Reading time: 6 minutes · For owners of SMBs in Ausserschwyz, the Linthgebiet and around Lake Zurich whose business runs on Microsoft 365
The quote is in Word, the price list in Excel, the customer enquiry in Outlook, and the team talks things through in Teams. In many businesses in the region, Microsoft 365 has long been the backbone. That is exactly where Microsoft is now stepping in: the new Copilot is meant to do more than answer questions. It is meant to get work done, even when nobody is at the computer.
I watched the announcement and the launch video and commented on camera:
What Microsoft announced
On 25 September, Microsoft introduced the new Copilot with three areas. Home is the new starting point: chat and Cowork in one place, plus Word, Excel and PowerPoint directly inside Copilot. Code lets people without programming skills build small applications, dashboards and workflows by describing what they need. Autopilot is an agent with its own identity and its own memory that handles recurring tasks on its own. You call on it with an @-mention in Teams or Outlook.
If you know Claude or ChatGPT, much of this will look familiar. That is no coincidence: back in the spring, Microsoft announced it would bring the technology behind Claude Cowork into Microsoft 365. The upside for you: the learning curve is short, and the tools run where your data already lives.
Why this matters for SMBs
In most SMBs, nobody really does marketing and sales. Everybody does it on the side. The owner writes quotes in the evening, someone at reception also looks after social media, and nobody follows up on last month’s enquiry. These recurring tasks are exactly what Autopilot is meant to take over. Microsoft’s own example says a lot: not an advertising text, but the regular supplier review.
At the same time, one figure shows how far there is still to go. According to CNBC, fewer than 7 per cent of the more than 450 million commercial Office 365 seats have a Copilot licence. The tools are there. Day-to-day use is missing. And that is decided not in Redmond, but in your business.
What to do now
1. Don’t switch straight away, but prepare
Home and Code go into Microsoft’s Frontier programme first, and Autopilot goes into a closed preview at the end of the month. For most SMBs, that means you have a few weeks to a few months. Use the time to get organised instead of waiting for the button.
2. Tidy up file storage and permissions
An agent is only as good as the data it can access. If quotes exist in three versions on three drives and everyone can see everything, Copilot will find the wrong price list too. Clarify where the valid documents are and who has access to what. That pays off anyway, with or without AI.
3. Pick one recurring workflow
Don’t start with ten ideas. Start with one workflow that regularly gets left undone today: following up on open quotes, the monthly report, the supplier review. Describe it properly once, with trigger, steps and sign-off. An agent doesn’t make a chaotic process better, only faster. That is why clean lead and customer nurturing comes first, then automation.
4. Decide who is allowed to build tools
With Code, anyone in the business can build their own small applications. That is powerful, until five people maintain five customer lists with five different numbers. Appoint one responsible person who decides what gets built, on which data, and who maintains it later. Why this calls for an AI architect rather than lots of prompt tinkerers is something I described in the post on AI architects instead of prompt engineers.
5. Cap the costs before they arise
Microsoft now bills the agentic parts, meaning Cowork, Code and Autopilot, by usage rather than as a flat fee per licence. Microsoft also provides tools to manage spending and set limits per user group. Set them from day one. An agent that works every night also works every night on your bill.
Where the limits are
If your business runs on Google Workspace or already on Claude, there is no reason to switch because of this announcement. I work that way myself, and switching would be a big step for me. The new Copilot plays to its strengths where Microsoft 365 is already the backbone. And for businesses handling health or financial data, such as practices or fiduciary offices, the same applies as with any agent: first clarify where the data is processed, then test. What to watch out for is covered in the post on AI agents, access and trust.
I haven’t tested the new Copilot myself yet. But Microsoft rarely brings anything half-finished to market, and no provider sits as deep in how businesses run as Microsoft does. If you plan the rollout properly, you can hand off admin and win back time for what makes an SMB: its customers. What this looks like in the back office is shown in the post on AI as a lever in the back office. And if nobody in your business leads marketing and sales today, take a look at marketing without a marketing department, especially for businesses around Lachen, Pfäffikon and the Linthgebiet.
Frequently asked questions
What is new about Microsoft Copilot?
Copilot is now split into three areas: Home (chat and Cowork with Word, Excel and PowerPoint directly inside Copilot), Code (build your own applications and workflows by describing them) and Autopilot (an agent that handles recurring tasks on its own).
When can an SMB use the new Copilot?
Home and Code start in Microsoft’s Frontier programme in the coming weeks, and Autopilot in a closed preview at the end of September 2026. Wider availability will follow step by step.
What does Autopilot cost?
Microsoft bills the agentic parts, meaning Cowork, Code and Autopilot, by usage, not as a flat fee per licence. Specific prices for Swiss SMBs have not been published yet. So set cost limits from day one.
Do I have to switch from Claude or Google Workspace to Microsoft?
No. The new Copilot is worth it mainly where Microsoft 365 is already the backbone of the business. If you work on Google Workspace or Claude, this announcement gives you no reason to switch.
Which task gets left undone in your business today?
Book a free 30-minute introductory call. Together we look at where marketing and sales are run on the side today and which workflow can be handed off safely first. Prefer to read on your own first? In the tools section you will find checklists, no sign-up needed.
