1 – Do we understand the value of Copilot? 

All stakeholders & leadership should have a firm understanding of how Copilot can enhance productivity. Thoroughly explore the capabilities of Copilot to assess how it can be used within your organization. 

2 – Do we meet the licensing requirements of Copilot? 

Are your Microsoft 365 licenses up to date? Ensure that licensing is sufficient to cover your entire userbase, while also meeting the minimum licensing requirements of Copilot. 

3 – What are the specific Copilot use cases for our organization? 

Organizations will use Copilot in a variety of ways, depending on the exact needs of their brand, industry, or employees. Admins & leadership teams should identify what existing processes & tasks may be good candidates for AI assistance or automation. Innumerable use cases for Copilot can be found in every department & role, so it is important to explore how this flexible tool fits into your many toolboxes. 

4 – What are the potential risks & gaps in our data infrastructure? 

Understanding the potential risks & gaps in your data infrastructure is crucial before integrating Copilot into your network. This involves understanding the current data environment to identify vulnerabilities or inefficiencies that could hinder Copilot’s performance or expose data to security risks. Consider scalability, compliance, integration needs, data quality, & resilience.

5 – Where is our sensitive & proprietary content located? 

It is crucial for organizations to understand which data repositories on their network contain sensitive information. Not all information is meant to be openly shared & accessed by the entire workforce. Data about payroll or financial statements, for example, is not appropriate information to feed into Copilot. 

6 – Which OneDrive accounts are shared externally? 

External sharing settings can affect the types of data that Copilot can access. Understanding your OneDrive configuration is an important step in ensuring sensitive data stays secure. 

7 – How will we address oversharing & train our team on file-sharing hygiene? 

Segregating data ahead of Copilot deployment is important, but data repositories are living, evolving entities that change over time. Not only should team members be trained in file-sharing hygiene, but organizations should also consider automated controls to prevent oversharing. 

8 – How many guest users do we have?

In addition to properly fencing off employee user groups, admins should also take stock of guest users & how they may interact with Copilot.

9 – Who are our dedicated resources to drive Copilot adoption?

As users explore & learn what Copilot can offer, they will have tons of questions & ideas. Creating a Center of Excellence for Copilot adoption ensures that your investment in artificial intelligence delivers highly cost-effective & seamless outcomes.

10 – How will we maximize the benefits that Copilot offers?

Copilot readiness means more than ensuring your environment is ready for landing. Teams should make long-term plans for the rollout of AI & how it impacts their roadmaps. Microsoft Copilot is poised to make an immediate impact on the way businesses operate, but this is only the beginning. As teams discover new & innovative ways to utilize AI, they will continue to optimize Total Cost of Ownership.

Technical Requirements for Microsoft Copilot

Increasingly, hardware manufacturers and innovators are building new devices with native AI in mind. Fortunately, you do not need a specific AI-native device to harness the power of Copilot now. There are, however, some basic technical requirements that organizations must meet to deploy Copilot across networks.

License Requirements: 
Organizations must have either a Microsoft 365 E3 or Microsoft 365 E5 license, as well as an Azure Active Directory in order to utilize Copilot. Additionally, individual users will need to be assigned Copilot licenses through the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Here are some additional technical requirements to check against your environment:

• Microsoft 365 Apps must be deployed to users
• Copilot is compatible with the new version of Outlook for Windows & Mac
• Third-party cookies must enabled for Copilot to work with browser-based versions of Office 365 apps like Word, Excel, & PowerPoint

Network Considerations & Best Practices for Microsoft Copilot

As with any Microsoft 365 solution, network administrators should ensure that network connectivity aligns with Microsoft principles. This includes considerations such as:

• Identifying Microsoft 365 network traffic
• Optimizing performance by allowing local branch egress
• Allowing Microsoft 365 traffic to bypass proxies & packet inspection devices

Following these best practices reduces latency & improves user experience by allowing for the most efficient flow for Microsoft 365 traffic across the network. Reducing unnecessary intermediaries & ensuring quality of service minimizes end user friction for employees when using Copilot.

Additionally, some Copilot experiences require a WebSocket connection from user devices to Microsoft services. By ensuring that WebSockets are unblocked at user endpoints, network administrators ensure access to cross-app intelligence, further enhancing the Copilot experience.

ITsavvy Can Help Assess Your Environment for Copilot Readiness

The 10 questions outlined above are only scratching the surface when it comes to understanding your Copilot readiness. ITsavvy is a certified Microsoft Cloud Service Provider that enables teams to better position themselves for AI services like Copilot. We apply a rigorous checklist of Copilot readiness checks that ensure your organization makes the most of investments in artificial intelligence. 

This process assesses your current network & provides exhaustive documentation & actionable recommendations that help teams understand potential benefits, risks, & use cases for Microsoft Copilot. 

The AI battlefield is raging. Schedule a session with ITsavvy’s Microsoft CSP team today to ensure you’re equipped for Copilot success.