This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Starting February 2025, new Customer Service customers with Enterprise licenses will only see the Customer Service workspace app. The Customer Service Hub (CSH) app will no longer be available for all new organizations with Enterprise licenses.
The recent release wave introduced an exciting set of new features to help support representatives be more productive. Dynamics 365 Customer Service users from all over the world are incorporating Copilot capabilities into their day-to-day contact center operations, as well as taking advantage of multisession improvements, such as omnichannel experiences and inbox enhancements. When you migrate to Customer Service workspace, you can use all these features out of the box.
What is Customer Service workspace?
Customer Service workspace is a multisession app that increases support representatives’ productivity by enabling them to multitask as they work on multiple cases. The app provides a browser-like, tabbed experience within one window. By contrast, its predecessor Customer Service Hub is a single-session app, so users must open multiple browser windows as they take on more work items.
Customer Service workspace enables representatives to respond to email, chats, messages from configured social media channels, and calls from our native voice channel, for a truly omnichannel experience. They can view, filter, and sort all their conversations and work items in the Outlook-style agent inbox. Administrators can create custom inbox views to meet the specific needs of the organization.
Out-of-the-box Copilot capabilities
For users who want to try Copilot, we recommend Customer Service workspace because it eliminates the need for additional configuration work. When administrators enable Copilot, support representatives can use these generally available capabilities:
Summarize cases with Copilot
Summarize conversations with Copilot
Ask Copilot a question
Draft an email response
The ability to summarize cases and conversations with Copilot can drastically reduce the amount of time representatives need to type notes and bring themselves up to speed on cases. Administrators can enable these capabilities on the Summaries page of the Customer Service admin center. For case summaries, admins can specify which fields Copilot uses to generate a summary. For conversations, admins can specify when to generate a summary or let representatives generate one on demand. In both cases, Copilot requires about 38 words to create a summary.
When admins enable Copilot features in the Customer Service admin center, representatives can ask questions and get answers in natural language. Copilot bases its answers on knowledge sources and up to five trusted domains that the admin specifies. Copilot can process up to 100,000 of your organization’s published knowledge articles, but you must have at least 50 published articles to get started.
With Customer Service workspace, you can leverage your organizational knowledge in new ways and streamline workloads to make your representatives more productive. The result is smoother contact center operations and happier customers.
Note: Customer Service workspace is not supported in mobile devices, Unified Service Desk, and with Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises).
Next Steps
In February 2025, new organizations with Enterprise license will no longer see Customer Service Hub (CSH). We will continue to support the application for all existing organizations and new customers of other license types (e.g., Customer Service Professional license).
If you are an existing customer and are setting up a new environment for testing purposes, you can enable Customer Service Hub, if needed. You can also refer to our migration frequently asked questions document to help answer any other questions you may have about the migration process.
Please contact your Success Manager, FastTrack representative, or Microsoft Support if you have any additional questions.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Today, cybersecurity is everyone’s job. Although specialized engineers are vital, the best defense is from the ground up and from end to end.
You’re not imagining it—the number of major cybersecurity incidents is increasing. And according to Forbes Advisor Cybersecurity Stats: Facts And Figures You Should Know, “The repercussions of cyberattacks are far-reaching and costly. A data breach costs $4.88 million on average in 2024. In 2023, compromised business emails accounted for more than $2.9 billion in losses. These alarming figures emphasize the danger of cyber vulnerabilities and highlight the need for skilled cybersecurity professionals.”
Even small and medium-sized organizations can inadvertently provide cybercriminals with a pathway to bigger targets, which means that everyorganization needs to skill up its teams to protect against ransomware, data breaches, and other security incidents.
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an ideal time for organizations of all sizes to refocus and make a plan to build strong, year-round defenses. Microsoft Learn for Organizations can help your teams build skills to protect and secure your data, information, and systems.
Another good start is Microsoft Security 101, which explains security-related vocabulary, core concepts, and best practices. Or check out the Security hub on Microsoft Learn, which offers technical guidance and resources for aspiring and experienced cybersecurity professionals.
Beyond these foundations, organizations should cultivate a true security-first culture, as embodied by the Microsoft Security First Initiative (SFI). Upskilling across all roles and teams can minimize weak links in the protective chain, empowering your entire organization to prevent, detect, and mitigate issues.
Microsoft Learn for Organizations includes Plans on Microsoft Learn that cover security training for various job roles, such as:
Build skills with cybersecurity training from Microsoft Learn
Microsoft Learn offers self-paced, on-demand security training for many roles, skill levels, and products, and Microsoft Learn for Organizations curates this content for you and your teams to make it easier to reach your goals. The new Microsoft Security Technical Training poster highlights key offerings—whether you’re just starting out or you want to earn an expert Certification.
Get started with cybersecurity basics
Begin your learning journey with self-paced training on the essentials:
Course SC-300: Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator covers configuring and managing identities for users, devices, Azure resources, and applications. Use Microsoft Entra to design, implement, and operate your organization’s identity and access management.
Course AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies prepares you to fill the role of Azure security engineer, as you implement security controls, maintain your organization’s security posture, and identify and remediate security vulnerabilities.
MicrosoftApplied Skillscredentials focus on validating in-demand technical skills in specific scenarios, proving your readiness to take on new tasks and projects for your team. Security-focused Applied Skills scenarios include:
Technology is ever evolving, and so is cybercrime. And building a strong cybersecurity defense is a journey. You and your teams can build your skills anytime—not just during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month! The resources, offerings, and opportunities on Microsoft Learn—curated for teams on Microsoft Learn for Organizations—can help you and your organization build the skills needed to address today’s security requirements and empower your teams to better meet tomorrow’s cybersecurity challenges.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
In an ever-evolving business landscape, the pressure to create meaningful, real-time connections with customers has never been greater. At Microsoft, we understand this challenge, which is why we’re incredibly proud to announce that Microsoft has been recognized as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant™ for B2B Marketing Automation Platforms for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights.*
Figure 1: Gartner Magic Quadrant for B2B Marketing Automation Platforms** (23 September 2024)
We feel this recognition, for the third consecutive year, highlights the strides we’ve made in enabling marketers to harness the power of data, AI, and automation to drive personalized customer experiences. Last year, we took the bold step of connecting customer data and journeys directly within one product—Customer Insights—to strengthen the connection between data and engagement. This move has allowed us to focus even more on breaking down silos, empowering teams, and delivering a unified understanding of customers across departments.
In 2023, we introduced Microsoft Copilot as part of our commitment to evolving the way marketers and data analysts interact with customer insights. By using generative AI, marketers can now automate time-consuming tasks, such as drafting emails, designing forms, and segmenting customers. In the past year alone, we’ve expanded these capabilities with over 15 new Copilot features, including the ability to:
Use Copilot to draft, revise, and optimize marketing content.
Automatically align communications with brand guidelines.
Build customer segments with conversational AI.
Summarize lead interactions and even predict customer behavior patterns.
By incorporating Copilot into Customer Insights, we’re not just enhancing efficiency—we’re enabling creativity and strategic thinking that can transform a company’s marketing efforts.
Breaking down data silos for better customer experiences
One of the key advantages Gartner identified is our ability to unify customer data across marketing, sales, and service functions. Too often, customer experiences are fragmented as information remains stuck in departmental silos. With Customer Insights, companies can create seamless journeys by ensuring data flows smoothly between touchpoints, providing a cohesive customer experience from start to finish.
This unified approach has been crucial in helping our customers, including Kodak Alaris, Lynk & Co, and Team Rubicon, revolutionize how they engage with their customers. For example:
Kodak Alaris has saved more than 60% in costs while gaining visibility into customer journeys with Customer Insights.
Lynk & Co uses the platform to capture and utilize customer data to create personalized, seamless car sharing experiences.
Team Rubicon enhances its volunteer and donor engagement efforts using Customer Insights, helping to build and maintain lasting relationships that fuel their critical disaster work.
Global support with local expertise
Our vision of making personalization accessible to organizations worldwide remains a cornerstone of our strategy. We provide support in more than 40 languages and maintain a direct sales presence across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. This, combined with a robust network of more than 350 partners and 7,000 resellers, allows us to deliver powerful solutions globally while tailoring them to local market needs.
The road ahead
As we reflect on this recognition from Gartner, we remain focused on continuing to innovate and support our customers. Whether it’s through the expanding capabilities of Copilot, deeper data integration, or our commitment to breaking down barriers between departments, Customer Insights is positioned to help businesses create more meaningful, personalized, and scalable customer engagements.
Figure 1: Gartner, Magic Quadrant for B2B Marketing Automation Platforms, Rick LaFond, Jeff Cohen, Alan Antin, Upasna Chandna, Nicholas Mortensen, 23 September 2024.
*Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s Research & Advisory organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose
**This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. The Gartner document is available upon request from Microsoft.
GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
I’m excited to announce the public preview of GitHub Copilot for Azure – a new addition to your toolkit that seamlessly integrates with GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code. Think of it as your personal assistant for navigating the Azure cloud. Instead of switching between your IDE and the Azure portal to manage infrastructure or search for commands and arguments, focus on what you do best – writing code. Whether you’re provisioning services or deploying apps, just ask @azure in GitHub Copilot Chat and handle it all right inside your editor.
You can get started right now by installing GitHub Copilot for Azure from the VS Code Marketplace!
GitHub Copilot for Azure can help with…
Learning about Azure
GIF demonstrating learning about Azure
GitHub Copilot for Azure makes learning about Azure services a breeze, whether you’re new to the platform or a seasoned pro. It pulls in relevant, up-to-date documentation like answers on Azure OpenAI models, Azure AI Search, or even how pricing works for services like Azure SQL, all within your coding environment. Instead of searching through multiple sources, @azure surfaces the info you need on-the-fly, letting you understand key services without ever leaving your editor. This makes it super handy for developers just starting with Azure, helping them grasp complex concepts faster, while also saving time for experienced developers who need quick reminders or details on the latest services and features.
Suggested prompts for learning
@azure Give me a detailed description of Azure AI Search
@azure Which azure services can run my container?
Deploying
GIF showing how to search for and deploy an azd template
GitHub Copilot for Azure takes the hassle out of deploying your apps by guiding you through tasks like setting up resources or automating deployments. Whether you’re building a RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) app with Python, creating a CI/CD pipeline, or using the Azure Developer CLI (azd) to deploy your project, @azure can suggest app templates, the right commands and configurations straight from your code editor. No need to search for sample applications, look up CLI commands or YAML syntax – @azure fills in the blanks for you. This is especially helpful when you need to quickly spin up services or tear them down, saving you time and letting you focus on writing great code instead of managing infrastructure.
Suggested prompts for deploying
@azure Can you help me build an RAG chat app with GPT-4o?
@azure List the regions where GPT-4o is available
Troubleshooting
GIF demonstrating how to diagnose an app issue
Sometimes things go wrong. When they do GitHub Copilot for Azure simplifies diagnosing and troubleshooting by providing quick insights into your application’s performance and resource issues.
Whether you’re trying to figure out why your Kubernetes cluster is sluggish or the root cause of those annoying 500 errors on your website, @azurehas your back. It helps by performing diagnoses, searching logs, and pointing you toward potential issues without having to search through documentation or manually run multiple checks. This speeds up the troubleshooting process, letting you zero in on problems faster and get your app or service back to full speed with less frustration.
Building on that, @azure doesn’t just help identify problems – it actively assists in fixing them too. Once you’ve pinpointed what’s causing your resource or app issues, @azure can suggest solutions, like optimizing configurations, scaling resources, or fixing code that’s causing those 500 errors. For example, if your Kubernetes cluster is running slow, @azure might recommend changes to your deployment settings or resource limits. If you’re dealing with quota exhaustion or performance bottlenecks, it can offer tips on how to scale efficiently. Essentially, @azure becomes your go-to tool for both diagnosing and resolving issues, so you can focus on improving your app rather than troubleshooting for hours.
Suggested prompts for troubleshooting
@azure Why is my ReallyImportantWebsite webapp running slow?
@azure Are there any errors in the logs of my SuperCoolDemo Container App?
Operating
GIF demonstrating searching for Azure resources
Following troubleshooting, GitHub Copilot for Azure also helps you stay on top of resource operations. After resolving issues, it’s crucial to ensure your resources are being used properly, and @azure makes this easy. For example, you can quickly ask @azure how many Azure OpenAI deployments you have or request a count of your storage accounts in eastus, sorted by size. This immediate access to resource data helps you optimize your setup by identifying over-provisioned resources, rebalancing workloads, or fine-tuning configurations – all without leaving your coding environment. It streamlines the process of managing resources and keeping everything running smoothly, making sure you’re not only fixing problems but also preventing new ones from cropping up.
Suggested prompts for operating
@azure how many web app plans using the free tier do I have deployed grouped by region sorted by highest to lowest?
@azure How do I list all the pods in my AKS cluster?
Slash Commands give you more control
GitHub Copilot for Azure is new, and sometimes it may not understand what you want, but it has slash commands that you can use to specify your intent:
@azure /helpto see what kinds of things @azure can do
@azure /diagnose to figure out what’s wrong with your applications
@azure /changeTenantto choose the Azure tenant you want to use
Get started now!
GitHub Copilot for Azure is currently in public preview, and can installed from the VS Code Marketplace: Get GitHub Copilot for Azure
Share your thoughts
We would love to know what you think, good or bad! Use the “Thumbs Up” and “Thumbs Down” buttons to tell us, and you can open issues in our GitHub repo. We would love to hear from you about how we can improve and help you with your Azure journey.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
We’ve launched 2024 release wave 2 for Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform, and role-based Microsoft Copilot offerings—introducing a rollout of new features and enhanced capabilities releasing between October 2024 and March 2025. These updates include advanced Copilot capabilities for Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales, Copilot for Service, and Copilot for Finance to empower your workforce, optimize business processes, and enhance customer engagement.
Copilot and agents are the future of AI for business
2.1 million users engage with Copilot across Microsoft business applications every month, including employees at companies like PayPal, HP, Lumen, and McKinsey & Company. These Copilot experiences can drive new levels of productivity and efficiency while offering high standards of privacy, security, and compliance.
Moving forward, we envision AI-first organizations will comprise people, Copilot, and agents. Copilot is your AI assistant, designed to work for you. With Microsoft Copilot Studio, you can create, manage, and connect agents to Copilot. Organizations will have a network of agents, ranging from simple prompt-and-response systems to fully autonomous entities, that will operate on behalf of individuals, teams, or functions to execute and orchestrate business processes. Copilot serves as the interface for interacting with these agents, which can handle tasks such as accelerating lead generation, processing sales orders, and automating supply chains. At the Business Applications Launch Event, we showcased new features across Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform that demonstrate what’s possible with Copilot and agents.
Thrive with customer experience applications
2024 release wave 2 brings exciting new features to Dynamics 365 customer experience apps designed to deliver connected and personalized experiences for both customers and employees. These innovations focus on optimizing customer interactions and streamlining sales processes across your organization.
New capabilities for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales include a multilingual bot (supported languages), Copilot-generated prompts, in-line email functionality, and more. These features are set to transform how businesses engage with customers and manage internal processes.
During the launch event, we showcased how Lynk & Co, an innovative car company, is leveraging the multilingual Copilot Studio bot in Dynamics 365 Customer Service. By using AI-powered voice recognition and Copilot-generated prompts, they’ve been able to optimize customer wait times and improve case resolution speed. These tools have enabled Lynk & Co to significantly reduce case review times while keeping their sales team in the loop, thanks to seamless data sharing between service and sales teams.
With Copilot’s intelligent automation, sales managers at Lynk & Co can now focus on building customer relationships rather than manually sorting through documents. By streamlining workflows and providing actionable insights, Copilot empowers sales professionals to work more efficiently and drive business growth. These new capabilities—combined with tools like real-time prompts, the Sales Qualification Agent, and account summaries generated by Copilot—offer businesses a modern, intuitive way to stay connected with customers and make smarter decisions faster.
Defining autonomous enterprise resource planning (ERP) with innovative agents
Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP solutions introduce significant enhancements aimed at improving both core functionalities and autonomous capabilities. These updates include the introduction of five autonomous agents for Dynamics 365 designed to streamline processes and boost organizational efficiency. By automating routine tasks, businesses can focus more on strategic decision-making and adapt to the dynamic market landscape.
For Lifetime Products, a leading global producer of outdoor consumer goods, these improvements have substantially enhanced the productivity of their finance team. The Account Reconciliation Agent for Dynamics 365 Finance autonomously identifies discrepancies between subledgers and ledgers, offering actionable recommendations and reducing manual effort. Additionally, automated bank reconciliation now matches transactions and summarizes histories, saving time and improving accuracy. These features have streamlined their month-end close process across multiple legal entities, enhancing both efficiency and compliance.
In parallel, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central updates have improved operations for more than 40,000 customers. The Sales Order Agent enables businesses like Stoneridge Software’s clients to manage sales orders without needing additional staffing, speeding up order processing while maintaining service quality. Interoperability between Dynamics 365 Business Central and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service has streamlined service order management, reducing manual data entry and errors. This automation allows technicians to work more efficiently, improving the overall customer experience and ensuring timely service delivery.
Unlock value everywhere with Microsoft Power Platform and Copilot Studio
Microsoft Power Platform offers new capabilities that enhance automation and app development using AI-powered tools. Copilot simplifies workflows, generates apps, and assists with complex processes, enabling businesses to manage tasks more effectively. With new AI-driven features across Microsoft Power Platform you can create solutions across your organization in record time.
At the launch event, we highlighted how Applied Information Sciences (AIS) is improving workforce efficiency in vendor invoice management using AI-enabled features in Microsoft Power Automate. With Copilot, automating processes such as routing and approvals based on predefined rules, AIS can handle a large volume of invoices daily, reducing manual input and increasing productivity. Users can easily update workflows with a few clicks, and the new summary functionality ensures clear tracking and sharing of updates.
AIS’s onboarding process for new consultants supports ongoing training with Copilot in Microsoft Power Apps. “Search with Copilot” allows users to retrieve records using natural language queries, while the AI-enabled paste feature efficiently fills out onboarding forms, reducing manual data entry. Copilot Studio improves IT Helpdesk automation with task assignment and grounding third-party data sources through knowledge management. This provides analytics for monitoring agent performance and improves accuracy while also enabling a continuous improvement process.
The latest improvements in Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales, Copilot for Service, and Copilot for Finance focus on enhancing user experience by automating routine tasks and providing actionable insights through autonomous agents. These advanced functionalities allow sales teams, customer service representatives, and finance professionals to offload repetitive activities, enabling them to concentrate on strategic initiatives. As a result, organizations can optimize efficiency and improve overall productivity.
For instance, companies like Lumen and Genpact have experienced significant time savings with Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales and Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance capabilities. Lumen reported a 94% reduction in research time for sales data, while Genpact achieved over a 50% decrease in payroll processing time through automated reconciliation. These enhancements demonstrate how Copilot agents are not only improving workflows but also positively impacting the workforce’s efficiency.
Schneider Electric is another example of a company benefiting from these advancements. Its sales team can now effectively prioritize leads with the help of the Lead Intelligence Agent, which analyzes customer interactions and external data to deliver enriched insights. This streamlined approach allows sales representatives to engage with prospects more strategically, ultimately supporting their goal of enhancing efficiency and driving revenue growth.
Watch the virtual Microsoft Business Applications Launch Event
Join us for the on-demand Microsoft Business Applications Launch Event to discover the latest enhancements in Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform, and Microsoft Copilot apps. The event features in-depth demos of new autonomous agents and other capabilities designed to optimize your workflows and streamline operations.
Don’t forget to review the detailed release plans for Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform. Stay updated on the latest features and upcoming enhancements, and create your personalized release plan using the release planner to ensure you’re equipped with the knowledge needed to maximize these new capabilities.
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