Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat Enterprise)
AI-powered search with enterprise-grade data protection
The verdict
Microsoft Copilot, integrating with the Edge browser and Windows, provides AI-powered search capabilities with a strong emphasis on data privacy, particularly for enterprise users. It synthesizes information from Bing search results and can access internal organizational data through Microsoft Graph connectors, offering a more personalized and context-aware search experience within the Microsoft ecosystem. While its core search functionality is solid, using OpenAI's GPT models, its primary differentiator is the commercial data protection ensuring chat data is not saved, used to train models, or viewable by Microsoft. The free version is included with various Microsoft 365 subscriptions, making it a compelling value proposition for existing enterprise customers. Its reliance on the Edge browser for full functionality can be a minor hurdle for users preferring other browsers.
What works
- ✓Offers commercial data protection, ensuring user queries and data remain private and are not used for model training.
- ✓Synthesizes information from web search results and can integrate with organizational data through Microsoft Graph.
- ✓Included at no additional cost with many existing Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, and Business Premium subscriptions, providing significant value.
- ✓Features a 'no-cost' access option for users without eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions, albeit with some feature limitations.
What doesn't
- ✕Full feature set and enterprise-grade data protection are primarily available within the Microsoft ecosystem, particularly via the Edge browser.
- ✕While excellent for general knowledge and web search, its ability to deeply analyze very niche, highly specialized academic papers can sometimes be less nuanced than dedicated academic search engines.
- ✕The 'no-cost' version for individual users has limitations compared to the enterprise offering, such as a cap on daily turns.
If Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat Enterprise) isn't it