What’s New in Copilot | December 2024

As 2024 draws to a close, Microsoft is continuing to add exciting updates to Copilot this December, sustaining its mission to enhance productivity and collaboration across Microsoft 365 and Viva.

These December updates bring even more tools and refinements to empower users and organisations to work smarter, save time, and achieve their goals effortlessly.

From advanced analytics to seamless integration features, here’s a detailed look at what’s new this month.

 

Copilot Analytics for Measuring the Impact of AI

December’s updates include the integration of Copilot Analytics into Viva Insights, giving organisations the ability to measure AI’s impact across workflows.

This feature provides business leaders with detailed metrics and insights into how Copilot is driving productivity and efficiency.

With Copilot Analytics, organisations can visualise trends in AI usage, such as how much time employees save using Copilot for tasks like meeting summaries or document creation.

These insights allow companies to quantify the value Copilot adds to their operations, helping them make informed decisions about AI strategies and investments.

 

Deeper Insights with Copilot Dashboard

The enhanced Copilot Dashboard now offers even more powerful analytics and usage metrics. With these updates, businesses can track how effectively Copilot is being adopted and utilised across departments.

This upgraded dashboard provides a clearer picture of which features are most valuable, highlights areas where additional training might be needed, and showcases how Copilot aligns with organisational goals.

These insights enable leaders to drive better AI adoption and ensure that Copilot continues to deliver meaningful results.

 

SharePoint Site Access Reviews to Strengthen Security

A significant update this month is the introduction of Site Access Reviews in SharePoint’s Advanced Management tools.

This new feature empowers site owners to regularly audit and manage permissions for their SharePoint sites.

With this update, site owners can quickly identify inactive users, revoke unnecessary permissions, and ensure that only the right people have access to sensitive content. This not only reduces the risk of unauthorised access but also helps organisations maintain compliance with security and Governance policies.

 

Expanded Usage Reports in the Microsoft 365 Admin Centre

The M365 Admin Centre now offers enhanced usage reports, providing administrators with deeper insights into how Microsoft 365 tools – and Copilot in particular are being used.

These new reports make it easier to track adoption trends, identify popular features, and address areas where engagement might be lagging.

These reports help IT teams and leaders optimise their Microsoft 365 environments and effectively support their teams by providing a comprehensive view of tool usage across the organisation.

 

Integrate Viva Engage to Access Knowledge Effortlessly

Copilot now integrates knowledge from Viva Engages public communities, giving users access to a wealth of expertise and insights directly from their organisation’s collective knowledge base.

This feature supports collaboration by making it easier to find relevant information and solutions without duplicating efforts.

Whether it’s finding answers to complex questions or leveraging best practices, this integration fosters a collaborative culture where shared learning drives success.

 

Employee Engagement with Viva Glint

Employee feedback has always been vital for improving workplace culture, and Copilot’s integration with Viva Glint takes this a step further.

With these updates, Copilot can analyse feedback, identify key trends, and suggest actionable steps for addressing employee concerns.

For example, Copilot can summarise survey responses to highlight common themes and generate reports that help leaders prioritise actions.

Ensuring that organisations remain agile in responding to employee needs and building stronger and more engaged teams.

 

Improved Outlook Experience

December’s updates also include enhancements to Copilot in Outlook, making communication even smoother.

The improved chat functionality now offers smarter suggestions and better context understanding, helping users draft emails and manage correspondence effortlessly.

Additionally, new themes allow users to personalise their Outlook experience, aligning the interface with personal preferences or organisational branding for a more engaging and tailored experience.

 

AI Agents in SharePoint to make Smarter Insights

SharePoint users will benefit from the introduction of AI-driven Agents, designed to uncover valuable business insights from vast data repositories. These agents can quickly identify patterns and trends in your data, helping users make more informed decisions.

For instance, they can surface relevant documents or provide recommendations based on user queries, saving significant time and effort in data retrieval. This makes SharePoint not just a document repository but a proactive tool for business intelligence.

 

Enhanced Referencing and Visuals in Word

Working in Word has never been more efficient, thanks to new enhancements in referencing and imagery.

Copilot can now seamlessly pull data from external sources or internal databases and integrate it into documents with ease.

In addition, Copilot can recommend and insert relevant visuals, ensuring that your reports, proposals, and other documents are both informative and visually appealing. These updates enable users to produce professional-quality work more quickly and efficiently.

 

Even Richer Presentations with PowerPoint

Creating presentations in PowerPoint has received a creative boost with Copilot’s enhanced features. These updates allow users to generate visually compelling slides and summarise complex data into concise, digestible formats.

Copilot also provides design suggestions to help users craft presentations that are not only visually engaging but also aligned with their messaging goals.

Whether you’re presenting to stakeholders or leading a team meeting, these features ensure your presentations leave a lasting impact.

 

Discover, Save, and Share Prompts with the NEW Prompt Gallery

December sees the launch of the Copilot Prompt Gallery, a game-changing addition for users looking to streamline their workflows.

This gallery offers a repository of pre-designed prompts tailored to specific tasks, making it easier than ever to get started on common projects.

Users can save frequently used prompts for quick access and share them with colleagues to ensure consistency across teams. This feature simplifies task initiation and ensures that everyone can make the most of Copilot’s capabilities.

 

Enhanced Chat Experiences Across Copilot

Finally, Copilot’s chat experience has been improved across all platforms, offering faster responses and better context understanding. These updates make interacting with Copilot feel more natural and intuitive, allowing users to complete tasks more efficiently.

 

Conclusion

The Microsoft Copilot December updates demonstrate Microsoft’s commitment to innovation and productivity.

With powerful new analytics tools, smarter collaboration features, and enhanced user experiences, these updates ensure that Copilot continues to be an essential part of modern workflows.

Whether you’re looking to boost efficiency, strengthen security, or foster collaboration, these updates have something for everyone.

As we look ahead to 2025, one thing is clear: Microsoft Copilot is here to help you achieve more with less effort and don’t we know it!