Successful webinar: A look into the future of Generative AI
On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, the Online Group and Microsoft hosted the webinar “Ready for GenAI – The Opportunities for Your Business 2025”. With 140 live participants, the event demonstrated the great interest in Generative AI and its integration into the Microsoft world. The focus was on in-depth information, live demos and a practical exchange about the opportunities that Generative AI holds for companies.
Welcome and introduction to GenAI
Marco Denzler, Head of Business Development at the Online Group, opened the webinar with a welcome and organizational information. He presented the agenda, which included an introduction to Generative AI technology as well as live demos and strategic insights from experts.
Marco emphasized how GenAI has gained in importance in recent years. Since the introduction of tools such as OpenAI, acceptance has increased rapidly. Studies show that employees who use Generative AI can work 25% faster and achieve 40% higher quality results. These figures illustrate the extent to which the technology is already being integrated into companies today.
Live demos and application examples with Microsoft 365 Copilot
Following the introduction, Sandro Hürsch, Copilot Lead & Consultant at the Online Group, took over. His focus was on the practical applications of Microsoft 365 Copilot. Using live demos, he showed how companies can use Copilot to automate and simplify everyday tasks.
Excel demo:
One of the applications presented was the use of Copilot in Microsoft Excel. Sandro demonstrated how tables can be created with just a few commands to analyze sales data, for example. Copilot can also be used to automate more complex tasks such as calculating margins or highlighting certain values. These functions offer clear added value, especially for employees without in-depth knowledge of Excel.
SharePoint agents:
Another highlight was the introduction of SharePoint agents. These make it possible to answer questions automatically on the basis of existing documents. As an example, an agent was presented that was able to provide employees with all relevant information at an event – from expense regulations to luggage requirements. The intuitive setup of such agents shows how easily and flexibly Microsoft 365 Copilot can be used.
Generative AI and the evolution of Microsoft 365 Copilot
Sandro Hürsch also shed light on the evolution of Microsoft 365 Copilot. The first version still had some weaknesses, particularly in terms of user-friendliness and speed. However, Microsoft has now made significant improvements. Copilot offers deeper integrations in tools such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint and is constantly being developed further.
An outlook for the coming months showed that Microsoft is working on making Copilot even more proactive. Functions such as “Copilot Actions”, which automate everyday tasks, and the personalization of the tool should make everyday work even easier.
Insights from Microsoft: Agents and future developments
Benjamin Müller, Partner Technology Strategist at Microsoft, introduced the participants to the strategic direction and the next development phase of Microsoft 365 Copilot. The focus was on the so-called “agents”, which will play a central role in the future.
These specialized tools can not only provide data, but also support processes such as project management. For example, an agent could automatically generate to-dos from meetings and delegate them to the relevant people. This reduces the workload for employees and processes can be designed more efficiently.
Opportunities for companies with Microsoft 365 Copilot
An important part of the webinar was the discussion about the strategic application possibilities of Generative AI. Marco Denzler pointed out that many companies are still at the beginning of their journey. While some employees already use Generative AI tools independently, there is often no clear corporate strategy.
The Online Group recommends identifying specific processes in which the use of Microsoft 365 Copilot offers the greatest added value. Companies can achieve significant improvements in the areas of sales, marketing and customer service in particular.
Focus on data and privacy protection
Data protection was a key issue for many participants. The speakers were able to clarify that Microsoft does not use any customer data for AI training. All data remains within the respective client and is not processed outside the EU. Microsoft also offers tools such as the “Purview Compliance Manager” to monitor and control data flows. Find out more here.
Conclusion and outlook
The webinar showed how Microsoft 365 Copilot can help companies to increase their efficiency and optimize processes in a targeted manner. The combination of innovative functions, simple integration options and a clear strategic focus makes Copilot a valuable tool for digital transformation.
As an experienced partner, the Online Group is ready to accompany companies on this path. Whether during implementation, employee training or the identification of relevant use cases – we support you in fully exploiting the potential of Generative AII.
