**Microsoft AI-Powered Copilot App: Pricing and Availability**
Microsoft has recently announced pricing for its AI-supported Copilot app, which works across Microsoft apps to automate tasks and create content. The app, which was announced in March 2023, will be available for $30 per user per month. Currently, it is limited to around 600 enterprise customers globally, but this number is expected to increase significantly in the coming months.
**Expanding Bing Chat: Enterprise and Visual Search Capabilities**
In addition to Copilot, Microsoft is expanding its Bing Chat to cater to the enterprise market. Bing Chat Enterprise is a work-focused version of Bing Chat that uses generative AI to help with tasks like writing sales pitches, comparing marketing strategies, and creating SWOT analyses. It provides users with web data and citations for the information it provides, while ensuring data security. Bing Chat Enterprise is currently available in preview form and will eventually be offered as a standalone product for $5 per month per user.
Microsoft is also rolling out Visual Search capabilities via Bing Chat, allowing users to search for information using images instead of text. This feature, similar to Google Image Search, can be used to verify the source or authenticity of a photo. Microsoft plans to bring Visual Search to Bing Chat Enterprise in the near future.
**Sales Copilot: Targeted AI for Sales Teams**
Microsoft is introducing a new variation of Copilot called Sales Copilot, specifically designed for sales teams. It integrates with users’ CRM, Microsoft 365, and Teams apps to streamline sales-related tasks. Sales Copilot can create emails based on Dynamics 365 Sales data, generate summaries of customer data, and provide real-time tips for Teams meetings. While it is a Microsoft tool, it can be added to other CRMs like Salesforce for licensing costs.
**Microsoft’s Focus on Generative AI and Future Competition**
Microsoft’s Q4 earnings report showed that generative AI has positively impacted the company’s performance. Azure revenue experienced a slight decline YoY but still grew by 26%. Additionally, there was a 10% increase in the productivity and business process segment, resulting in an overall revenue increase of 8%. Microsoft believes that investing in AI will pay off in the latter part of its fiscal year.
Looking ahead, Microsoft can expect competition in the generative AI space. As it continues to enhance its apps with generative AI capabilities, other tech giants like Google, Amazon, Salesforce, SAP, Adobe, and Oracle will likely respond. Partnerships and alliances may form as businesses seek the ultimate generative AI solution. For example, Google and Salesforce could potentially partner to create an alternative sales assistant solution to compete with Microsoft’s Sales Copilot. It remains to be seen how Microsoft’s offering will compare to Salesforce’s Sales GPT, which was recently priced at $50 per month.
In the near term, Microsoft’s early market positioning and partnership with OpenAI give it an advantage over its competitors. However, the company needs to focus on getting users onto the cloud to fully utilize Copilot and defend against evolving competition. Microsoft’s AIM (accelerate, innovate, move) program aims to help businesses transition to the cloud. It is crucial for users to be on the cloud to benefit from Microsoft Copilot’s capabilities.
In conclusion, Microsoft’s AI-powered Copilot app, expanded Bing Chat capabilities, and targeted Sales Copilot offer valuable tools for businesses across various industries. As Microsoft’s investment in generative AI continues, competition is expected to grow. Microsoft’s strategic partnerships and focus on cloud adoption will play a significant role in its success in the evolving AI landscape.
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