Microsoft has been busy lately, cranking out new tools and features left and right. Two of the biggest AI-focused additions to the Microsoft family are SharePoint Premium and Microsoft Copilot for M365. Ok, so maybe SharePoint Premium isn’t that new, considering it was called SharePoint Syntex as well as other names over the years. Aside from that, businesses have been asking a lot more about it lately due to the rise of AI in the Microsoft ecosystem. On the surface they seem like really similar solutions. After all, they’re both using AI, right? If you dive beneath the surface, you’ll find two very different approaches to solving business problems.
SharePoint Premium: The Content Superpower
SharePoint Premium is all about unlocking the secrets hidden within your organization’s content. It’s like having a super-smart librarian who not only knows where everything is but also understands the context and relationships between different pieces of information. SharePoint Premium is actually a collection of features, and you can use any or all of them to empower your data. There’s even integration with an LLM in the new Autofill feature. With just some of the features in SharePoint Premium, you can:
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Unlock insights: Automatically extract metadata and insights from your content, making it more discoverable and usable.
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Tame the chaos: Intelligently categorize and classify content, streamlining your information architecture and simplifying search.
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Turn content into action: Transform content into actionable knowledge, enabling better decision-making and innovation.
- Translate content: Easily (and even automatically) translate documents to other languages.
SharePoint Premium is the ultimate content empowerment tool. It’s not just about storing and retrieving information. it’s about turning that information into a strategic asset that drives business outcomes.
Microsoft Copilot for M365: The Productivity Solution
Copilot for M365, on the other hand, is like having a personal assistant who’s always looking over your shoulder, but not in a creepy way. It can anticipate what you need and offer expert advice. Its primary focus is on:
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Task mastery: Providing personalized task suggestions, automating routine tasks, and offering expert advice to enhance productivity.
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Information discovery: Surfacing relevant information and insights, making it easier to find what you need, when you need it.
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Augmenting human capabilities: Amplifying human capabilities with AI-driven tools, freeing up time for more strategic and creative work.
Copilot for M365 is the ultimate productivity booster. It’s not just about getting more done in less time; it’s about working smarter, not harder.
The Great Divide: Empowerment vs Productivity
So, what’s the difference between these two tools? In a nutshell:
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Focus: SharePoint Premium is all about empowering content, while Copilot is focused on boosting productivity.
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Scope: SharePoint Premium is primarily concerned with content intelligence, while Copilot for M365 is more broadly focused on productivity and information discovery.
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Benefits: SharePoint Premium enables organizations to unlock the full potential of their content, driving innovation and decision-making. Copilot for M365, on the other hand, helps users work more efficiently, freeing up time for strategic and creative work.
The Verdict
In the end, SharePoint Premium and Microsoft Copilot are two complementary tools that address distinct aspects of organizational efficiency. SharePoint Premium empowers content, while Copilot for M365 boosts productivity. By understanding the unique strengths of each, you can make informed decisions about how to leverage them to drive business success. They’re not meant to compete, and never will. Not from what I can tell, anyway.
So, which one do you need? Maybe it’s both. I’d sure recommend it, so why not get the easy wins with SharePoint Premium adding massive value to your data. Why not use Copilot for M365 to save people time and help them get their work done faster?
