I'm trying to get a handle on Microsoft's extensive AI ecosystem, but honestly, it's really confusing! There are different versions like the basic Copilot you can find in the browser, the licensed options like Copilot Pro or Microsoft 365 Copilot, and then you have custom Copilots you can develop using Copilot Studio or Foundry. Plus, there's Azure OpenAI Services for more advanced needs. It seems to me that Copilot Studio is geared toward simpler projects with low-code requirements, while Azure OpenAI targets enterprise-level developers. What I really need is guidance on when to use each tool, and if there's a decision guide or resource that lays all of this out clearly. Right now, it's a bit overwhelming!
1 Answer
Here's a breakdown: Copilot is like the general AI tool available to everyone, working in browsers and mobile apps. Copilot M365 is tailored for businesses, linking directly to the M365 ecosystem for tasks like email and team chats and allows for simple agent creation.
Copilot Studio is where you can create custom agents without much coding—these can be used in Teams and other platforms. Foundry gives you access to various LLMs, allowing for more development and fine-tuning—including agents, but requires coding. Azure OpenAI is kind of the predecessor to Foundry; it’s less common now.
The key is to figure out what you want your users to do and what data they'll access. For example, creating a "Parking Agent" for employee queries could start in Copilot Studio and expand to M365 and Teams. But if you're enhancing a specific app, you might turn to Foundry.
It feels like every time we get a grip on it, they release something new or rearrange the features!
Totally get that! I find Studio pretty clunky too, but I do like how it integrates with other Microsoft apps easily.