Microsoft Product Terms: March 2025


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Removed “without Microsoft’s prior written approval” from the clause preventing using MS service to mine crypto…I guess they realised they were never going to give anyone permission for this!

Changed the Use Rights for Azure Local software from:

Customer may use the Azure Local software only (i) on servers dedicated to Customer’s internal use

to

Customer may use the Azure Local software only (i) on devices dedicated to Customer’s internal use

Microsoft say this represents a move to “include smaller, more affordable devices than traditional servers

They also removed the following clause “Any customer support for Azure Local that may be available from Microsoft requires that Azure Local runs on server hardware that is pre-validated and listed in the Azure Local catalog or any successor.”

Added Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat to the list of EU Data Boundary Services

March 5th

You can now add the Microsoft 365 E5 Security add-on to the Business Premium SKU.

March 12th

Added a section on Data Handling of Query Data with M365 Copilot & M365 Copilot Chat:

  • Microsoft has no rights in Query Data other than as needed to provide the services,
  • Query Data is not used to improve Bing,
  • Query Data is not used to create advertising profiles or track user behavior,
  • Query Data is not shared with advertisers or otherwise beyond Microsoft and its contracted suppliers who are subject to terms no less protective than these provisions,
  • Query Data is not used to train generative AI foundation models, and
  • Query Data is treated as Customer confidential information and protected by appropriate technical and organizational measures.

Clarification that certain concurrent use rights for Defender on up to 5 devices does not include Server OSEs:

  • Eligible Licensed Users may use Microsoft Defender for Business on up to five concurrent devices. Customer may not use a Microsoft Defender for Business User SL with server OSEs.
  • Eligible Licensed Users may use Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management or Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-on on up to five concurrent devices. Customer may not use Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management or Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-On User SLs with server OSEs.

More Microsoft Copilot news – September 2023


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Microsoft have announced a new offering, Microsoft Copilot.

No, I haven’t been under a rock for the last 12 months…I know there are already a bunch of Copilots but it looks like Microsoft have, in their infinite wisdom, decided to bundle some of the Copilots (but not all of them) together into 1 thing called Copilot 🙄

The entity known as “Microsoft Copilot” will include (if that is the right word?):

  • Windows 11
  • Microsoft 365
  • Edge
  • Bing

Microsoft say:

Copilot will begin to roll out in its early form as part of our free update to Windows 11, starting Sept. 26 — and across Bing, Edge, and Microsoft 365 Copilot this fall.”

With regards to the M365 piece, I think it means that “Copilot” will be able to interact with M365 Copilot – rather than include its capabilities…but it’s not really clear.

Microsoft 365 Copilot

Release date

Microsoft have announced that Microsoft 365 Copilot General Availability for Enterprise customers is November 1, 2023. There is a 300 user minimum purchase for Copilot too – meaning a $9,000 per month spend at least. While it’s a surprise to see this minimum, it’s not a huge outlay for most Enterprise Agreement customers really.

It’s been noted that 300 is the maximum for the Business plans so, despite announcing a Copilot add for Business SKUs, this effectively precludes the majority of SMBs. In my opinion, Microsoft will reduce/remove the minimum at the point they make Copilot available on other agreements.

Why is there a minimum? That’s a great question and one that we don’t have a definite answer for. It seems most likely that Copilot needs a certain amount of data (and perhaps connections )to really work its magic – although, saying that, all the Copilot examples I’ve seen wouldn’t seem to require that. They’ve all focused on individual areas – add a column to this table, calculate the average sales for next year, makes all slides the same font etc. and that wouldn’t need aggregated internal training data.

Some people suggest it’s to set a minimum revenue threshold but I’m not sure about that either tbh.

New feature

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat works across all your data including, but not limited to:

  • Emails
  • Meetings
  • Chats
  • Documents
  • Web

and will work as an assistant that understands “you, your job, your priorities and your organization“.

Big thanks to Jack Rowbotham, Microsoft Product Marketing Manager, for sharing this info on LinkedIn 😊

See my other posts on Microsoft 365 CoPilot here:

Licensing details

Pricing

Adoption Guide