels premium and even has the satisfying tactile bump and fast keyboard rebound, similar to that of a Surface Laptop or MacBook Air.
The base of the device is enforced with carbon fiber layers, reducing the bounciness / bendyness that users often criticised in the earlier days of Surface Pro. Oh – you also get a really great haptic touch-pad too which is smooth and precise, and can be adjusted and configured in the Windows Settings.
The keyboard comes in different colours and is wrapped in the usual beautiful soft Alcantara fabric
Compatibility and Value
Surface Flex Keyboard actually work with all Surfaces going back to the original Pro X which was released in 2019, making it a versatile option for new Surface Pro users or those that either need or want a new keyboard for their existing device.
The Surface Flex Keyboard costs from $249 currently in the US and I found them for around £225 in the UK at time of writing.
There seem to be good deal around at the moment but it’s a great keyboard and definitely recommend it for anyone who wants the latest and greatest.
Conclusion
Surface Flex Keyboard is an impressive addition to the Surface Pro “accessories” lineup and I totally love it. Yes they are pricey (but the non flex keyboard is too), but its seamless connectivity (with no manual pairing required), premium feel, and backward compatibility with older devices make it a compelling choice for Surface users new and existing.
Microsoft has introduced two new mini apps for Microsoft 365 users: the People app and the File Search app. These tools are designed to improve productivity and simplify common everyday tasks for business users.
Image (c) Microsoft
The People App: Connecting Teams with Ease
The People app makes it easy to access colleague profiles and organisational charts without interrupting workflow. Whether you’re looking for a team member by name, job title, or department, the app delivers results instantly. It also integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Teams, allowing you to send messages and view detailed profile cards with contact information and project involvement.
You can of course pin the People app to your taskbar, making collaboration just a click away.
The File Search App: Finding Files Faster
Managing files is a more simple with the File Search app. Its homepage displays recently opened files, while its robust search function allows you to locate documents by name, content, or file type. A preview feature lets you confirm you’ve found the correct file without opening it—saving both time and effort.
Like the People app, the File Search app can also be pinned to the taskbar, positioning it as an essential tool for busy professionals.
Who Can Use These Apps
Currently these new apps are available to Windows 11 users with Microsoft 365 desktop apps, these mini apps are expected to enhance efficiency for a wide range of business users. Oh.. And you must be running the beta (or Office Insider Builds) but these will roll out over coming months to everyone.
Enterprise Connect 2025 brought the usual buzz from everyone in the Collab and Contact Center Space. From AI and integrations in Contact Center to subtle hybrid work updates for meetings and chat, these announcements from the Collab giants continues to set to redefine how we collaborate in 2025…
Here’s everything you need to know from what Cisco and Microsoft announced.
Microsoft Teams – Key Takeaways:
New Live chat widget rolling in out this spring for small businesses. This allows website visitors to chat with sales or customer support team in Microsoft Teams. There’s also a Live chat widget which will provides a dashboard for managing conversations, notifications for incoming chat requests, and an option to view previous customer interactions.
Teams Chat will be getting a new @nearby feature that allows people to easily connect with other colleagues who are physically close by to them. This helps encourage face to face chats when people may not realise that colleagues are in the same or adjacent office.
Teams meeting recap is now supported for webinars, and the limit for town halls has been increased to 50,000 attendees.
Teams channels: Loop comes to Teams Channels by allowing users to add a Loop workspace tab to standard channels.
On a security front, Teams has now introduced the automatic blocking of malicious files, detection of sensitive information during screen sharing. This used a combination of Defender and DLP.
Teams Phone is getting new features like SMS messaging in US and Canada, as well as barge/whisper/monitor/takeover for team leads in groups and when using Call Queues.
In Teams Rooms the new recommender feature will suggests suitable meeting rooms to facilitate easier in-person collaboration. The facilitator agent will also be coming to Teams Rooms (in preview now) to take notes for you in meeting which can co edited by attendees.
The big annoucement on the Microsoft Teams front was of course the annoucement of Teams Phone extensibility for Dynamics 365 Contact Center and for certified ISV solutions such as Luware which are coming soon public preview.
Cisco Webex – Key Takeaways
Cisco who are firmly on the AI drive, unveiled their vision for agentic AI collaboration, alongside new AI-powered features for their Webex platform. They said general availability of their Webex AI Agent was due before Easter!
Agents upgrade: with new features coming for Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center, including suggested responses and real-time transcription for agents.
Teams Rooms: Cisco announced that AirPlay support on Cisco Devices in Microsoft Teams Rooms mode would also be coming soon.
Line of Business Agent integration: The new Cisco AI Agents allow agents in Webex Contact Center to integrate with other enterprise apps like Sales force, Dynamics and ServiceNow to improve workflows and customer support with APIs and connectors. This will allow for workflows automation.
Microsoft quietly announced yesterday that Microsoft 365 Business Premium customers (this is a SMB license for customers with less than 300 seats) can now add the Microsoft 365 E5 Security as a bolt on for just $12 pupm.
This represents a saving of 57%
Why would I want Microsoft E5 Security Add-on
This upgrade includes a heap of Enterprise E5 features previously only available to Microsoft Enterprise Customers on Microsoft 365 E3. It includes:
Microsoft Entra P2 (Identity protection, Risk Based Conditional Access, Secure Access etc)
Defender for Office Plan 2
Defender for Identity
Defender for Endpoints (Plan 2) with XDR
Defender for AI & Cloud Apps and
more.
The offers huge value for SMBs bringing their security protection in line with what has previously only been included within Microsoft 365 E5 but at a fraction of the cost. The enhanced protection features in Entra P2 and Defender P2 will be highly valuable for business looking to strengthen their security posture with best-in-class solutions, whilst reducing the reliance on multiple technologies and vendors with integrated management across the rest of their Microsoft 365 Security Portal.
How do I get the Microsoft 365 Security Add-on
Simple – if you are a web-direct customer, you can add-on via the Microsoft 365 Admin centre. If you buy from partner (Cloud Solution Provider) via NCE, speak to them for pricing or speak to us at https://www.cisilion.com.
