Unpacking Microsoft's Copilot Wave 2 spring release updates

Changes announced for Copilot Wave 2 spring release are expected near the end of May, so let's unpack these updates! 

Copilot Studio updates 

• Browsing for Agents – this just got easier through Microsoft's update! Simply pin the Agent Store in MS Teams and explore agents made by Microsoft and other third-parties. The simple layout makes it clear which agents you use, which agents are trending with your peers, and Agents your company suggests you employ.  

• More control for IT - From an Admin point of view, you can have more control over what your users are doing with Agents with the new features in the Copilot Control System. With a single dashboard, you can view and manage the Agents your users are employing. Whether you need to enable, disable, or block agents, you now can do so for each individual employee. By using 'Apps and Agents in Data Security Posture Management for AI', admins gain enhanced control over data classification, protection policies, and access permissions. This ultimately helps mitigate the risks associated with AI. 

• Productivity metrics and ROI - We've covered how you can manage and govern agents in your environment better, however the updates don't stop here. Copilot Agent Reports increases your visibility on how agent- assisted actions are contributing to productivity gains and ROI. These insights can be found in the Viva Insights Copilot Dashboard, helping you easily identify which Agents are being used and how they are directly impacting the business.  

• Tackling more complex tasks - Continuing with the Agent theme, Microsoft has announced two new pre-built agents: the Researcher and Analyst Agent. These agents leverage OpenAI's deep reasoning models, enabling them to tackle more complex tasks. Tailored and trained for their specific purposes, they can assist with multi-step research projects and transform raw data into insights faster than ever before. If you are enrolled in the Frontier program, these agents will be available in the Agent store. For those who aren't, you can expect to see them by the end of May. 

 M365 Copilot updates 

Let's dive into the exciting new updates to M365 Copilot that not only enhance existing functionality but also introduce entirely new features.  

Starting with Copilot Search, which helps Copilot understand you and your work better. Naturally, Copilot Search connects with all things M365, but Microsoft has announced that you can connect it to third-party apps like Google Drive, Jira, ServiceNow, and more. This new feature lets Copilot provide context-aware answers across your organisations data, no matter where the data is stored.  

With 'memory and personalisation' Copilot can now understand you on a deeper and more personal level. Not only will Copilot take into account your job profile, preferences, and habits, but you can now provide personalized and private custom instructions. By specifying which aspects Copilot should remember, you can create a unique AI assistant tailored to your way of working.   

These are great examples of Microsoft listening to feedback and improving the user experience when using Copilot. They've also announced a completely new feature called Copilot Notebooks. Imagine having all the context you need conveniently stored under one umbrella, with Copilot constantly grounded in that data. This data can be your notes, documents, websites, meeting recordings, and more.  Copilot Notebooks will provide a dedicated space which not only helps you keep on track, but also helps Copilot provide more relevant actions and context into what you are working on in real time. Asking Copilot 'what do I need to do today?' just got better as you can catch up on your notes in an engaging way by prompting Copilot to create a 'podcast-style audio overview' of the key points.   

 Another new space they’ve introduced is the ‘Create’ functionality. In the past, using AI for branded content has been challenging because it often didn't adhere to strict brand guidelines and colours. Microsoft has tackled this issue with the new 'Create' feature. Now, you can create images, social assets, banners, surveys, videos, and more using your company's approved brand guidelines and colours through creating brand kits.  

While all these tools help users work on projects, Microsoft has also introduced a Skills Agent to assist leaders in finding the right people for those projects. Powered by the People Skills data layer, this agent facilitates the search for the best individuals to assist depending on what their skill set consists of. This addresses the shift from traditional org charts to dynamic work charts, reflecting social changes in how projects are structured and managed. 

Microsoft's Wave 2 Spring release has introduced even more functionality to support the era of human-agent teams, enhancing collaboration at all levels. We should all be looking forward to utilising the new prebuilt agents, populating our notebooks, and getting more context rich answers from our AI assistant.  

Whether you're looking to fill out a project group with the right skills, conducting multistage research, or simply want to listen to your notes in a relaxed podcast format, Wave 2 is here to support you. 

To take advantage of Copilot in your business please reach out to your Softcat Account Manager.  

For more information about the latest updates visit the Microsoft site, here.