Using Copilot to Unlock Enterprise AI: From reducing risk to super-powering your users
Copilot is everywhere—but what does it mean for your organization?
Like a Starbucks on every corner, Microsoft Copilot has become a fixture in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. If you’re an enterprise leader, you’ve likely asked:
“Do we let our employees use Copilot?”
The question isn’t trivial. Copilot promises productivity gains, but what does deploying it mean for your users? What capabilities are already included with your Microsoft 365 license? And when does it make sense to upgrade to a paid version?
This article breaks down what you get today—and why upgrading to a paid version could be a strategic move for your organization.
Copilot included with Microsoft 365: What you actually get
In September 2025, Microsoft began offering Copilot Chat as part of Microsoft 365 business and enterprise licenses.
Users can access Copilot Chat at https://m365copilot.com, which provides:
Access to Large Language Models (LLMs) like OpenAI GPT-4o without additional cost
Secure hosting in Microsoft’s data centers, separate from OpenAI’s own implementation
Enterprise-grade data protection, including encryption, GDPR compliance, and no model training on your data
Responsible AI safeguards to prevent harmful content
IP indemnification guarantees from Microsoft
This included experience gives employees a safe way to use AI without resorting to public tools, and enabling it is more than convenience—it meaningfully reduces risk.
Learn more about Microsoft’s enterprise data protection, here. It’s the small green shield on the top right!
Why you should enable Copilot chat for your organization
AI adoption is accelerating at an unprecedented pace. According to Forbes, 66% of consumers now use AI regularly for personal tasks. Without secure enterprise options, employees often turn to public tools like ChatGPT or Gemini, creating risks such as:
Data loss from sharing sensitive content
IP infringement from generated outputs
Exposure to harmful or inaccurate content
Blocking public AI tools rarely works. Many organizations report failed attempts and even data leaks. Enabling Copilot Chat as part of your Microsoft 365 environment gives employees a safe, compliant, and enterprise-ready alternative—reducing risk while meeting user demand for AI tools.
Top reasons to upgrade to paid Copilot
Once you’ve enabled Copilot Chat, the next question is: Should you upgrade to paid Copilot? Here’s why enterprises should consider it.
(1) Priority access to high-performance models
Paid Copilot ensures your users get priority access to the latest and most capable models, reducing latency and improving response quality. This matters for teams handling complex tasks like financial modelling or legal drafting.
(2) Corporate content grounding
Unlike the included experience, paid Copilot can reference your organization’s SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams content. This means answers are not just generic—they’re contextualized with your policies, templates, and historical data.
A prompt asking about Gravity Union’s vacation policy provides an answer supported by our internal Guidebook documentation.
(3) Deep integration with M365 Apps
Copilot in Word drafts reports, in Excel analyzes trends, and in PowerPoint creates presentations—all with natural language prompts. This integration saves hours of manual work and accelerates decision-making.
An example of Copilot within Word (on the right side of the image), helping to summarize this very blog.
(4) Advanced enterprise controls
While both versions of Copilot can be governed, the paid Copilot license offers more granular admin controls, usage analytics, and compliance features. IT teams can monitor AI activity, enforce policies, and ensure regulatory alignment.
(5) Copilot studio for custom agents
Build custom Copilots tailored to your workflows. For example, create an HR bot that answers policy questions or a finance bot that automates reporting. Copilot Studio makes this possible without heavy coding. Paid users have access to the Studio and any M365 agents created with the studio without additional costs.
(6) Specialized researcher & analyst models
The M365 Copilot license includes access to models that go beyond text generation. These models perform reasoning, data synthesis, and trend analysis. They are perfect for R&D teams, analysts, and strategists who need deeper insights.
(7) Future-proofing your AI strategy
Microsoft continuously evolves Copilot with new features and integrations. Paid users stay ahead with early access to innovations, ensuring your organization remains competitive.
At a glance table
| Feature | M365 alone | Additional M365 Copilot license |
|---|---|---|
| Access to advanced models (such as ChatGPT 4o) | Yes | Yes |
| Ability to add documents for processing | Yes | Yes |
| Uses Microsoft Graph to leverage your personal and organization's content | No | Yes |
| Priority for use of advanced processing models | No | Yes |
| Ability to create custom agents | Limited | Yes |
| Ability to add SharePoint sites and other knowledge sources | No | Yes |
| Access to research and analyst models | No | Yes |
| Integrated Copilot for Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and other M365 apps | No | Yes |
| Meeting transcription and notes for Teams meetings | No | Yes |
| Access to SharePoint Agents | No | Yes |
| Ability to create custom Copilots in Copilot Studio | No | Yes |
| Access to Microsoft SAM, Viva Reports for usage reporting | No | Yes |
AI isn’t optional—it’s a competitive advantage
The AI genie cannot be put back into the bottle. Organizations that have not yet offered a safe gateway for employees to leverage large language models should consider promoting the use of the included Copilot Chat included with Microsoft 365.
For even more productivity gains and to keep the competitive advantage high, organizations should also consider paid versions for employees who:
Create new content—such as articles, presentations or reports, organize content for large groups of people, or draft and review presentations
Perform regular administrative functions such as taking meeting notes, scheduling meetings, coordinating calendars, drafting emails and
Research—wether on internal content or external content and use this content to create hypothesis, support important decisions and generate viewpoints or reports
Analyze data analyze data, advanced
Code or application design—whether using low-code or high-code approaches, including those who review code or check it for quality assurance
Organizations that haven’t already done so should also consider that have been considerable advances in AI specific to operational teams, such as HR, Finance and Accounting, Sales, Customer Support, Project Management and Legal. If not Copilot, these groups can benefit from an AI boost through products or features that are specific to their functions.
Full productivity access, through a paid M365 Copilot license, unlocks enterprise-grade power, security, and innovation. It’s the fastest way to robust and safe AI gains.
