Get ready for a Copilot rebranding and much more.
Microsoft is gearing up for a pivotal announcement later this month, centered on what it’s calling the “next phase of Copilot innovation.” Scheduled for September 16th, this special event will be hosted by none other than Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, alongside Jared Spataro, the company’s vice president of AI at work. Aptly dubbed “Wave 2,” this Copilot event promises to be a significant milestone in the evolution of Microsoft’s AI-driven business tools.
This event, which will be streamed live on LinkedIn, is set to spotlight the business-oriented side of Microsoft’s Copilot offerings. In a move that is quintessentially Microsoft, the company is reportedly planning a major rebranding of its Copilot products. As revealed in my Notepad newsletter last month, Microsoft is set to rename “Copilot in Word” to “Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word,” and similarly, “Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365” will become “Microsoft 365 Copilot.” This rebranding underscores Microsoft’s strategy to unify its product naming under the well-established Microsoft 365 brand.
However, the event will offer much more than just a rebranding exercise. Microsoft is expected to introduce a suite of new Copilot features designed to attract more businesses to its premium offering, priced at $30 per user per month. Since rolling out Copilot’s AI capabilities across Office apps earlier this year, Microsoft has faced ongoing debates among businesses about whether the steep subscription cost is justified by the value provided. The upcoming event could be a turning point, as Microsoft unveils features that might tip the scales in favor of adoption.
Additionally, there’s speculation that we might see updates to Copilot Pro, Microsoft’s consumer-facing subscription service for AI features. Despite a promising launch earlier this year, Copilot Pro, which offers AI tools in Word for $20 per month, has seen few feature updates. In fact, Microsoft removed the GPT Builder feature from Copilot Pro in June, leading some to question the service’s future. The September 16th event could be an opportunity for Microsoft to reinvigorate interest in Copilot Pro with new enhancements that justify the subscription fee.
Mark your calendars for Monday, September 16th, at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET, as Microsoft reveals the future of Copilot. Whether you’re a business leader assessing the ROI of AI tools or a consumer intrigued by the possibilities of Copilot Pro, this event promises to deliver key insights into Microsoft’s vision for AI-powered productivity.