Copilot for Microsoft 365 Rolling Out in Windows

(Credit: Microsoft)

As part of an online event that also included the launch of new Surface for business AI PCs, Microsoft today teased a few features coming to Copilot, Microsoft 365, and the enterprise-focused Windows 365.

First up is the availability of Copilot in Microsoft 365 in Windows, which means that the standard Copilot sidebar in Windows 11 will be able to access all of a user's Microsoft 365 data, including emails, meetings, chats, documents, as well as the web. Just select "Work" to enable it.

The next Windows 11 preview release, meanwhile, will add new accessibility capabilities to Copilot, from turning on Narrator and launching the Screen Magnifier to changing text size and starting Live Captions. Copilot will also be augmented with voice shortcuts, which will support things like pasting text and media, pressing keys, clicking the mouse, as well as opening folders, files, apps, and URLs. You’ll also be able to set up and navigate multiple display configurations by voice.

Windows 365 Gets GPU Support

Windows 365 is Microsoft’s cloud-hosted version of Windows that’s only available to corporate customers. New for this service is GPU support provided by Nvidia and AMD hardware. That means that customers who employ graphic designers, video editors, 3D modelers, data analysts, or visualization can choose from a range of hosted GPU options ranging from 4GB VRAM to 16GB VRAM to speed their work. Customers can check Task Manager’s Performance tab to see the actual GPU model they’re getting.

Also new for Windows 365 is single sign-on capability, cloud PC encryption, screen capture, and watermarking.

Microsoft's Windows app combines several Microsoft cloud products, including Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Remote Desktop, Remote Desktop Services, and Microsoft Dev Box. As of today, it’s available in the Microsoft Store app, on the web, and in TestFlight preview for Apple devices. Since launching in preview at Ignite, the Windows app had seen 3 million active hours of usage by testers like Vodafone and Zurich Insurance Group.

About Our Expert

Michael Muchmore

Contributor

My Experience

I've been testing PC and mobile software for more than 20 years, focusing on photo and video editing, operating systems, and web browsers. Prior to my current role, I covered software and apps for ExtremeTech and headed up PCMag’s enterprise software team. I’ve attended trade shows for Microsoft, Google, and Apple and written about all of them and their products.

I still get a kick out of seeing what's new in video and photo editing software, and how operating systems change over time. I was privileged to byline the cover story of the last print issue of PC Magazine, the Windows 7 review, and I’ve witnessed every Microsoft misstep and win, up to the latest Windows 11.

I’m an avid bird photographer and traveler—I’ve been to 40 countries, many with great birds! Because I’m also a classical music fan and former performer, I’ve reviewed streaming services that emphasize classical music.

Technology I Use

For everyday work, I use a good-old Dell tower with 16GB of RAM, a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 processor, and an Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti GPU that runs on Windows 11. I pair it with a 4K Lenovo ThinkVision P27u-10 monitor and a Logitech MX Vertical mouse. For offsite work, I use a 2024 Microsoft Surface Laptop with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor. Camera-wise, I moved to mirrorless from a Canon EOS 80D with a Canon 70-300mm IS USM lens. I now have a Canon EOS R7 with a 100-400mm lens, but I miss my DSLR for several reasons.

In order of usage, the software I turn to most frequently is the Edge web browser, Slack, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft 365, Firefox, Brave, and WhatsApp. I use the Windows Phone link app to see everything on my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra phone, which has excellent telephoto capability.

For fitness monitoring, I have a Fitbit Charge 6 and use an Anker Smart Scale P1. I’m also a streaming fan, so I subscribe to both Amazon Music Unlimited (especially for its Dolby Atmos content) and Qobuz (for its high-res sound quality and classical catalog). I recently added a Vizio 5.1 Soundbar SE, which sounds surprisingly good given its low price. To holler commands instead of using a remote control, I have the Amazon Fire TV Cube in the living room, which lets me verbally tell the TV what I want to watch. It hooks up to an LG B4 OLED TV. I have a Sonos One speaker in my kitchen that also ties in with Alexa, as does the Echo Dot 2 With Clock in my bedroom. For serious listening, I have B&W 601 speakers plugged into a Conrad-Johnson Sonographe amp and preamp, with a Cambridge Audio AXN10 streamer as source. For reading, I also have a Nook GlowLight 3.

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