Copilot Business: A Smart Move for Small Teams

Posted on 01/04/202601/04/2026 by b2medeveloper

For a lot of small and medium-sized businesses, security and productivity seem to be at odds with each other. While teams want to move faster and embrace new AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, but they also need to protect data, keep identities safe, and stay compliant, all without going over budget, time, or skills.

The good news? Microsoft is still putting a lot of money into enterprise-grade AI and security features that come with many Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel have both been updated recently. These updates make it easier than ever for small businesses to keep a strong security base while taking advantage of AI-powered productivity.

Microsoft’s March 2026 security updates are especially useful for businesses that want to use Copilot Business with confidence. They include unified security operations, AI-generated automation, better Copilot audit visibility, and better identity threat hunting. These capabilities directly support ADITS’ mission to help regional businesses stay productive, protected, and prepared for the future.

We break down the most important updates below and explain how they help your security and governance strategy.

1. A Unified Microsoft Defender + Cloud Security Experience

Microsoft has expanded the Defender for Cloud experience directly into the Microsoft Defender portal, giving businesses one consolidated view of their security posture across identities, endpoints, email, cloud workloads, and code environments. This merging makes things easier to run and helps businesses respond to threats more quickly.

With this change, small businesses no longer need to switch between separate portals or piece together multiple dashboards to understand risk. IT teams or managed service partners like ADITS can assess vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and active threats all from one place.

Why this matters for small organisations

For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), fragmentation is often bad for security. If you miss an alert or set something up wrong, the whole organisation could be at risk of cyber attacks. A single Defender gateway gives your company:

One source of truth for your security posture
Faster visibility into issues that matter
Simpler governance and reporting
Lower operational overhead

2. AI‑Generated Security Automation in Microsoft Sentinel

The addition of AI-powered SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) playbook generation in Microsoft Sentinel is one of the most important things that happened this month. Security teams may use natural language to say what they want to automate, and Sentinel will build a fully working Python script with documentation and a visual workflow.

This public preview makes incident response easier, cuts down on the need for manual work, and makes ensuring that procedures are always the same. This is a big step forward for businesses that don’t have big security teams.

3. Copilot Audit Data Now Available in Microsoft Sentinel

As organisations adopt Microsoft 365 Copilot, security and governance become even more important. The new Microsoft Copilot Data Connector allows Copilot activity, including prompts, user interactions, and audit logs, to be ingested directly into Microsoft Sentinel. This data can then be used for detections, analytics, and compliance reporting.

This means businesses can finally monitor how Copilot is being used, ensure responsible AI adoption, and maintain visibility over sensitive data interactions.

For ADITS clients, this capability strengthens our governance‑led approach by enabling more structured oversight of Copilot use. We help small organisations adopt AI confidently, with the right guardrails in place.

Unlocking the Full Value of Your Existing Microsoft Stack

A key takeaway from Microsoft’s latest updates is this:

Most organisations already own the security tools they need, but they aren’t using them to their full potential.

Microsoft is not asking businesses to replace tools. Instead, they are enriching the Microsoft 365 ecosystem with AI‑driven protection, automation, and governance features designed to help organisations stay secure and resilient.

This perspective mirrors ADITS’ philosophy. Rather than overwhelming clients with new add‑ons, we help them extract maximum value from the tools they already pay for. The March 2026 Defender and Sentinel updates make that easier than ever.

How ADITS Helps Your Organisation Stay Secure with AI‑Driven Microsoft Tools

At ADITS, we help small and regional organisations strengthen their cyber security posture while supporting modern productivity tools like Microsoft 365 and Copilot Business.

Through managed security operations, CyberShield, governance reviews, and Microsoft 365 optimisation, we ensure your organisation:

Monitors threats across all Microsoft workloads
Leverages AI‑powered automation for faster response
Implements strong identity protection and Zero Trust principles
Maintains governance over AI‑generated and Copilot activity
Maximises the value of Microsoft 365 licensing

Whether you’re exploring Copilot or expanding your Microsoft security framework, our team ensures you’re protected, compliant, and future‑ready. To dive deeper into Microsoft tools, updates, and best practices tailored for businesses like yours, visit our Microsoft Hub, a central resource for staying informed and empowered with the latest technology insights.

Introducing a New Slack to Microsoft Teams Migration Tool for Modern Workplaces

Posted on 03/03/202610/03/2026 by b2medeveloper

Microsoft has released a built-in Slack to Microsoft Teams migration tool designed to help organisations move collaboration data safely and efficiently. For modern workplaces already investing in Microsoft 365 services, this update makes consolidation simpler, more secure, and better aligned with AI-driven productivity.

Why Organisations Are Moving from Slack to Microsoft Teams in 2026

Instead of using separate tools for collaboration, more companies are putting them all together into a single, secure productivity ecosystem.

The switch from Slack to Microsoft Teams in 2026 is less about chat features and more about how well Microsoft 365 works together, how well it is governed, and how well it can grow over time.

Collaboration Fragmentation vs Unified Productivity Platforms

Running Slack and Microsoft 365 at the same time often leads to duplicate work:

Conversations in Slack
Files in SharePoint
Meetings in Teams
Emails in Outlook
Tasks in Planner or third-party tools

This fragmentation makes things more complicated, less visible, and less regulated.

Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, is built into Microsoft 365 services. This means that chat, meetings, calls, files, and permissions all work in the same controlled space.

Rising Demand for Security, Compliance, and Governance

Small and mid-sized businesses now have to meet the same compliance standards as big businesses.

Main factors are:

Data retention requirements
Privacy legislation
Cyber insurance conditions
Grant reporting obligations (especially for NFPs)

Teams gets Microsoft 365’s compliance architecture, which includes:

Centralised identity management
Multi-factor authentication
Conditional access policies
Data loss prevention
eDiscovery

This lowers the risk compared to keeping separate collaboration platforms.

Native Integration Advantages Within Microsoft 365 Services

When Teams is the main place for people to work together, integration happens automatically:

Files are stored in SharePoint and OneDrive
Meetings sync with Outlook calendars
Permissions follow Azure Active Directory policies
Planner, Loop, and Copilot work within the same ecosystem

This alignment is even more important for companies looking into Copilot for SMBs or AI for small businesses. The business features of Microsoft 365 Copilot depend on having structured, safe data in the Microsoft tenant.

AI is less effective when data is spread out across different platforms, and governance is more difficult. For Microsoft AI for NFP’s projects, keeping collaboration data within the Microsoft environment also makes compliance and reporting easier.

Cost Optimisation for SMBs and Not-for-Profits

A lot of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and non-profit organisations (NFPs) already pay for Microsoft 365 licenses that come with Teams.

Keeping Slack on top of that often leads to:

Double subscription costs
Duplicate admin overhead
Additional security monitoring requirements

Migrating to Teams brings together:

Licensing
Administration
Security controls
Support

For budget-conscious organisations, like community groups and schools, that consolidation can free up money for frontline services instead of paying for the same software twice.

The Hidden Complexity of Slack to Teams Migrations

The new migration tool makes the technical process easier, but careful planning is still needed for successful transitions.

Slack and Teams are not the same type of platform. Migrations can be risky if there isn’t any oversight from governance.

Before you hit “Start Migration,” you need to understand these complexities.

Current Limitations of the Native Migration Tool

At launch, Microsoft’s Slack to Teams migration capability supports the transfer of channel‑level content only.

The following Slack items are not migrated and will require separate remediation:

Direct messages (DMs)
Slack workflows or automations
Slack bots and app integrations
Third‑party extensions
Custom Slack features or external tool connections

Organisations should plan accordingly, especially where DMs include project‑critical history or where workflows must be recreated in Power Automate or Teams apps.

Data Structures That Don’t Translate Cleanly

Slack channels and Teams are organised differently.

Slack workspaces contain:

Public channels
Private channels
Direct messages
Threaded conversations

Teams uses:

Teams (containers aligned to departments or projects)
Standard channels
Private channels
Shared channels

Thread behaviour and reactions may not map identically and emoji reactions, pinned posts, and message threading can appear differently post-migration.

File storage also differs significantly:

Slack stores files within its own infrastructure
Teams stores files in SharePoint and OneDrive

This shift affects permissions, retention, and long-term governance.

If you don’t plan ahead, files that have been moved could end up in the wrong libraries or with access permissions that you didn’t mean to give them.

Identity, Access, and Permission Risks

One of the risks that people don’t think about is user mapping.

Possible issues are:

Mismatched email addresses
Inactive Slack users
Guests without Microsoft identities
Contractors using personal accounts

To use guest accounts and work with people outside of Teams, you need to set things up on purpose.

Also, companies need to think about:

Retention policies
eDiscovery requirements
Data classification labels
Historical audit needs

If identities are not mapped correctly, it can lead to compliance gaps or unintentional data exposure.

Migration Without Business Disruption

Change management is still very important, even with a native tool. Risks that come with moving include:

Temporary downtime
Confusion about where to post messages
Staff continuing to use Slack after migration
Parallel system fatigue

If communication planning isn’t good, productivity can drop during the change. So, modern migrations need:

Clear communication plans
Staged cutovers
Admin validation
Post-migration channel clean-up
Staff onboarding support

When done right, the result is not just a change of platforms, but a safer, AI-ready place to work together that works with Microsoft 365 services.

What Makes a Modern Slack to Teams Migration Tool Different

Modern migration tools simplify the technical process of moving Slack channel data into Microsoft Teams, but they still rely on admin‑guided configuration, governance planning, and structured validation. These tools focus on providing a secure, predictable, and transparent migration experience that aligns with Microsoft 365’s architecture.

While the overall experience is smoother than legacy third‑party solutions, successful migration still requires clear mapping rules, pre‑migration checks, and careful oversight to ensure data lands in the right Teams structure and maintains organisational governance requirements.

Admin‑Guided Data Mapping and Validation

Earlier migration methods relied heavily on manual mapping.

Modern tools now support admin‑guided mapping, allowing IT teams to define how Slack channels translate into Teams.

These rule‑based checks help identify:

Intelligent channel-to-team mapping based on naming patterns and activity levels
Detection of private channels that require separate governance handling
Identification of unsupported Slack elements before migration begins

Instead of finding problems after going live, companies can do migration readiness analysis ahead of time.

This cuts down on surprises and makes sure that data goes to the right Teams environment, whether it’s a standard, private, or shared channel.

Structured mapping ensures content is organised correctly in Teams, which supports better governance and discoverability. A clean structure makes it easier to find things, see compliance, and improve Microsoft 365 Copilot Business performance.

Secure, Auditable, and Compliant Transfers

Modern migration tools have strong security features like encryption while data is being sent and stored, admin-controlled authentication, and role-based access. They also keep detailed logs, activity records, and error reports to help with transparency and auditing during the migration process.

Keep in mind that the migration tool does not enforce compliance rules on its own.

When data is moved to Teams and SharePoint, your current Microsoft 365 and Purview policies, like retention, classification, DLP, and eDiscovery, will automatically apply based on how your tenant is set up. After migration, a governance review is still needed to make sure that content is handled in line with the rules of the organisation or the law.

Incremental and Phased Migration Options

A modern approach knows that companies can’t just “turn off” Slack overnight. Instead, phased strategies lower the risk of running a business.

Best practice migration approaches are:

Pilot migrations with a small department
Department-by-department rollout
Executive team migration first to model behaviour
Post-migration validation before decommissioning Slack

Rollback and verification tools are also essential. If issues arise, administrators must be able to:

Pause migration
Validate content integrity
Confirm permissions
Adjust mapping rules

This structured approach keeps business running smoothly and cuts down on the fatigue that comes from having too many systems running at once.

How This Fits into Broader Microsoft 365 Services Strategy

Moving from Slack to Teams is more than just changing platforms, it’s also a decision about how to use Microsoft 365 Services.

Many organisations begin this journey by exploring ADITS’ Microsoft 365 services, which help align collaboration tools, licensing, and security under one unified ecosystem.

Microsoft Teams is built into Microsoft 365, so chat, meetings, files, identity, and compliance all happen in the same controlled environment. This makes it easy to connect with Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Planner, which cuts down on tool sprawl and stops systems from being duplicated.

For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and non-profits (NFPs), consolidation makes it easier to manage IT due to:

One directory of identities
One set of rules for compliance
One model for security
One place to work together

It also boosts long-term ROI by making the most of your current licenses and getting your environment ready for Microsoft 365 Copilot Business and AI for small businesses.

The Role of Office 365 Support During Collaboration Migrations

Effective Office 365 support makes sure that moving from Slack to Teams is safe, organised, and in line with Microsoft’s long-term plans for Microsoft 365.

Without proper oversight, data mapping mistakes, permission gaps, and compliance risks can make consolidation less useful.

Pre-Migration Readiness Assessments

A structured readiness assessment lowers risk and stops expensive rework before migration starts. This usually includes:

Tenant health checks to review configuration, storage, and existing Teams architecture
Licensing alignment to confirm users have appropriate Microsoft 365 subscriptions
Security posture review covering MFA, conditional access, guest access, and retention policies

To make sure Slack users seamlessly integrate with Microsoft accounts, identity and access structures are assessed and to ensure that moved content will continue to be compliant, data governance settings, such as retention and eDiscovery, are examined.

This stage of preparation guarantees that the environment is secure, stable, and prepared for the transfer of structured data.

Post-Migration Support and Adoption

After migration, Office 365 support focuses on:

Optimising teams’ use to make sure channels match real workflows
Tuning governance policies for compliance, guest access, and retention
Help with ongoing troubleshooting and escalation

To avoid parallel system fatigue and make sure Slack is completely shut down, user conduct is watched.

As companies settle down in Teams, support can grow to include automation, improving workflows, and getting ready for Microsoft 365 Copilot Business. Structured support makes sure that the migration brings about measurable gains in productivity, not just a change of platform.

Office 365 Managed Services as a Safety Net for SMBs and NFPs

For small businesses and NFPs, Office 365 managed services provide ongoing protection and support after a Slack to Teams migration.

Companies get continuous monitoring of their Microsoft 365 environment instead of having to manage everything themselves. This includes security alerts, patch management, and regular updates to keep systems safe.

User lifecycle management is also taken care of, like adding new employees, letting go of old ones, and changing permissions as roles change. This lowers the risk and keeps access problems from happening over time.

Managed services also give businesses a clear idea of how much their IT will cost each month, which is very important for businesses that want to stick to a budget.

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and non-profits (NFPs) can focus on their work while their Microsoft 365 environment stays safe, up to date, and supported by working with a trusted provider.

Find out more about ADITS’ Microsoft 365 services here.

Where Microsoft 365 Copilot Fits into the New Teams Experience

When companies put all of their collaboration data into Teams, the environment becomes more organised and consistent. This makes Microsoft 365 Copilot work better across the tenant. Copilot doesn’t depend on the migration tool itself. Instead, it works better when conversations, files, and meetings are all stored in a central and controlled Microsoft 365 environment.

Once Slack channel data is in Teams and SharePoint, Copilot can use it to better reference past conversations and documents, as long as the right rules for governance, permissions, and retention are in place.

Copilot Inside Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Copilot integrates directly into Microsoft Teams to assist with everyday collaboration.

Within Teams, Copilot can:

Generate meeting summaries automatically
Highlight key chat and channel insights
Extract action items and assign follow-ups

Why Migrated Data Quality Matters for Copilot

Microsoft Copilot generates better insights when it has access to clean, well‑organised data inside Microsoft 365.

Migrating Slack content into Teams helps ensure historical conversations and files become part of that central dataset, enabling better searchability, context awareness, and continuity within the Microsoft ecosystem.

However, the migration tool does not perform any AI optimisation or Copilot‑specific enhancements. Its role is simply to place content into Teams and SharePoint. Once content lands in the Microsoft ecosystem Copilot can leverage it to provide more relevant outputs.

AI for Small Businesses and Not-for-Profits After Migration

Once Microsoft 365 brings together all of its collaboration tools, AI for small businesses will be practical instead of experimental.

Microsoft AI for NFPs builds on the same secure foundation for community organisations to do work that makes a difference.

Practical AI Use Cases for SMBs

For SMBs, AI works best when data is centralised inside Microsoft 365. Common uses are:

Knowledge discovery – AI surfaces past proposals, conversations, and documents instantly.
Faster onboarding – New staff can ask natural-language questions about processes and policies.
Reduced manual admin work – Meeting notes, summaries, and task lists are generated automatically.

When Slack data is properly migrated into Teams and SharePoint, AI tools can reference historical context securely.

AI Enablement for Not-for-Profits

For NFPs, AI is about operational efficiency and accountability. After migration into Teams, organisations can use Microsoft’s ecosystem to support:

Grant documentation support – Summarising reports and extracting key program data.
Volunteer coordination – Managing schedules, communications, and updates inside structured channels.
Secure collaboration across partners – Sharing documents with controlled access and compliance oversight.

Learn more about Microsoft’s nonprofit programs here.

How ADITS Approaches Slack to Teams Migrations Differently

ADITS uses migration tools that are compatible with Microsoft and are made for safe, organised changes within Microsoft 365 environments.

We put security first and follow the rules by checking the governance, identity, and keeping settings before moving any data.

ADITS also uses both human-led change management and planning tools with AI to cut down on problems and boost accuracy. We know about licensing restrictions, volunteer entry models, and budget realities because we’ve worked with small businesses and non-profits in the past.

Our AI Hub resources and larger Microsoft Services strategy help with long-term digital maturity, not just moving platforms.

Key Questions Organisations Should Ask Before Migrating

Before moving from Slack to Teams, leaders should take a moment to make sure that their goals are still being met.

Key questions include:

What data must be preserved for compliance or regulatory purposes?
How will users be trained and supported during the transition?
How does this migration strengthen our long-term Microsoft 365 strategy?
Is AI readiness part of the migration plan?
Are identity, guest access, and retention policies properly configured?

Getting clear answers to these questions lowers risk and makes sure that the change helps the organisation reach its bigger goals.

Final Takeaway

Moving from Slack to Teams is a chance to change tools, combine platforms, make operations simpler, and make sure that collaboration is in line with Microsoft 365 strategy.

When done right, migration makes secure collaboration stronger, makes governance easier, and gets businesses ready for AI-driven productivity.

For small and medium-sized businesses and non-profits, the real value of Microsoft 365 is in its long-term use. This means that chat, files, meetings, compliance, and AI all work together in a safe environment that is built for growth.

Why Copilot Business is a Smart Move for Small Organisations

Posted on 22/01/202622/01/2026 by b2medeveloper

For many small and mid-sized business, inefficient tools can be a huge hidden drain. A few extra clicks here, another login there, suddenly your team’s spending more time navigating systems than getting real work done. When these tools don’t talk to each other, it can be frustrating. It can also create scattered data, inconsistent processes and increased exposure to security issues.

If you’re a growing business, it’s likely you don’t need another shiny new add-on to improve efficiency. You need a connected setup that reduces complexity.

Microsoft’s recent announcement of Copilot Business is great news for SMEs, enabling organisations to support AI adoption, productivity, security and data governance within one ecosystem.

Copilot Business Introduces Enterprise-grade AI for SMEs

Microsoft 365 Copilot Business makes advanced AI more accessible for small and mid-sized organisations, without requiring enterprise licensing or complex deployments.

It delivers secure, work-ready Copilot capabilities directly into the Microsoft 365 apps your team already uses every day (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams), so they can collaborate more smoothly and automate repetitive work without creating additional risks.

For many small teams across Queensland, where resources can be stretched and team members often wears multiple hats, this can have a big impact.

Because Copilot Business fits into your existing workflows, it can help generate and refine content, surface key information and keep projects moving, without causing your teams to lose time switching between systems. It’s also cost-effective.

Note: for a limited time only (until 31st March, 2026), businesses can unlock better pricing when purchasing Copilot Business with Microsoft 365 Business plans.

How does it work? Copilot in everyday use cases

Copilot works across Microsoft apps like Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. So, it can improve productivity within your existing work processes, without adding an additional platform to the mix.

For Queensland organisations juggling limited time and resources, Copilot can help workers reduce administrative workloads, find the right information faster, and improve the quality and consistency of everyday communication, while still respecting your access controls, permissions and security policies.

Consider the following use case examples for different industries:

NFPs – can draft funding applications faster, summarise stakeholder emails into action points, create board-ready reports from program updates and turn meeting discussions into clear next steps.
Medical and healthcare teams – can use Copilot to summarise internal handover notes, create patient-facing communication templates and reduce the time spent writing routine internal documentation.
Professional services – may use Copilot to generate draft proposals and statements of work, recap client meetings, analyse spreadsheets for trends and build polished slide decks from existing notes.

Copilot can also support AI-powered agents, these are digital assistants that can automate repeatable workflows and tasks. For example, creating onboarding documentation, handling common customer queries, triaging internal requests or routing key approvals.

With tools like Copilot Studio, you can tailor these agents to match the way your teams work. It makes automation more achievable for small and mid-sized businesses, without heavy development effort.

Secure AI that respects your policies and protects your data

AI only delivers value if your organisation can trust it. With today’s increase in data exposure risks (from cyber threats like phishing, malware, ransomware), security and governance shouldn’t be bolted onto tools after the fact, especially when AI is involved. This is not the case with Microsoft Copilot. Copilot operates safely and securely, within the boundaries you already have in place. It honours existing permissions, access rules and compliance controls, reducing the risk of sensitive information being surfaced to the wrong people.

For SMEs, Microsoft delivers affordable, enterprise-grade protection through tools like Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Purview:

Defender protects your environment against modern threats such as phishing and ransomware with built-in detection, automated investigation and rapid response –without requiring a patchwork of separate security tools.
Purview supports stronger governance by helping you protect and manage sensitive information across Microsoft 365 and beyond, including what’s stored in the cloud and on premises.

Working together, Copilot, Defender and Purview create a more secure foundation for productivity – so your business can adopt AI confidently, without compromising data privacy, governance or security.

Next steps to adopt Copilot for your business

Supporting your business with AI capabilities is a great way to boost productivity. But it shouldn’t be time-consuming or complex. Leveraging Copilot through a Microsoft Business plan makes AI adoption easy for Queensland SMEs, enabling your tools, data and security controls to work together within your existing environment.

If you’re exploring Copilot for your organisation, ADITS can help you understand what’s involved and how to roll it out effectively. Get the most value with a strategic rollout plan that supports adoption and helps your people understand how to use it well.

Visit the ADITS AI & Copilot Hub for more guidance and resources, explore our Microsoft 365 services or get in touch to discuss how we can support your organisation with secure, scalable modern work solutions.

How to Become a Frontier Firm with Microsoft’s Agentic Business Applications

Posted on 17/12/2025 by b2medeveloper

What does it take to become, what Microsoft refers to as, a “Frontier Firm”? A Frontier Firm is a forward-thinking organisation that embeds AI deeply into core day-to-day work, enriching employee experiences, customer engagement, innovation and business processes.

Beyond simply using AI tools, Frontier Firms empower people and intelligent agents to work together and do what they do best – automating routine tasks, surfacing insights and freeing teams to focus on decisions, relationships and outcomes that move their business forward.

Microsoft has announced a new wave of agent-driven innovations to help more organisations move to the new Frontier. It’s a shift that can enable your business to work smarter and faster, without adding complexity.

Uplift Sales with the Sales Development Agent

Sales teams everywhere are tasked with growing pipelines, qualifying leads faster and personalising outreach. Microsoft’s Sales Development Agent is designed to support these goals.

This agent is the next evolution in AI-powered selling. Available via the Frontier Program, it works alongside your sales team members to handle time-intensive tasks.

How can this improve your sales function?

Stronger pipeline momentum

This agent can continuously research prospects, tailor outreach and automate follows up to prevent opportunities from stalling or slipping through the cracks.

Built to scale with your team

Operating independently, but collaboratively, the agent functions like a sales team member, handing qualified leads over to human sellers at the right moment.

Enterprise-grade security and governance

Developed through Microsoft’s trusted compliance framework, it operates within defined policies, permissions and access controls to protect your data and workflows.

The Sales Development Agent integrates with leading CRM platforms like Dynamics 365 and Salesforce, and can work seamlessly with familiar tools like Outlook and Teams.

Microsoft’s sales teams are already using the agent to modernise sales engagement, achieving a 15.1% uplift in lead-to-opportunity conversion rates. If your organisation is looking to unlock stronger sales capacity without compromising quality, this is a clear signal of what’s possible.

Turn “Data Storage” into “Data Action”

Most business platforms are designed to record information. Think: customer details, transactions, interactions, approvals. Frontier Firms expect more. They’re transforming platforms into responsive systems that can trigger workflows and support decisions in real time.

Microsoft’s Dynamics 365, built on Copilot, intelligent agents and unified data, enables you to create a true “system of action” – one that connect insights with execution. Here’s how.

A stronger foundation for agentic workflows

Microsoft’s recent updates to Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers across Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform strengthen these capabilities.

MCP servers act as secure, configurable connectors between your business data and the AI agents you build, using tools like Microsoft Copilot Studio. This means:

agents can access the right data, from the right system, at the right time
workflows span platforms
AI-driven actions remain governed, secure and auditable.

By standardising how agents interact with business data, MCP creates a universal capabilities (not limited by platforms) for intelligent automation that can scale across your entire environment.

Smarter Sales and Service Workflows with Dynamics 365

For organisations using Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Service, MCP reduces friction between AI agents and the tools your teams rely on every day.

Agents can now operate more naturally across workflows such as:

lead research, engagement and qualification
case handling, escalation and resolution.

These recent integrations enable sales and service teams to move faster, without switching between systems or duplicating effort.

Making ERP Data Useful in the Moment

Most organisations store huge amounts of operational data in their ERP system for finance, inventory, purchasing or projects. The challenge is that this information often sits in the background, only accessible through reports or at a later date.

The latest updates to Dynamics 365 changes this.

AI agents can now securely access ERP functions and insights as work is happening, not days or weeks later.

This means your organisation can respond to issues, opportunities or changes in real time – for example, to address cash flow pressures, supply constraints or operational bottlenecks.

Essentially, this enables:

faster decisions based on live operational data
less manual reporting and fewer hand-offs between teams
greater confidence for your team, knowing insights are current and accurate.

Importantly, this intelligence is delivered without compromising controls or compliance. Your finance and operations teams stay in control, even with these automated capabilities.

Turn Everyday Business Apps into AI-Powered Helpers

Many organisations use Power Apps to manage internal processes. Perhaps you’re currently using them for approvals, data capture, requests or workflows.

Until now, these apps have largely relied on people to initiate actions. But with new agent capabilities, those same apps can now be triggered automatically by AI.

Agents can submit forms, request approvals, retrieve information or move processes forward on your behalf. This can help your organisation:

create faster internal processes with fewer delays
reduce administrative load on teams
establish greater consistency in how tasks are completed

Crucially, this doesn’t remove control. Business and IT teams decide what actions agents are allowed to access.

Get Answers from Your Data in Plain Language

Instead of switching between systems or relying on complex searches, you can now ask questions in everyday language and receive clear, real-time answers based on business data.

With Dataverse, you don’t need to know where information lives or how systems are structured. You can simply ask about what you need, and the system responds with accurate, up-to-date answers.

Note: Behind the scenes, governance and permissions still apply, so people only see what they’re authorised to access.

For business leaders, this can reduce dependency on specialists, speed up decision-making and make data more accessible across your organisation, without sacrificing control or accuracy.

What this looks like in practice

Organisations are already putting these capabilities to work.

One financial operations platform, for example, has developed an agentic solution using Microsoft Foundry. Integrated with Dynamics 365 Business Central and Microsoft Teams, it streamlines employee expense management, reducing manual effort and maintaining financial controls.

Become a Frontier Firm

If you’re motivated to become a Frontier Firm, embed AI tools in a way that genuinely reduces friction, supports your people, enables innovation and helps your business become more productive and efficient.

Agentic applications and AI-powered workflows don’t replace teams. But they are changing how works gets done.

Determine the best opportunities for your organisation by understanding where intelligent automation can add the most value, and how to introduce it safely, responsibly and in line with your current systems.

Start with the right use cases, implement strong governance and establish clear connections between technology and business outcomes.

Interested to learn how agentic capabilities can support your business? ADITS can help you assess readiness, identify opportunities and align these technologies with your wider IT and security strategy.

Find out more about our Microsoft services, or get in touch to discuss what these new capabilities could look like for your business.

How GPT-5 is Transforming Microsoft 365 Copilot for Work

Posted on 17/11/2025 by aditsdev

GPT-5 has arrived in Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Studio, providing a smarter, more flexible way to get work done.

Built to think across different types of tasks, GPT-5 helps Copilot respond faster to routine needs and dive deeper when a problem calls for careful reasoning.

Prioritising speed for simple tasks, and depth for more complex tasks

Microsoft has paired GPT-5’s advanced capabilities with Copilot’s work-focused experience. Rather than using a single one-size-fits-all model, Microsoft Copilot now evaluates each prompt and selects the most appropriate GPT-5 variant for the job.

For straightforward requests (like quick clarifications, short summaries or simple edits) Copilot leans on the high-throughput GPT-5 path so you get concise answers quickly.

For open-ended questions or tasks that require multi-step thinking, Copilot routes the task to GPT-5’s deeper reasoning mode. In this mode, it can create a plan, gather context and verify conclusions before returning fuller, more reliable responses.

This gives you support from smarter assistant that can adapt more quickly to tasks; fast when speed matters, and more deliberate where accuracy and nuance are important.

When and how you can start using GPT-5 in Copilot

If you’re already using Microsoft 365 Copilot, GPT-5 is available now. It’s ready to work across your everyday applications (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, etc.) and draw on your emails, documents, calendar and meeting notes to deliver contextualised responses.

You may notice a new “Try GPT-5” button inside Copilot Chat. Select this option to switch to GPT-5 and unlock its latest reasoning capabilities.

GPT-5 in Copilot Studio

You can also use GPT-5 in Copilot Studio, Microsoft’s easy-to-use platform for building custom agents.

Custom agents, powered by GPT-5, can handle more sophisticated tasks, like multi-step workflows and detailed processes.

Simply select GPT-5 as your agent’s model to enable deeper reasoning and richer, more adaptive outputs.

Researcher in Copilot

While GPT-5 has made Copilot smarter and more capable for day-to-day tasks, Researcher steps in when work requires serious depth.

Researcher is designed for moments you need comprehensive analysis, evidence, synthesis and context across a broad set of sources. It can gather and analyse information from your organisation’s data and the web, and combine it into a structured, well-reasoned output.

It’s a go-to tool for work that requires methodical, multi-source reasoning, like in-depth reports, analyses and board-ready insights.

Not heard of Researcher? Find out more in this video:

Try GPT-5 for yourself

The best way to understand GPT-5’s impact in Microsoft 365 Copilot is to see how it can handle your work. Here are a few practical prompts you can try to experience its range of capabilities.

1. Understand your communication and working style

Try a prompt for personal development, or to prepare for a performance review:

Review my recent chats and emails to summarise my communication style, core values, strengths, weaknesses, skills and areas I can improve professionally.

2. Catch up and plan ahead

If you’ve been away and need to quickly get up to speed in a team project:

Summarise the latest updates on [project/initiative] and outline three clear next steps I should take this week.

3. Turn data into decisions

Convert raw data into actionable recommendations:

Use the attached customer feedback spreadsheet to create a concise executive summary that highlights key themes and where to focus next quarter’s investment.

4. Refine a key document

Produce polished reports, proposals or customer documents:

Review the attached project plan and suggest three improvements that would make it stronger. Include reasoning for each and sample text I can use.

5. Capture lessons learned

Finalise projects and set a clear direction:

Reflect on our recent [project or event]. Summarise what worked well, what could improve next time. Draft a short ‘lessons learned’ summary for the team.

Start using GPT‑5 in Copilot

GPT‑5 is now live in Microsoft Copilot, ready to deliver smarter, context-rich responses across your emails, documents, meeting notes and more. It’s also available via the web for users without a Copilot license.

Start experiencing the full potential of Microsoft 365 Copilot. Discover how ADITS’ Microsoft services can help you leverage Copilot and GPT‑5 to work smarter.

Facilitate Multilingual Microsoft Teams Meetings with Interpreter

Posted on 22/10/2025 by Jerome Coco

Have you ever been part of a meeting where not everyone speaks the same language? In global collaboration, language shouldn’t be a barrier to participation. If you’re using Microsoft Teams, the Interpreter agent can help you and your team bridge these communication gaps.

It’s ideal for meetings with participants who speak different languages, allowing everyone to follow the conversation and contribute in the speech that feels most natural.

This new capability builds on Teams’ growing suite of multilingual tools, designed to make meetings more inclusive and accessible for everyone.

How Does Interpreter in Teams Actually Work?

If you’re hosting a multilingual Teams meeting, there are a few ways to help everyone follow along in real time.

Teams now supports a mix of live translation tools (including human interpretation, AI-powered captions and speech translation), so participants can engage in the language that suits them best.

Language Interpretation

For meetings where accuracy and nuance are essential, you can connect professional interpreters directly to your Teams meeting.

Once enabled, organisers assign interpreters to specific language pairs. Participants then select their preferred language channel and hear the interpretation live, with the option to adjust how much of the original speaker’s voice they hear.

AI-Powered Captions and Subtitles

If you don’t need full interpretation, Teams’ built-in live captions and subtitles are a quick and accessible option. Automatically generated using AI, they appear on screen in real time, helping participants follow the conversation in their chosen language.

AI Speech Translation

For a more scalable solution, Interprefy AI can add real-time voice translation to your Teams meetings and webinars. Participants simply select their preferred language and listen to the AI-generated translation, making it ideal for large or last-minute multilingual events.

Currently, Teams supports up to 16 interpretation language pairs per meeting, with one interpreter per language direction. Interpretation is available for standard scheduled meetings and webinars, but is not yet supported in Town Hall events. Interpreted audio is also not included in meeting recordings.

Setting Up Language Interpretation in Teams

Getting started with language interpretation in Microsoft Teams is simple once your organisation has the right Microsoft 365 licence and meeting policies in place.

You can enable it directly when scheduling your meeting (no extra software or plugins needed).

To set it up:

Open your Teams calendar and select + New Meeting.
Add your meeting details, then choose Meeting Options.
Under meeting options, switch on “Enable language interpretation”.
Add your interpreters and assign their respective languages, then click save.

When it’s time to meet, your interpreters will join with their assigned roles ready to go.

Joining a Meeting with Interpretation

Accessing interpretation during a Teams meeting is straightforward. Once an organiser has enabled the feature and assigned interpreters, you can simply choose your preferred language as you join.

During the meeting:

Select “Choose interpretation language” when prompted.
Pick your preferred option under “Listen to the meeting in”.
You’ll then hear the interpreted audio in real time while following the meeting visuals.

You can adjust the Balance volume slider to hear more original or interpreted audio.

You can also choose the voice you want other participants to hear your interpreted speech in the “Choose your voice” options.

Note: With voice simulation, Interpreter generates translated speech in your own voice, preserving your natural tone, pitch and style in real time – without storing any voice samples or biometric data.

If you want to switch to a different language, or back to the original audio, go to:

“More actions”
“Language and speech”
“Language interpretation” in the meeting controls.

Alternatively, if your meeting organiser has enabled live captions (powered by AI), you can switch on these captions during sessions by clicking:

More actions
Language and speech
Turn on live captions.

Limitations to Keep in Mind

Interpreter makes multilingual collaboration easier, but it’s not a full replacement for professional interpreting tools.

For smaller, internal meetings, it performs well. However, if you’re managing larger or more complex events, a few of these constraints are worth noting.

Language coverage

Teams currently supports up to 16 language pairs per meeting, with one interpreter per direction. This may not be enough for global events needing multiple simultaneous languages.

Manual Setup time

Interpreters need to be manually assigned during meeting setup, which can be time-consuming for larger sessions, and offers no built-in handover or backup options.

Recording and transcripts

Interpreted audio isn’t captured in meeting recordings, and transcripts only reflect the original spoken language. This can make post-event sharing or accessibility a challenge.

Limited event types

Interpretation isn’t yet supported in Teams Town Halls, Teams Rooms or standard/ad hoc calls.

Minimal technical support

There’s no in-platform interpreter management or live support during meetings, so troubleshooting can fall to the host or IT team.

Not ideal for fast-paced discussions

Meetings with rapid exchanges, interruptions or overlapping speech can be harder to follow, as translations may lag slightly.

Possible translation inaccuracies

Names, genders and technical terms may sometimes be misinterpreted, so careful preparation is recommended.

In short, Teams’ built-in interpretation works well for straightforward multilingual meetings. But if you’re hosting large audiences, high-profile speakers or multiple language channels, you may need a more specialised platform to ensure a seamless experience for everyone.

Final Tips for Using Interpreter Successfully

By enabling interpretation and following a few simple tips, your meetings can be inclusive and productive for every participant.

Check your licence

Ensure you’re using Microsoft 365 Copilot or Teams Premium licence to access multilingual features.

Use Interpreter for the right meetings

Interpreter is ideal for scheduled and channel meetings, and webinars – sessions where participants don’t share a common language, or for structured discussions where one person speaks at a time.

Enable multilingual speech recognition

Turn this on in your meeting options so participants can select their preferred spoken languages and translation settings for live captions.

Communicate clearly

For organisers, it’s best to stick with one language for consistency. Use short sentences, pause frequently and simplify technical language.

Encourage use of the hand-raising feature to prevent speaking overlaps, and allow interpretation to finish before moving on.

Share your screen or chat content, and turn on your camera to provide visual cues.

Use intelligent meeting recap

After the meeting, automatically generated recaps are available in the language you selected for live transcription and captions, making it easy to catch up or share key points.

By following these best practices, it’s never been easier to connect teams and people across languages with the Interpreter agent in Microsoft Teams. By combining built-in features with thoughtful meeting setup, you can facilitate inclusive, productive conversations for everyone.

As Microsoft partners, we can help you unlock the full potential of Microsoft Teams for global collaboration. Find out more about how we can support your organisation with MS365 services.

Microsoft Edge Integrates AI-Powered Browsing

Posted on 09/09/2025 by b2medeveloper

AI is reshaping how we explore the web by turning browsing into a more intuitive, context-aware experience. While experimental AI browsers are testing new ways to present online content, Microsoft has taken a significant step forward with Edge.

Introducing Copilot Mode

Microsoft’s Copilot Mode is an AI-powered extension that’s designed to make browsing smarter and more seamless in Edge. It can summarise content, personalise results, compare results across tabs and enable you to interact with results via chatbot. Overall, it’s a great way to find meaningful answers faster.

Getting Started with Copilot Mode

Activating Copilot Mode is simple. You’ll be able to opt in from your Edge browser settings (it works on both Windows 11 and Mac).

If you prefer traditional browsing, Copilot Mode is fully optional and can be switched off at any time.

A More Personalised Experience

Copilot Mode is designed to learn from your browsing habits and offer a tailored experience, as it retains your preferences over time. Similar to Microsoft’s “Memory” feature, Edge can retain and understand your browsing traits to deliver answers that are more relevant to you.

This AI extension will soon be able to take action too. Planned features like “Actions” will be able to automate tasks like booking hotel reservations and using your location, past preferences and travel habits to make online tasks smoother and more intuitive.

Standout Features Making Browsing Smarter

Some of Copilot Mode’s standout features include:

multi-tab analysis – Copilot can pull insights from several tabs at once, saving you clicks and effort.
summarisation – quickly digest long articles or research pages.
text-based previews – scan YouTube video results before opening them.
interactive search – dive deeper into search results using the built-in chatbot.

These features are designed to help you save time and make information more digestible.

Looking Ahead

Microsoft sees Copilot Mode as a living tool, continuously evolving with new features. If you’re curious about the future of browsing, Edge’s AI-powered approach offers a glimpse into what’s possible when AI integrates with everyday web experiences.

Microsoft Issues Urgent Security Patches After SharePoint Attacks

Posted on 10/08/202513/08/2025 by b2medeveloper

In late July, Microsoft issued an urgent alert after detecting active cyber attacks targeting self-hosted SharePoint servers – on-premises software widely used by businesses and public agencies to store and share internal documents. SharePoint Online, part of Microsoft 365’s cloud offering, was not affected.

The attacks exploited a zero-day vulnerability, meaning the flaw was previously unknown and had not been patched. By targeting this weakness, attackers were able to gain access to unprotected servers and potentially install backdoors for long-term access.

A Microsoft spokesperson states: “We’ve been coordinating closely with CISA, DOD Cyber Defense Command and key cybersecurity partners globally throughout our response.”

Microsoft has since shared they have issued security updates and urged customers to install them immediately.

Incident Impacts 100+ Organisations Across Multiple Countries

The FBI confirmed awareness of the breach, noting it was working closely with federal and private-sector partners as investigations unfolded.

In the days following Microsoft’s alert, security researchers uncovered signs that the vulnerability had been actively exploited to compromise nearly 100 organisations across the U.S., Germany and other regions.

While the full list of affected entities remains undisclosed, researchers confirmed several government-related organisations were among the victims.

At this stage, the origin of the attack remains unclear. However, initial analysis suggests the campaign may have been orchestrated by a single group or actor with a focus on government-related targets.

Thousands of Servers Potentially at Risk

The full extent of the breach is still being assessed, but security experts warn that the number of at-risk organisations may be significantly higher than the confirmed incidents so far.

Data research suggests that more than 8,000 SharePoint servers worldwide could be exposed to similar compromise.

These servers span a wide range of sectors, including major industrial firms, financial institutions, healthcare providers, auditors and government entities.

Organisations have been advised to take an “assumed breach” approach, and recognise that applying the patch alone may not be enough to ensure systems are secure. Additional recommended steps include reviewing systems for signs of compromise, as attackers may have already established persistence prior to the patch being applied.

Steps Organisations Should Take Now

Microsoft has released emergency security updates for affected versions of SharePoint, including SharePoint 2016, 2019 and the Subscription Edition. These patches are designed to close the vulnerability – but installing them is only the first step.

If your organisation uses self-hosted SharePoint servers (rather than SharePoint Online), it’s essential to ensure updates have been applied promptly, and assess whether any further investigation or remediation is needed.

For technical instructions and patch details, Microsoft has published an official advisory to support IT teams and SharePoint administrators.

Need support implementing patching or security best practices? As Microsoft partners and cyber security experts, our team can help you take the next step.

Meet Microsoft Copilot’s New Researcher and Analyst Agents

Posted on 14/07/2025 by b2medeveloper

Two powerful new Microsoft Copilot agents are now available to all users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence, and they’re built to change the way you work.

The new Researcher and Analyst agents are designed to take on the kind of complex, time-consuming tasks that often slow teams down. Until now, these tools were only available through Microsoft’s early access program, but they’re now included in Microsoft 365 Copilot for general use.

Work Smarter, Research Faster with Microsoft Copilot’s Researcher Agent

Microsoft Copilot Researcher is ideal for tackling multi-step research projects and quickly generating reliable insights. It draws on OpenAI’s deep research capabilities, combined with Microsoft’s advanced search and orchestration tools, to deliver high-quality answers faster. In practice, that means less time spent digging through documents or sourcing information, and more time to focus on achieving your organisation’s mission.

Turn Data into Insights with Microsoft Copilot’s Analyst Agent

Analyst brings the capabilities of a skilled data scientist directly into Microsoft 365 Copilot, making it easier to explore, interpret and act on your organisation’s data.

Analyst can help you turn raw numbers to actionable insight in minutes, for example, to:

understand donor trends
track program performance
identify service gaps.

It uses advanced reasoning models and step-by-step logic to break down complex data problems and deliver high-quality answers, similar to human analytical thinking, even running Python behind the scenes to handle more advanced queries. (You can even review the code it’s using, so you’re never left guessing how it got there.)

Early users have used Analyst to explore patterns in customer behaviour, identify underused services and derive insights that drive smarter decision-making.

Getting Started Is Easy, As These Agents Are Already Built Into Copilot

If you’re already using Microsoft 365 Copilot, there’s no extra setup required. Researcher and Analyst are ready to go.

Both agents are pre-pinned in the Copilot app, making them easy to access whenever you need them.

Users can run up to 25 combined queries a month, and language support continues to grow. Researcher is currently available in 37 languages, while Analyst supports eight and counting.

Admins can manage access and settings through the Microsoft 365 admin centre, while users can dive in right away using the built-in sample prompts, so you don’t have to start from a blank page.

Of course, you can tailor your own prompts to fit your organisation’s unique needs. For example, you might ask Researcher to help you create a summary table of key program milestones over the past five years, listing the milestone, date achieved and community impact.

This flexibility means you can get detailed, customised insights without starting from scratch every time.

Start Exploring Researcher and Analyst in Copilot Chat Today

This latest update delivers powerful AI tools right at your fingertips, to help you work smarter and faster every day. With Researcher and Analyst, expert insights and data-driven answers are just a few clicks away.

If your organisation has a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, now is the perfect time to try these agents in Copilot Chat and discover how they can transform your workflows.

Microsoft Copilot Researcher and other Microsoft Copilot agents can help your organisation save time, uncover insights and stay focused on what matters most. Visit our AI & Copilot Hub to explore what you can achieve with Microsoft Copilot.

What Microsoft’s License Changes Mean for NFPs: Act Before July 2025

Posted on 12/06/2025 by b2medeveloper

Microsoft is ending its donation program for two of its most popular NFP plans: Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Office 365 E1. From July 1st 2025, these plans will no longer be offered as free (donated) licenses to eligible NFPs.

If your organisation is currently using these donated licenses, you’ll need to take action soon. After the 1st of July 2025, you won’t be able to renew them. At that point, Microsoft will automatically cancel affected licenses at your next renewal date.

Worse, if you haven’t moved your data or switched to a different license, you’ll lose access to that data, 90 days after cancellation.

What’s Not Affected?

Discounted Microsoft licenses and one-time-purchase software are not impacted.

Discounted Microsoft 365 plans will continue to be available.
On-premises software (such as Office 2024 or Office for Mac) can still be purchased outright and used indefinitely.

What NFPs Should Do Now

To avoid losing access to key data and services, NFP users are strongly advised to:

review which licenses you’re currently using
back up your files and data
explore discounted NFP-friendly Microsoft license options
consult your IT provider or Microsoft partner for tailored guidance.

NFPs are recommended to transition to a different license type well before your next renewal date to ensure a smooth handover and no data loss.

Microsoft’s Position, and Why Timing Matters

While Microsoft hasn’t shared a detailed explanation for ending the donation program, the company has acknowledged the impact on NFP organisations. In a statement to The NonProfit Times, a Microsoft spokesperson said:

“We’re committed to making this transition smooth and are working closely with partners to provide clear guidance and hands-on support.”

In the meantime, it’s essential to understand how your renewal timing affects your transition period.

Annual renewals before 1 July 2025 will remain active for a full year.

For example, if your annual license renews on 15 June 2025, it will stay valid until 14 June 2026.

Monthly renewals, however, expire much sooner.

If your monthly license renews on 15 June 2025, it will expire one month later, on 14 July 2025.

If you’re on a monthly contract, it may be wise to switch to an annual license before 1 July 2025. This will give you more time to plan, prepare, and transition to a new license, without risking service disruptions or data loss.

What Are Your Options?

If your organisation is currently using one of the soon-to-be-discontinued Microsoft donation licenses, you’ll need to transition to a different Microsoft plan before your renewal date.

The silver lining is that there are still several, affordable paths forward.

Here are some viable options you may like to consider:

Microsoft 365 Business Basic is still available as a donated license for eligible NFPs.
A range of discounted Microsoft 365 and Office 365 plans remain available, offering up to 75% off retail pricing.
If you prefer a one-time purchase, you can move to Office 2024 for Windows or Mac.

Need support with the transition? Our team can help you review your current licenses, explore the best-value options and plan a smooth switch. Book a consultation today to get started.