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.
At the end of Feb 2025, Microsoft gave Apple Mac users with a brand-new native Copilot (consumer) app experience and now after a feeble Web app version, Windows 11 is finally getting a proper one too.
This latest update brings a fully native Copilot app to Windows, delivering a faster, smoother, and visually enriched interface that aligns perfectly with the Windows 11 design language. Yay.
It also has a keyboard shortcut that lets you hold the Alt + Spacebar keys for two seconds to start chatting to Copilot via voice.
From Web View to Native App
For those who followed the initial rollout, you’ll remember that the original Copilot for Windows was simply a web view of the Microsoft Copilot website. While functional, it left much to be desired in terms of responsiveness and overall polish.
Copilot App – Webapp to Native App
The new Copilot update transforms that experience completely. By leveraging the native app UI framework, Microsoft has infused the app with features that make the experience feel inherently Windows 11 that is also complete with a sidebar for managing chats, elegant mica blur effects, and native context menus and buttons.
This adherence to the native design not only improves aesthetics but also boosts performance and responsiveness.
What’s New in the Copilot for Windows App?
Enhanced User Interface
Native Design Language: The interface now mirrors the sleek, modern aesthetics of Windows 11.
Smooth Interactions: Launching the app is noticeably quicker, and interactions feel seamless thanks to the native integration.
Intelligent Chat Management
Sidebar for Conversations: All your previous chats are saved and easily accessible in a dedicated sidebar.
Instant New Chat: Starting a new conversation is as simple as hitting the new chat button.
Retained and Expanded Functionality
Text and Voice Chat: Continue to interact with Microsoft’s AI assistant using text, or opt for the Copilot Voice for a more dynamic experience.
Customisable Settings: Options include settings to enable or disable launching the app on Windows boot, as well as toggling the alt+spacebar shortcut for quick access.
In short, there’s no real feature changes here – just a native Windows App, ensuring that the native experience makes no compromises on capability and features along with performance and usability improvements of a native app.
First thoughts on the new version
I have to confess—I wasn’t thrilled with the old web view version of Copilot for Windows. It felt like an afterthought compared to its Mac counterpart. This new native experience, however, is a major improvement. The app now inspires confidence in handling everyday AI tasks and is genuinely enjoyable to use.
Getting the new Copilot App
For Windows Insiders excited to explore this update, the latest version (1.25023.107.0) or higher is now available via the Microsoft Store and should update automatically. The app is rolling out in preview across all Insider channels, inviting users to experience this transformative upgrade first-hand.
As a Microsoft product inside another Microsoft product, the evolution from a mere web view app (which should never have been done in my opinion) to a fully fledged native app that looks and feels like a Windows app not only elevates user interaction but also shows that Microsoft is actually serious about integrating AI seamlessly into everyday computing tasks.
The new Copilot for Windows app also has a keyboard shortcut that lets you hold the Alt + Spacebar keys for two seconds to start chatting to Copilot via your voice.
Microsoft want your feedback
Microsoft would like feedback too, which you can do by filing feedback in the Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Copilot or directly within the Copilot app by clicking on your profile icon and choosing “Give feedback”.
This feedback shapes the future. Whether we can expect more iterative updates, possibly with additional features and enhancements will only happen based on the Microsoft collects feedback from Insiders.
Conclusion
The leap to a native interface is more than just a cosmetic upgrade—it represents a thoughtful stride toward a more integrated and responsive Windows experience. I’m excited to see how this native Copilot app will further inspire productivity and innovation as it evolves.
What are your thoughts on this updated native app?
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.
Microsoft has introduced Windows 365 Disaster Recovery Plus, an advanced add-on designed to drastically reduce downtime for Cloud PCs during unexpected outages. It’s currently available in preview and set for general availability later in the sprint 2025. It aims to minimise Recovery Time Objective (RTO) to just 30 minutes – down from the previous four-hour benchmark for large tenants.
Downtime is the ultimate disruptor for any business, especially when it comes to productivity-critical systems like Cloud Services and of course Cloud PCs. Recognising the demand for quicker recovery times, Microsoft has introduced Windows 365 Disaster Recovery Plus which is currently in preview and will be a paid-for / licensed add-on for Windows 365 Enterprise customers.
Disaster Recovery Plus will offers much faster recovery times to address the limitations of its predecessor “Windows 365 Cross-Region Disaster Recovery” which launched in July 2024. Disaster Recover Plus is due to generally available from during spring this year (2025).
This will be a cost option and is designed for users within organisation whose Cloud PC use demands the highest levels of disaster recovery performance and speed of recovery in the event on an outage.
Sharper Focus on Recovery Times
The original Windows 365 cross-region disaster recovery feature presented huge value, enabling business continuity for Cloud PCs during unforeseen events. This service worked by created snapshots of Cloud PCs, which were stored securely in a secondary region defined by the customer. In the case of the need to invoke recovery, users were able to access temporary replicas of their Cloud PCs, complete with all applications and settings based on the most recent restore point – it worked pretty well.
There were however, some limitations. You see, while applications and settings were restored, unsaved work was irretrievable, making OneDrive or SharePoint essential for active file management (which of course most us use right!). Additionally, the recovery process could take up to four hours for larger tenants – which is longer than it takes most physcial devices to be reprovisioned.
Microsoft’s new Disaster Recovery Plus addresses the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) issue reducing recovery time down to around 30 minutes.
Configuring Disaster Recovery Plus
Configuration of Windows 365 Disaster Recovery Plus is configured in the Windows 365 configuration section within Intune under Devices > Windows 365 > User Settings > Optional Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery.
These disaster recovery add-ons are designed to be used in case of a large outage and not individual or groups of users since this invokes the full disaster recovery process. During this outage (or of course when running a test) the Windows 365 Disaster Recovery Plus service will move selected users to their temporary Cloud PCs
Microsoft say that Windows 365 Disaster Recovery Plus may be applied to a set of individual users or user groups to provide fast and simple activation or deactivation.
Previews and Pricing
As is typical with Microsoft previews, IT admins will have the opportunity to try out this service free of charge. I have not yet seen pricing for the final service and how this will work, but I expect this to ROI based and of course optional for customers that need these higher level of RTO.
Conclusion and Thoughts
For customers for whom any loss of service costs money, the value proposition should be clear. Windows 365 Disaster Recovery Plus bridges a critical gap in the speed of recovery enabling businesses to restore operations significantly (around 8 times faster) in these high-stakes scenarios. The the ability to bring Cloud PCs back online within 30 minutes is a substantial improvement over the four-hour window that currently exists.
The question I guess remains, should this be a chargable extra or do customers just expect this level of performance as services like Windows 365 evolve.
You can read the full Microsoft article <– here —> :
A couple of weeks ago, changes to the Windows 11 24H2 CPU requirements support document aimed at OEMs stirred up a whirlwind of confusion and mi’s truths within the tech and Windows community. There were reports that flooded social media claiming that Microsoft were no longer supporting a heap of older CPUs on and after the Windows 24H2 update marking them as “unsupported”.
Microsoft have come back saying that this was a essentially a classic case of miscommunication and as a result they have updated their blog to ensure better clarity.
The Source of the Confusion
The misunderstanding came about when Microsoft updated its documentation to recommend newer CPUs to OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers like Dell, HP etc) madaring the use of newer processors and chipsets for new devices. This might sound obvious, after all if you buying a new device in 2025, you’d expect it not to be based on five year old technology such as 8th or 9th generqtion processors especially in the wave of demand for NPU supported internals to support the growing wave of edge AI powered software.
In shirt, many misinterpreted this and read it as Microsoft changing the core Windows 11 compatibility ability requirements which they have not.
Clarity on support for older CPUs
Just to confirm, Microsoft have not and are not excluded older CPUs from running Windows 11 outside of the already well communicated compatibility requirements. Microsoft’s updated clarified documentation explicitly lists Intel’s 8th, 9th, and 10th-generation processors among the CPUs that are supported CPUs, along with a few other models.
The clarity also re states the restrictions are for OEMs, ensuring that users are not “conned” into buying value priced new devices built on old and aging chipsets.
What this means for Users.
In short, “Keep Calm and Carry on”. The updated support document is primarily intended for OEMs, guiding their decisions for new hardware production. Although it’s unlikely that manufacturers will or would priotise older CPUs for upcoming Windows 11-capable PCs, the list ensures flexibility for scenarios where such hardware might still be utilised and also gives consumers and buyers better confidence.
For users with existing devices running on these processors, this clarification provides the following reassurance: older yet reliable and compatible hardware will continue to be supported in the Windows 11 24H2 ecosystem.
Windows 11 hardware requirements
The link below takes you to Microsoft’s official communications and compatibility requirements for Windows 11.
If you are a WindowsInsider then the latest update to Windows 11 (which will soon become mainstream) brings a mixture of new features and subtle, but important redesign. Let’s taken a look.
New File Sharing Tools
One of the standout features in the new update is an enhanced file-sharing menu. This new tool appears at the top of the screen whenever you drag a file out of a folder.
New native file sharing in Windows 11
It presents an array of icons for apps like WhatsApp, My Phone, and Microsoft Teams, allowing for seamless sharing directly through these platforms. Additionally, you can now share files from jump lists on the taskbar, making it even easier to send documents, images, and PDFs.
Redesigned Start Menu
The Start Menu, which was relocated to the center of the taskbar with Windows 11, has received several layout options in this update. Users can now choose between grid or category views for the All Apps page.
New desktop grid view in Windows 11
As you can see if the image above, the new grid view maintains alphabetical ordering, but extends the layout sideways to fit more apps on screen, reducing the need for scrolling. The category view groups applications under headings like social, productivity, and entertainment, with the most-used apps highlighted for quick access.
This is much easier to use and more pleasing on the eye in my option. What do you think?
Multiple App Access to Webcam
In response to feedback from users, Microsoft will now allow multiple apps to access a webcam simultaneously (though there are some hardware limitations).
One of the primary benefits of this new feature is that, for the first time you can leverage video streaming for both a sign language interpreter and the end audience at the same time, enhancing accessibility.
It can also of course be used for multiple apps using the same camera without having to close the other app or turn the camera off.
Summary
The changes to the Windows 11 desktop in my opinion provide some really useful features and redesigns.
To test these now you need to be a WindowsInsider and being pre release their may be bugs and refinements before the updates hit mainstream users.
Interesting article I read today about how the UK government is looking to change around the use of creative content without authors permission unless they choose to opt out.
The Government’s proposal is to change the laws to favour tech platforms, allowing them to use content without permission or payment unless the authors / creators specifically opt out.
Concerns
Creator and authors are challenging this arguing that this shifts the burden onto them. They believe that tech companies pay for using their content and training models based on their content.
They are urging the government to enforce copyright laws to ensure fair compensation for creators, securing the future of creativity and AI but in a way that protects the authors and creators of content.
The article calls for UK people to back this plan urging the UK government to enforce copyright laws to ensure fair compensation for creators and authors.
Where do you stand?
This is a tricky one for me as today, I feel most content LLMs are trained on are US based data sources and I would love to see more content based on UK data (after all I am British). At the same point, if a levvy is introduced and royalties paid a model for recouping costs is needed which may lead to this content being excluded in LLM training. This could lead to more bias and still leave them “out of pocket”.
Microsoft has announced a groundbreaking development in the field of quantum computing with the unveiling of a new chip called Majorana 1. This chip is poised to revolutionize the way we approach complex problems by enabling the creation of quantum computers capable of solving “meaningful, industrial-scale problems in years, not decades.” as part of the final phase of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Underexplored Systems for Utility-Scale Quantum Computing (US2QC) program
What is Quantum Computing?
The tech stuff… Bear with me….
Quantum computing leverages the principles of particle physics to create a new type of computer that can solve problems far beyond the capabilities of traditional computers that we are familiar with. These quantum machines hold the promise of performing calculations that would take today’s systems millions of years, potentially unlocking discoveries in fields such as medicine, chemistry, and more.
But… as I just said to my son… It’s not about making Minecraft run faster!
Microsoft’s Majorana 1 Chip
Microsoft’s new chip, Majorana 1, is built using a “topological conductor,” a revolutionary new material that creates a new state of matter known as a “topological state.” This state is neither a gas, liquid, nor solid and has only recently been realized in practice. In short (and i don’t really understand the science here) this chip relies on Majorana particles, which were previously considered theoretical, to achieve its quantum capabilities.
Built with a breakthrough class of materials called a topoconductor, Microsoft’s Majorana 1 marks a transformative leap toward practical quantum computing.
This means that while the typical computer and even super computers we know today struggle with certain types of problems, quantum computers have the potential to solve them rapidly.
Microsoft say that their Majorana 1 chip will accelerate the development of quantum computers, bringing us closer to solving real-world problems more quickly than previously anticipated in real human capacity thinking and beyond.
This research and development is hugely expensive, though oy appears that their pursuit of quantum computing appears to be paying off, since if successful as it promises could be as revolutionary as the invention of semiconductors was for classical computing.
The Majorana 1 chip currently features eight topological qubits. While this is fewer than some competitors, Microsoft claims it has a pathway to scaling this up to a million qubits, potentially creating immense computing power.
Personal computing to Quantum Computing… What’s the difference?
Let’s take a look to compare the differences..
Personal computing
Definition: Refers to individual use of computers/laptops for daily tasks such as work and home
Capabilities: Limited processing power and storage capacity. Typically used for tasks like browsing the internet, word processing, Excel, presentations, gaming, and personal software applications.
Data centre computing
Definition: Centralised computing resources used by businesses and organisations.
Capabilities: High processing power, large storage capacity, and redundant systems for reliability. Often used for managing, storing, and processing large amounts of data.
Practical Uses:
Hosting Websites: Running web servers and handling online traffic.
Enterprise Applications: Supporting business applications like CRM, ERP, and databases.
PrivateCloud Services: Providing infrastructure, platform, and software as a service (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) etc
Super Computers
Definition: Extremely powerful computers designed for complex calculations and simulations.
Capabilities: Thousands of processors working in parallel, capable of performing trillions of calculations per second. Used for scientific research and advanced simulations.
Practical Uses:
Climate Modeling: Simulating and predicting weather patterns and climate change.
Scientific Research: Conducting simulations for physics, chemistry, and biology experiments.
Cryptography: Breaking complex codes and improving security algorithms.
Quantum Computing
Definition: Uses principles of quantum mechanics to perform calculations far beyond the capabilities of classical computers.
Capabilities: Leverages quantum bits (qubits) to perform multiple calculations simultaneously, offering exponentially faster processing speeds for certain tasks.
Practical Uses:
Medical Research: Discovering new drug compounds and optimising treatment plans.
Artificial Intelligence: Enhancing AI capabilities for more accurate predictions and complex data analysis.
Logistics Optimisation: Solving complex optimisation problems for supply chain and logistics.
Real-World Implications
The announcement of the Majorana 1 chip is (or will be) a leap frog development that signals rapid advancements in quantum computing. those less technical, it means that the future of technology holds even more promise, with potential solutions to some of the world’s most challenging problems within reach.
Even Elon Musk responded to Sayta Nadella’s post. Quoting the his post and commenting “More and more breakthroughs with quantum computing …”
Conclusion
Microsoft’s Majorana 1 chip clearly represents a quantum leap in technology, bringing us closer to harnessing the full potential of quantum computing. As we move forward, the advancements in this field will undoubtedly shape the future in ways we can only begin to imagine.
The next few years will be critical as this technology gets closer and closer to reality and Usability.
In an new update announced on the Microsoft 365 Insider blog this week, Microsoft has announced that Copilot in Excel will soon be able to reference documents in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF formats jyst like the other officee apps can. This enhancement significantly expands the capabilities of Copilot in Excel, making it a more powerful tool for users.
With this update, you can now ask Copilot to perform tasks such as displaying to-do items in a table or organising emails with columns for the sender and subject line. This feature is particularly useful when you need to combine data from various sources, including public statistics from the web, internal documents, organisational details, or tables from another Excel files or contained in Word docs.
Getting Started with the New Feature
To take advantage of this new functionality, you need to meet the following minimum requirements:
Windows: Build 17729.20000 or later
Mac: Build 24053110 or later
Copilot license
Web search enabled
Stable internet connection
Upcoming Web Version and Limitations
Microsoft has announced that this update will soon be available for the web version of Excel. However, there are some limitations to be aware of. For example, refreshable data imports only work for Excel files with tables stored on SharePoint or OneDrive. Additionally, there is limited support for handling workbook and external data simultaneously.
Recent Updates to Copilot in Excel
Copilot in Excel has received several updates in recent months, further enhancing its functionality. One of my favourite features is the Clean Data feature, which addresses issues such as text and number inconsistencies.
Copilot has been integrated into the Excel start up experience, enabling users to use Copilot to explain what they want to create and receive improvement suggestions.
Looking Ahead: More Features on the Horizon
With Microsoft’s global AI tour taking place in cities around the world, including a stop in the UK on March 5th, we can expect even more exciting features to be announced soon. These updates highlight Microsoft’s commitment to continually improving Copilot and making it an indispensable tool for Excel users.
Stay tuned to my blog for more updates in Copilot and bookmark the Microsoft 365 Road map page.
…and that’s what the innovations and announcements at Cisco Live this week were all centered around. in networking, security, data centers, and more that we unveiled at Cisco Live EMEA are all about.
Reliving the past to innovate the future
The Cisco Live keynote began with Oliver Tuszik [President, Cisco EMEA] walking us through the 40-year history of Cisco’s innovations that powered big data, IoT, and cloud computing – reminding us that Cisco has been here since the beginning of the internet days and how their technology is what powered the internet and cloud generation we are all now firmly in.
In his opening, he said that “every business in this world will become a technology company,” stating that every organisation is or will soon face three main challenges in this journey:
Unlocking the power of AI, especially as we move out of the ‘hype cycle’ of AI, with companies now seeing tangible, real-world efficiency and productivity gains using the technology, but with only 7% of European companies being “AI ready”.
Killing complexity. “Everything is growing fast” as companies scale and grow their technologies in the face of the skills shortage. To do this they need to re-invent, simplify, and consolidate complex technology and multi-vendor products into solutions.
Strengthening digital resilience.“Digital resilience is business resilience,” especially if every company is to become a tech company.
New Products and Services for the AI Generation
Following the keynote, Jeetu Patel (EVP and Chief Product Officer) talked about what Cisco stand for and the product strategy and vision saying that Cisco’s mantra is to build products people love; quality is priority zero; and think ‘10x’.”
Echoing the opening messages, he enforced that every business is working frantically to understand, play out and refine the opportunities and challenges of realising and adapting to how they work and serve customers in the era of AI.
Jeetu said that “every organisation needs to lay the groundwork for AI,”. He went on to say that the last two years have been “experimental” and that Cisco believe that over the next 2 to 5 years, the world’s workforce will be “supplemented” by AI agents and apps and eventually robots and even humanoids. Cisco said that whilst they believe this shift will create more jobs than it removes, the working world will change, and that change will happen rapidly. He said the IT and Digitial industry needs innovative technologies, new operating processes, and new outlook to business, one that we haven’t seen in this capacity since the dot com boom.
There was loads of technology and updates to existing products announced and a reminder from Cisco just how much of a Software company they now are…
Networking
The first new product announced was the Cisco UCS C845A M8 Rack Server – a modular rack with flexible GPU scaling designed to run AI workloads faster and more efficiently.
Cisco said that this will be the new Cisco blueprint for service providers as they look to capitalise on the opportunities of AI. These new Servers will helpo service providers and large enterprise organisions building their own AI services to meet the demand for high-bandwidth along with secure, and energy-efficient connectivity.
Cisco say that this architecture will result in simplified networks, AI-powered operations and resilient networks with end-to-end network security and observability. Cisco also said that this will better help service providers and telcos monetise easier, by allowing them to deploy services closer to their customers to provide intelligent service delivery.
Cisco also annouced two new N9300 Series Smart Switches, with Cisco’s Silicon One E100 chips, AMD Pensando DPUs, and Cisco Hypershield built in…. Cisco say that Hypershield will be embedded on the new switches, meaning that multi-layer protection can be scaled for zone segmentation, micro segmentation, and distributed exploit protection, along with with a centrally managed firewall distributed throughout the datacenter at the service level.
Cisco Hypershield will be embedded on the new switches, meaning that protection can be scaled for zone segmentation, micro segmentation, and distributed exploit protection – with a centrally managed firewall distributed throughout the datacenter at the service level, allowing service providers and enterprise customers to enforce security policies directly on the network fabric, enabling a “fully distributed security model”.
Cisco AI Defense
DJ Sampath, VP of Product, AI Software and Platform, showcased on stage on how Cisco’s newly announced AI Defense application allows businesses to validate and test new AI models in a matter of minutes which will represent a huge time saving reducing the typical weeks of testing down to hours.
Webex Contact Centre
Cisco Webex also got some new AI attention, with Caitlin Lacey (Director of Global Product Marketing, Collaboration Devices) showing off the newly updated Webex AI Agent that can be used to build autonomous AI chatbots to elevate the customer support experience. Cisco showed how these new AI models are not just limited to text either as they showcased voice based agents with ‘lifelike’ voices and super-low-latency responses which can be built to reduce the number of telephone agents needed and also reduce the time customers need to spend waiting on hold only to be transfered to another department and put back on hold. They even showed how customers can interrupt the agent mid flow. Impressive demo.
Cisco said that the new Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center is natively integrated with Webex Contact Center today and will be available for integration with third-party contact centers later this year. It includes context transfer summaries, dropped call summaries, Human Agent Wellbeing and automatic customer satisfaction scores (Auto CSAT). They are also introducing new features later this year including suggested responses, real-time transcription for agents, wrap-up summaries and mid-call summaries.
The agents will be available in English only at launch, however, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish will come later in 2025.
Webex Meeting rooms
Recognising the volume of BYOD meeting room solutions (where customers are not tied to any meeting platform like Webex, Zoom or Teams), Cisco are continuing their investment by supporting “Flexible Conferencing” with their Cisco Room Bar BYOD. This are designed for small to medium rooms, allowing seamless laptop connectivity along with the quality of Cisco audio and video experiences for BYOD / plug n play spaces.
Thousand eyes
Cisco announced updates to Thousand Eyes with a new traffic insight functionality which will give IT support and network administrators greater observability along with the ability to pinpoint disruptions within connected networks, WAN and Internet more easily and visually. This helps identify and pin point potential network disruptions on their own and public/third party infrastructure more easily.
Meraki and Cisco XDR
Cisco Meraki suite is now getting integration with Cisco XDR to power “the SOC of the future.”. For any organisation looking to build their own or build and sell their own SOC, this integration of Meraki dashboard data into Cisco XDR will allow SecOps to see incidents and threats as they emerge across their network infrastructure adding to the visibility scope over what they had before.
Firewalling
Cisco announced their “Hybrid Mesh Firewall“. This is a brand new AI optimised firewall that combines Cisco Firewall Threat Defense, new AI Defense capabilities, and their Security Cloud Control into a single management system.
From what I have read so far (so correct me if I am wrong), each firewall in the mesh will have two versions – an active and shadow version. As such new updates to rules and threat protection for example will be first introduced on the ‘shadow’ device which will then become ‘active’. They will then swap roles, with monitoring taking place over a period of time at a highly granular level to ensure the update works as intended. This will reduce downtime and provide consistent operations. .
Skilling for the Future AI Generation
Cisco has also launched a new AI Skills Journey program to help partners and companies build this much needed AI Infrastructure skillset. This new training will be available at https://u.cisco.com
Cisco are are also updating their current certifications, including traditional certs like the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) and Internetwork Expert (CCIE). These updated certifications reflect the AI and cybersecurity skills needed to achieve impactful business outcomes. Select programs
As Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) came to a close last week, Microsoft shared stats ahead of new Teams from Microsoft. According to Frost and Sullivan, 46% of organisations are invested in office and meeting room modernisation projects, fueling huge growth in new spaces, meeting technology investment and refresh to creating inclusive tech-enabled spaces to improve employee experience. As space continues to shift from banks of desks and cubicles, collaborative and hybrid huddle and meeting rooms play a crucial role in this transformation, enabling better collaboration and productivity for hybrid work.
46% of ITDMs are kicking off office modernisation projects and creating tech-enabled spaces to improve employee experience. | Frost and Sullivan
Microsoft Teams Rooms continues to be at the forefront of this evolution, bringing intelligence and innovation to meeting spaces from a host of leading meeting room equipment manufacturers such as Cisco and Yealink.
On the back of this – Microsoft unveiled Teams Rooms Express Install. This is designed to make the setting up of Teams Rooms for smaller and “focus” meeting rooms much faster and simpler.
Express Install for Teams Rooms
The newly introduced Express Install for Microsoft Teams Rooms is an installation option the offers a streamlined, quick, and easier deployment and configuration process that delivers a full Teams Rooms experience in focus/huddle and small to medium sized meeting rooms. Key benefits include:
Quick Installation: In a smaller space (which make up most deployments) like a focus room or small meeting room for up to day 6-8 people, installation can now be completed by one person in as little as one hour, with minimal labor and “no need for specialists” according to Microsoft.
No Custom Room Modifications: The hardware for these rooms can now be installed without lengthy and complex room modifications, reducing costs and installation time.
Full Teams Rooms Experience: Users still get the same great meeting experience they are used to with any other Teams Room, with the same Teams Rooms application and certified hardware.
Lower Total Cost of Ownership: This rapid deployment approach and reduced complexity lowers the total cost of ownership of Teams Rooms even further is making it easier to for businesses to scale up meeting rooms and provide exemplary hybrid meeting experiences.
Benefits for IT
This Express Install option is designed to reduce the effort and complexity process for IT admins and Teams Room deployment teams. , A/V techs, and other professionals responsible for deploying meeting rooms. Benefits include:
Reduced Professional Service effort: Installation can be done faster without the need for multiple specialists or complex modifications.
Flexibility: certified devices certified for Teams are already in the device ecosystem, allowing for flexible deployment options.
Compact and Efficient: Hardware such as tabletop stands, wall mounts and new video bars with integrated mics and multiple camera are ideal for faster and efficient installation.
The evolving role of your Teams Room partner
As well as reducing cost for deployment thereby improving the ROI and upfront cost, also means you can leverage other key value add services from your partner or customer install teams.
Hardware Procurement: be sure to work with your partner to validate the hardware bundles and accessories that support this new express Install.
Support and Managed services: Microsoft partners support Teams Rooms post-deployment by offering ongoing proactive monitoring and management, user training, feature annoucements and remote or onsite support.
Adoption Services and Training: one of the often neglected services is that of training for employees to ensure they get the best from Teams and Teams Room features such as intelligent recap and Copilot as well as new features that are always rolling out.
Solution Showcases and Roadmap: Use your partners to showcase and demo these new solutions.
Yet more new features coming to Microsoft Teams Rooms
Users will soon benefit from further new enhancements and capabilities introduced for Teams Rooms, which improve the overall meeting experience. Key features include:
Multiple Camera View: Remote meeting participants will soon be able to switch between up to four different camera feeds, ensuring they have the best angle at any time.
Cloud IntelliFrame: This video framing capability enhances the visibility of people in the room for online meeting attendees. This is now available on Teams Rooms on both Android and Teams Mobile devices.
Miracast Support: coming soon, users (and guests) will now be able to wirelessly project and share content from their PCs to the Teams Rooms (including Surface Hub and Meeting boards) using the Miracast standard in addition to cable connect and Teams Cast (via Teams app), making it easier to collaborate and share information.
Microsoft Edge support is also coming “soon” to Surface Hub 3 and other Windows-based touch board form factors in Teams Rooms. This addition will allow users to seamlessly access websites and line-of-business web applications on touch boards anytime whether during a meeting or outside of one.
Start or Stop Recording: users will now be able to start or stop recording in room from the room console in Teams Rooms on Windows without needing a companion device. This feature unlocks powerful productivity tools like meeting transcripts, intelligent recap, and the ability to query a meeting with Copilot.
Conclusion
With the introduction of Express Install for Teams Rooms, new capabilities for touch boards running Windows, and continuous enhancements that improve remote experiences, Microsoft reaffirms its commitment to delivering top-tier technology solutions for modern workplaces.
These innovations make it easier and faster to scale up meeting rooms, enhance collaboration, and provide a better overall experience for businesses,and employees freeing up resources and spend to focus on user adoption training and support, improving user experience and reducing TCO.
Finally, it is here – Microsoft 365 Copilot now lets you save your prompts within Copilot for easy re-use later. Yes – this means you no longer need to save your prompts in separate documents or constantly copying and paste them.
When Copilot has completed its response(s), scroll back to your prompt in the chat.
Hover your mouse over the prompt – you’ll see bookmark and link icons appear.
5. Click on the bookmark icon to save the prompt to your library – you can also give it a friendly name to make it easier to find and reuse later.
Accessing Your Saved Prompts
Finding your saved prompts is just as easy.
Click on “View Prompts” above the chat box.
In the prompt library popup window, select “Your Prompts.” where you will be presented with a list of all the prompts you’ve saved.
Click on any saved prompt, and it will automatically paste the text into the chat window, ready for you to use again.
Why this feature matters
The ability to save and easily access prompts directly within Copilot enhances productivity and streamlines your workflow. It’s a small change with a significant impact, making it easier than ever to manage your prompts efficiently.
No more hassle, no more copying and pasting—just seamless, effortless prompt management.
OpenAI’s most advanced AI model “o1” which is known for its problem solving and deeper thinking has been available behind a $20 per month ChatGPT premium subscription. ChatGPT premium gives limited acess for $20 a month and unlimited access for $200 a month.
Copilot let’s you use it for free.
Microsoft has a tight partnership with OpenAI and is also on a mission to put their AI (Copilot) across every Microsoft Service it offers with huge capability and features even on theor “free” tiers.
Copilot Consumer Pro users have had access to Think Deeper (which uses the o1 model) for the past 12 months, but Microsoft have now made this feature free to everyone including those using the free version of Copilot.
To access it, you need to simply head ovee to Copilot on the web, (or via the mobile app) and ensure you are signed in with a Microsoft account (MSA). You then get completed free access to the Think Deeper search (which uses the o1 model).
How to get Microsoft Copilot
To get Copilot, head to the web (you actually find Copilot in the Edge browser) and go to https://copilot.microsoft.com or head over to you phones app store and search for Copilot and install it.
You need to be signed in with your Microsoft account to use these features.
Using o1 features aka Think Deeper
Once in Copilot, use the AI chat as you would before (or like you did in ChatGPT) and you will see a “think deeper” button inside the text input box.
Using Copilot’s Think Deeper (ChatGPT model o1)
Selecting it activates the o1 reasoning model. As it processed your prompt, you also get a spinning symbol since searches and responses using o1 are more thorough that with GPT 4 and typpically take around 30 secs.
Using Copilot’s Think Deeper.
This is Microsoft’s way of letting you know that you’re in for around a 20-30 seconds wait. If you don’t need deep search so for normal use), toggle this back off to go back to the super fast GPT-4o version…
So what can o1 do then?
The deep thinker feature of Microsoft Copilot is much better for more complex tasks and research due to the o1 model ability for in depth reasoning.
As such it is simply better for solving complex issues like math, logic or science, for analysing or creating long or richer documents and reports or for code creation and debug. The best way to test this is to run two Copilot Windows side by side and test out the same prompt with and without Think Deeper enabled.
Content created with o1 is also more “accurate” with far less AI hallucinations (aka, making things up).
Why do many GPTs Hallucinate? In general, GPT models learn by mimicking patterns in their training data (huge amounts of data). The o1 model uses a different technique called reinforcement learning, whereby it's language model works things out (though it's training) by rewarding the right answers and penalising wrong ones. This takes longer through the iterative and testing process. Once done the model moves through queries in a step-by-step fashion much like human problem solving.
o1 limitations?
It is worth noting that o1 isn’t quite on the same level as ChatGPT in some areas. It is less effective with factual knowledge and is currently less able to search the Internet and cannot process files and images.
What about DeepSeek?
The big story this week has of course been DeepSeek, a controversial Chinese AI firm that has announced and launched their own GPT-4 and o1 rivals that have been supposedly built at a fraction of the cost of OpenAI, Google and other US models, shaking share prices, disrupting the market and rasing many questions.
What is more is more is that DeepSeek models are claimed to be more advanced and faster than GPT-4o and smarter that o1.
The advent of DeepSeek has sent shockwaves through the tech industry. Global stock markets have reeled, sparking a cascade of investigations and looming threats of bans.
Yet, the bot hasn’t been without its champions. Interestly, Microsoft – OpenAI’s top financial invester and partner – has already embraced the DeepSeek R1 reasoning model, and has integrating it into Azure AI Foundry and also GitHub.
These platforms, beloved by developers for fostering advanced AI projects, now stand as the new playground for DeepSeek’s innovative potential.
DeepSeek logo
Open AI Strikes Back
In the wake of its free mobile app’s viral triumph, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman swiftly revealed plans to accelerate the rollout of new releases to keep ahead of its new Chinese competitor.
OpenAI are not standing still either though. Et the end of December 2024, month, they began trialing twin AI models, o3 and o3 mini. Remarkably, the former has surpassed o1 in coding, mathematics, and scientific capabilities, marking a significant advancement in their AI prowess.
There is no doubt this is an area that doesn’t stand still. By the time I click publish this post will likely already be out of date!
DeepSeek has certainly ignited an even greater sense of urgency within the already dynamic AI sector which moves and evolves on an almost daily basis.
You can now get Intel powered (as well as Snapdragon) powered Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 for business.
Image (c) Microsoft
Microsoft has given their Surface Copilot+PC the “Intel” treatment today with a new varient of their Copilot+ Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7. These follow the new sleeker design of the Snapdragon versions released last year.
Powered by Intel Lunar Lake processors, these are designed for business users who still need or want the latest Surface technology but prefer the power and versatility of an x86 processor over the Snapdragon ARM devices. Despite the huge amount of support that Windows on Arm (WoA) now has, there are still many legacy applications that aren’t compatible with Arm or don’t run well with x86/x64 emulation.
Adding new options to the current line up, these new Intel-driven Surface devices will coexist with the Snapdragon-powered cousins, will be exclusively available through Microsoft’s business online store and via Surface for Business commercial channels only.
Intel Inside!
Both the new Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 offer configurations with the Intel Core Ultra 5 or Ultra 7 series 2 processors. The Intel powered Surface Laptop 7 is available in 13.8in or 15in display options.
These can be then be configured with 16GB or 32GB of RAM and storage options of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB.
Being a Copilot + PC these also have dedicated NPUs, delivering 40 TOPS on the Ultra 5 varient and 48 TOPS on the Ultra 7 models.
Battery and Performance Boosts
The Intel powered Surface Laptop 7 for Business has over 20 hours battery life. Surface Pro 11 boasts over 14 hours!
Microsoft say these new devices deliver up to 26% faster performance when multi-tasking, up to 2x faster graphics performance, and 3x the battery life when on Teams calls.
The same, yet different!
While the Intel version of the Surface Pro 11 and Laptop 7 share many similarities with the Snapdragon cousins, the Intel versions come with a few subtle yet significant enhancements.
Both devices feature a much sought after anti-reflective screens to cut down on glare and reflection which should help improve remote and outside working. Surface Laptop 7 also. Comes with a card-reader variant (option), and the Surface Pro 11 gets a built-in NFC reader.
WiFi gets an upgrade too with support for the latest Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, added ports and even customisae haptic typing alongside a slighly larger touchpad.
Last, but not least, Surface Laptop 7 will also be available in a 5G variant (coming later this year), a feature previously only available on the Surface Pro.
Unlike the Snapdragon versions, the Intel models come in either classic Platinum or Black only.
Anew Surface Dock too
Microsoft also introduced the “Surface USB4 Dock,” a more compact and budget-friendly version of the Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock. Released last year.
Surface USB4 Dock
The USB4 Dock can output to two 4K displays, using both the HDMI and USB-C ports on the back.
This is priced at around £100 cheaper too, though does ship with a few less ports. This makes it an attractive option for organisations that need docking solutions and are keen to keep the brand consistent with the device. Here you get two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, along with a HDMI port and Ethernet jack.
There is no Surface Connector Port on this model.
Pricing
Pricing for the Intel varients of the Surface Pro 11 and Laptop 7 are more expensive that the Snapdragon counterparts.
The Snapdragon devices start from $1,099, whereas the Intel models kick off at $1,499.
Availability
Both the Intel-powered Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 are available for pre-order now.
Surface USB4 Dock is also available for pre order.
Copilot and Microsoft 365 continues to evolve and add features. The latest feature introduces a seamless method to transform email threads into productive meeting agendas with a single click.
This new feature is designed to streamline the process, ensuring that your meetings are well-organized and productive.
Making Email Conversations more effective
With Microsoft 365 Copilot’s new functionality, Microsoft are making scheduling of meetings from an email (that needs a meeting) super easy.
Copilot can now reason over all related emails within the thread and creates a thorough meeting agenda with a summary of the conversation within the email chain. This captures the main topics and any early decisions, making sure everyone is up to speed and ready to jump in.
Here’s how to use it:
Open an email thread on a topic for which you would like to schedule a meeting from.
Click “Schedule with Copilot” button found in the top menu bar of the email.
Click the “Insert” button to populate the agenda in your invite. You can then edit and tweak the agenda as needed to ensure it suits your needs.
Once done, you’ve used Copilot to create a Meeting and agenda based on the threads and topics in the email chain without having to plough though it yourself. This can help you ensure relevant topics and themes are brought into the agenda.
Why would you want Copilot to do this for you?
We all had email chains that need to be a meeting at somepoint. Copilot takes most of the effort out of this and ensures that you get a meeting agenda that covers the key themes from a email chain. Copilot also attaches a copy of the original email to the meeting invite and helps ensure that the right people are invites. So all you need to do is choose the time for the meeting. This can be a real timesaver for everyone.
Conclusion
By transforming email threads into organised meeting agendas, Microsofft 365 Copilot in (new) Outlook can help ensures that everyone stays informed and meetings run smoothly.
I personally love this new feature which really helps to ensure all themes and concerns are raised as an agenda in the meeting.
Why not give it ago in your next meeting scheduling task.
This week, in a significant development amidst the backdrop of intensifying AI competitiveness, OpenAI has unveiled ChatGPT Gov
This customised version of the AI-powered chatbot platform is tailored specifically for U.S government agencies, providing them with an advanced tool to access and utilise Open AI technology.
Microsoft announced back in 2023 that its Azure OpenAI Service was available for Azure Government customers. The new service will allow government agencies to use generative AI capabilities in a way that meets security and privacy requirements. OpenAI can now also be deployed in Microsoft Gov Data Centres.
What is ChatGPT Gov?
So ChatGPT Gov mirrors many capabilities of OpenAI’s enterprise-focused tier, ChatGPT Enterprise. By leveraging this platform, Open AI say that government agencies can deploy specific OpenAI models on both Microsoft Azure commercial and government clouds as well as using Microsoft’s own Azure AI models for example. This integration brings enhanced management of security, privacy, and compliance concerns, which is crucial for handling non-public sensitive and classified data.
ChatGPT Gov also aims to streamline internal authorisation processes, making it easier for agencies to implement OpenAI’s tools effectively as easily with the relevant guard rails in place.
What about Azure Open AI for Gov
Microsoft Open AI, enables federal, state, and local government agencies to use GPT-3, GPT-4 and 4o along with embeddings via the Azure OpenAI Service REST APIs. This capability helps to improve natural language-to-code translation, semantic search, content generation, and summarisation and for Gov to build and use Microsoft Open AI services across Gov cloud.
Gen AI in Government
Since its introduction, ChatGPT has already seen extensive adoption across the U.S. government as well as here in the UK. I’m. Personally working with a dozen or so local governments and councils here in the UK on AI adoption.
Open AI says that more than 90,000 users from more than 3,500 federal, state, and local agencies have collectively sent over 18 million messages to support their daily operations. This widespread usage demonstrates Open AI and Microsoft’s potential to transform government workflows and decision-making processes.
What about Copilot
While ChatGPT Gov offers a robust AI solution for government agencies, it’s worth exploring how Microsoft 365 Copilot also serves these needs. Microsoft
For many organisations using or exploring Gen AI tools like ChatGPT, many are using a combination of tools and services from different vendors. Open AI and Microsoft are tightly partnered.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is built on Open AI (which in turns runs in Microsoft Azure) and integrates seamlessly with existing Microsoft 365 tools, providing personalised assistance across a range of applications such as Word, Excel, and Outlook and also supports the building (both professional and low code) of autonomous AI agents, and scheduled prompts (coming soon).
This integration ensures that users can enhance productivity and streamline tasks within the familiar Microsoft ecosystem. So how does Microsoft 365 Copilot differ to ChatGPT?
ChatGPT
Targeted for AI-powered chat and conversation but also supports connectors and extebsibikity to other services via extensions and APIs.
Recently launched the ChatGPT Gov version for U.S. government agencies and are expected to do similar in other global regions.
Deployable on Microsoft Azure commercial and government clouds
Doesn’t provide native integration into line of business office apps and services like Office 365, Power Platform and Fabric.
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Customised version of ChatGPT that runs in Microsoft 365 Tennant boundaries.
Provides chat based conversations and access to company agents and connectors on PAYG basis or via Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription.
Embedded within Microsoft 365 applications like Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook as well as Dynamics 365 and Power Platform.
Designed to enhances productivity and efficiency within the existing Microsoft ecosystem and seen as add on to Microsoft 365 on a per user per month billing method.
Can provides contextual assistance and automation for daily tasks and workflows through agents and autonomous agents (public preview).
In conclusion, while both ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot are powerful AI tools, they cater to slightly different use cases
US Government agencies may find ChatGPT Gov particularly beneficial for secure, AI-driven interactions (in place of the general version of ChatGPT) , whereas Microsoft 365 Copilot excels in enhancing productivity and providing natively and seemlessly integration into their wider app services and data. Gov agencies using Microsoft 365 Copilot and Azure AI or Open AI deployed in Azure also benefit from enhanced controls and security protection.
It’s great to see Open AI providing dedicated models and instances for central and federal governments.
Microsoft announced last week (15th Jan) that Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is coming to every Microsoft 365 Commercial Customer regardless of whether or not they have paid Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses and what’s more we now get access to use agents with company data grounding support. Along with it comes a new pay-as-you-go tier that allows employees to access everything from chatbots to agents without the need for a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
While Microsoft is still confident that the full Microsoft 365 Copilot remains “our best in class personal AI assistant for work“, the new pay-as-you-go tier means organisations can start using the technology at a much lower entry point and look to address key business cases rather than going full in on Microsoft 365 Copilot. .
“Copilot Chat enables your entire workforce — from customer service representatives to marketing leads to frontline technicians — to start using Copilot and agents today”. Jared Spataro | Chief Marketing Officer | AI at Work | Microsoft.
What is Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat?
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is Microsoft’s AI-powered chat feature designed to empower every person in every organisation to leverage Generative AI to make their “work lives easier and more efficient”.
For the employee, Microsoft Copilot Chat is a “personal assistant” they can chat with to get get answers, understand things better and get things done faster. Copilot Chat is It’s part of the broader Microsoft 365 Copilot suite but focuses specifically on enhancing communication and collaboration through chat.
How is Copilot Chat Different from Microsoft 365 Copilot?
The main differences between Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot is three-fold.
Chat within Microsoft 365 Copilot provides work-grounded chat which means that Copilot can reason over data within your Microsoft 365 organisation such as files, SharePoint sites, your OneDrive, people (within Entra ID), your meetings, chat and email etc. Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat cannot access this data unless you “paste” into a chat window.
Copilot within the Office 365 Apps such as Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word etc is only available with Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is a paid add-on, where as Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is included for free within your core Microsoft 365 licensing.
Microsoft Copilot Chat – Beyond Web Grounded Chat!
I’m personally not a fan of the name Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat because I do think it confuses people. The point I want to bring out here and why this was worthy of a post, is that previously, Copilot Chat (as it was called) only had access to data on the web and did note have the ability to leverage any of the new AI features such as Agents.
This has now changed. As the table above shows, with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, organisation will be able to create agents that do have access to data stored or connected to your Microsoft 365 tenant and also (and this is big) the ability for organisations to build and use autonomous agents (agents that can operate independently of a user).
The use of these new AI capabilities are paid for using a PAYG model. This means non Microsoft 365 Copilot users will have access to AI agents (for example in SharePoint) even if they themselves do not have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
What does Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat Provide?
Key Features of Microsoft 365 Copilot
Copilot Chat
Free, secure AI chat powered by GPT-4 and GPT-4o.
Ability to use Copilot Agents for automating tasks directly in the chat.
Support for file uploads in chat for summarising documents, analysing data, and suggesting improvements.
Support for Copilot Pages
Collaborate in real-time with AI and team members.
Integrate content from Copilot, files, and the web.
Create AI-generated images for campaigns and social media.
Agents
Ability to create and use agents using natural language to automate repetitive tasks.
PAYG / metered pricing for agents with IT control over deployment and management rather than requiring all users to have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
Copilot Control System
Enterprise data protection (EDP) for privacy and security.
Enables IT to better govern access, usage, and lifecycle of Copilot and agents.
Allows for measurement and reporting capabilities just like other Copilot Services.
Use Case Examples
A couple of use case scenarios are;
A customer service rep can ask a customer relationship management (CRM) agent for account details before a customer meeting.
A service or field service agent can access step-by-step instructions or real-time product information from information stored in SharePoint or Dynamics 365.
A sales person can get help with positioning a product based on information on solution propositions or marketing collateral.
How much does it cost?
Understanding the charges is not super straight forward to map. For comparison though, a Microsoft 365 Copilot license costs around $30 per user per month, so use this as a basis for comparison.
In another blog post, Richard Riley, General Manager of Power Platform at Microsoft said that “usage of agents is measured in ‘messages’ and the total cost is based on the sum of messages used by your organization.“
So what does that mean? Well, Microsoft now offers two ways for organisations to access the pay-as-you-go version of Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat:
Track each “message” sent to the AI whereby each message costs $0.01, billed monthly.
Pre-buying a pack of messages. This works a bit like a mobile data plan. As an example, you can buy 25,000 messages for $200 a month
The actual cost vary based on the type of response you need with responses that need generative AI costing more than responses that don’t.
Web-based answer: Free / no-cost
Classic answer: 1 message
Generative answer: 2 messages
Answers pulling data from company’s own systems (e.g., SharePoint): 30 messages
This paid capability is of course optional and organisations can decide whether to turn it ‘on’ or ‘off’ in Copilot Studio.”
Riley introduced the concept of “autonomous actions,” describing them as “generatively orchestrated triggers, topics, data connectors, and workflows, visible in the activity map displayed in generative orchestration mode“.
These are also available as pay-as-you-go, with a cost of 25 messages each time they act.
Here’s some costed use examples…
An agent answering customer questions online could use 500 classic answers and 2,000 generative ones, costing $45 for those 4,500 messages.
Another agent answering HR questions internally using Microsoft Graph data might use 200 generative and 200 tenant Graph messages, costing 6,400 messages or $64 for the day.
This approach allows businesses to fine-tune their AI usage to meet their specific needs, addressing concerns about the high costs of deploying these tools across enterprises. It also helps cost modeling certain scenarios much easier and provides an alternative to just giving every person a $30 per month Copilot License.
Using Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat
Assuming IT have enabled this in your environment, you can try this by navigating to https://m365copilot.com or by downloading the Microsoft 365 Copilot App from your preferred app store.
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into enterprise environments has introduced new security concerns. As adoption of AI continues at “cautious” pace, organisations must ensure the safety of the hundreds of AI apps that employees use (or try to use) sanctioned or unsanctioned as well as any AI applications built or customised by the organisation. This affects both data governance, exposure, and leakage as well as compliance.
I have aimed to not only compare their key features, similarities, and differences, but also to look at how both offerings can indeed help organisations based on specific business scenarios and needs.
Cisco AI Defense
Overview
Due to be released in March 2025, Cisco’s new AI Defense works slightly differently to Microsoft’s offering and is focused on securing AI applications throughout their entire lifecycle. AI Defense integrates with Cisco’s extensive network infrastructure portfolio providing specialised AI security measures.
Business and technology leaders can't afford to sacrifice safety for speed when embracing AI. In a dynamic landscape where competition is fierce, speed decides the winners. Fused into the fabric of the network, Cisco AI Defense combines the unique ability to detect and protect against threats when developing and accessing AI applications without tradeoffs". Jeetu Patel | Exec VP | Cisco.
Whilst not released yet, it will I have based this product release information I have read.
Cisco AI Defense focused on two primary areas of protection.
Accessing AI Applications: Recognising that whilst third-party AI applications can significantly boost productivity but may pose risks such as data leakage or malicious downloads. Cisco AI Defense is designed to give IT and SecOps full visibility into app usage and can enforce policies to ensure safe, secure access.
Building and Running AI Applications: Cisco acknowledge that developers require the freedom to innovate without worrying about vulnerabilities or safety issues in their AI models. AI Defense discovers your AI footprint, validates models to identify vulnerabilities, and applies guardrails to enforce security measures in real-time across both public and private clouds
Key Features
End-to-End Protection: Protects both the development and use of AI applications, ensuring safety and security throughout the AI lifecycle.
Network-Level Visibility: Leverages Cisco’s unmatched network visibility and control to detect and protect against threats.
AI Model and Application Validation: Identifies potential safety and security risks with automated vulnerability assessments.
Real-Time Protection: Offers robust real-time protection against adversarial attacks, including prompt injections, denial of service, and data leakage.
AI Cloud Visibility: Automatically inventories AI models and connected data sources across distributed environments.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud and AI
Overview
Microsoft Defender for Cloud and AI is designed to offer comprehensive security for AI applications and cloud services. Being a Microsoft product, it integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 and their wider cloud ecosystem, providing robust threat protection and security posture management. It also supports multi-cloud environments making it suitable for enterprise organisations.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud and AI’s primary protection areas are based upon:
Threat Protection and Security Posture Management: Microsoft Defender for Cloud and AI provides real-time threat protection for AI workloads and visibility into AI components, identifying vulnerabilities and offering built-in recommendations to strengthen security.
Integration and Continuous Monitoring: It integrates with Defender XDR for centralised alerts and continuous monitoring, ensuring security measures are enforced across hybrid and multicloud environments.
Key Features
AI Threat Protection: Provides real-time threat detection for generative AI applications, including data leakage, data poisoning, jailbreak, and credential theft.Real-time identification and mitigation of threats to generative AI applications.
AI Security Posture Management: Continuous monitoring and management of the security posture of AI applications, with automated vulnerability discovery and remediation recommendations.
Cloud App Security: Protection for SaaS applications, offering visibility into cloud app usage and protection against threats.
Prompt Evidence: Includes suspicious segments from user prompts and model responses in security alerts.
Extended Detection and Response (XDR): Integration with Defender XDR to centralise AI /workload alerts and correlate incidents for efficient incident management.
Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem: Seamlessly integrates with Azure, Microsoft 365, and other Microsoft security solutions and workloads.
Comparative Analysis
In short, both Microsoft and Cisco are providing products which complement their wider security portfolios to help customers better protect their organisations in the rapidly evolving world and adoption of AI technologies.
Similarities
AI Security: Both solutions focus on helping organisations secure AI applications and provide end-to-end visibility into their AI workloads.
Real-Time Threat Detection: Each offers real-time threat detection and protection, ensuring prompt identification and mitigation of security threats.
Integration with respective Ecosystems: Both solutions integrate with their respective broader security ecosystems (Cisco for Cisco products, Microsoft for Microsoft products).
Differences
Whilst both focus on security across the customers domain with a focus on understanding and protecting against (and keeping control of) AI based applications, there are clear, there are some subtle and unique differences.
Scopes of Use
Cisco AI Defense Specialises more in securing AI applications throughout their lifecycle including home grown developed services, where as Microsoft Defender for Cloud and AI is more focused on providing comprehensive security for both AI applications and SaaS applications.
Platform Integration
Cisco AI Defense provides deep integration with Cisco’s network infrastructure and other Cisco security products. Microsoft Defender for Cloud and AI has seamless integration with the wider Microsoft’s ecosystem, including Azure, Microsoft 365, Dynamics, Power Apps as well as being part of the wider Microsoft security solutions.
Capabilities
Cisco AI Defense places a key emphasis on AI-specific security measures that include automated vulnerability assessments and real-time protection against adversarial attacks.
Whilst similar in approach, Microsoft Defender for Cloud and AI offers broader security features, including threat protection for both AI and cloud services, and integrates with Microsoft’s XDR for centralised incident management.
When to choose which?
When to choose Cisco AI Defense
Best For: Organisations with a significant focus on AI development and deployment, particularly those heavily invested in Cisco’s network infrastructure.
Primary Benefits: AI model validation, runtime protection, and extensive integration with Cisco’s network and security products.
When to Choose Microsoft Defender for Cloud and AI
Best For: Organisations utilising a mix of AI and SaaS applications, especially those heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem (Azure, Microsoft 365, etc.).
Primary Benefits: Comprehensive threat protection, tight integration with Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics 365 and existing Microsoft security solutions.
Case Scenario: Ficticous Enterprise Organisation
Customer Profile: “A large enterprise organisation with a complex infrastructure, several hundred applications (mainly SaaS) as well as in-house and hosted custom applications running in Public Cloud (Azure), mix of productivity tools (Microsoft 365), AI-powered assistants (Microsoft Copilot and Chat GPT), multi-campus network environment (Cisco Meraki), Cloud Voice (Microsoft Teams), Space Management Tools (Cisco Spaces) and network performance monitoring (Cisco ThousandEyes).
Organisation has and uses Microsoft 365 E5. They have a contact centre based on Cisco Webex and use Microsoft Teams Meeting Rooms with Cisco endpoints. User devices as mix of Lenovo and Surface. They also use Cisco Duo. They have a Cisco EA.
They are in the middle of a Microsoft 365 Copilot pilot with around 20% of their organisation but aware that some other departments may have other shadow AI tools. They are also looking at building their own apps that will use a magnitude of AI agents and connectors.”
Cisco AI Defense vs Microsoft Defender for Cloud and AI
Given the complex infrastructure and diverse applications of this large enterprise organisation, the differences, strengths and similarities of each really stand out. Appreciating this a “made up” organisation, you can see where and why each product has its strength and merits.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud and AI
Given the extensive use of Microsoft services and the presence of Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft Defender for Cloud and AI is highly recommended. It offers comprehensive security coverage for both AI applications and SaaS applications, integrating seamlessly with the existing Microsoft ecosystem. The core services are also included within the Microsoft 365 E5 subscription.
Key Benefits:
Broad Threat Protection: Covers both AI applications and cloud services, ensuring robust security across the organization.
Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem: Seamless integration with Azure, Microsoft 365, and the organisations other Microsoft applications and security solutions.
Centralised Management: Facilitates centralised management and monitoring, improving operational efficiency.
Cisco AI Defense
Considering the organisation’s significant investment in Cisco networking solutions and the presence of Cisco Meraki, Cisco Spaces, and Cisco ThousandEyes, Cisco AI Defense is also recommended. It provides specialised AI security measures and integrates well with Cisco’s network infrastructure.
Key Benefits:
AI-Specific Security: Focuses on securing AI applications throughout their lifecycle, providing tailored protection.
Deep Integration with Cisco Infrastructure: Enhances overall network security by integrating with Cisco’s network and security products.
Real-Time Protection: Offers robust real-time protection against adversarial attacks, ensuring continuous integrity of AI operations.
Combined Approach
Given the organisation’s diverse IT infrastructure and the need for comprehensive security, a combined approach using both Microsoft Defender for Cloud and AI and Cisco AI Defense is advisable. This dual solution ensures that all aspects of the IT infrastructure are covered, from AI applications to cloud services and networking.
By leveraging both solutions, the organization can achieve a robust, integrated security framework that covers all their IT needs, ensuring comprehensive protection and efficient management.
Budget and Management Considerations
Budget: While using both solutions might seem costly, the investment is likely justified by the enhanced security and centralised management capabilities.
Management: Both solutions offer centralised management, making it easier to oversee and control security measures. The tools are managed across the respective product suites which are already in use within the organisation minimising additonal admin / sec ops over head.
Conclusion
Cisco AI Defense and Microsoft Defender for Cloud and AI are both robust solutions tailored to different security needs and infrastructures. Understanding their strengths and integration capabilities allows organisations to make informed decisions, achieving comprehensive and integrated security frameworks.
Cisco AI Defense is new and will be available in March 2025, so please do let me know if I’ve missed anything obvious…
