Microsoft 365 Copilot: AI That Works for Your Business, Securely

AI is transforming the way we work—but not all AI tools are created equal. While platforms like ChatGPT have sparked mainstream excitement, they often raise serious concerns about data security, compliance, and control.

For Irish businesses handling sensitive customer data, intellectual property, or regulatory requirements, relying on open AI platforms can carry real risk.

That’s where Microsoft 365 Copilot stands out.

Built into familiar Microsoft apps like Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams, Copilot is your intelligent, secure AI assistant.

Designed specifically for enterprise-grade performance and privacy. Backed by Microsoft’s rigorous security framework and hosted entirely within your Microsoft 365 environment, Copilot ensures that your data never leaves your control.

The Risk of Using Open AI Tools at Work

Many freely available AI tools process queries via public or third-party servers, storing input data that can be used to train future models. That may be acceptable for personal use, but in a business context, this could expose:

• Confidential client information
• Internal strategies or financial data
• GDPR-protected personal data

According to Gartner, by 2026, 30% of large organisations will ban the use of public generative AI tools due to privacy and security concerns. For regulated industries in Ireland, from finance to healthcare, the risk is too great to ignore.

Why Microsoft 365 Copilot is Different

Copilot is Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant, built directly into the Microsoft 365 apps your business already uses, like Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Teams. It combines the power of large language models with your business data to help you create, summarise, analyse, and automate work in seconds.

With Microsoft 365 Copilot:

• Your data stays within your Microsoft 365 tenant.
• It complies with Microsoft’s enterprise-grade security, identity, and compliance controls.
• You get full transparency and control over how AI is used in your business.

Copilot can:

• Draft documents, emails, and reports in seconds
• Generate insights and forecasts from complex Excel data
• Create high-quality presentations with a few prompts
• Summarise Teams meetings and assign follow-up tasks automatically
• And so much more.

It’s already driving results. A Microsoft study showed that users of Copilot were 29% faster at tasks like writing and summarising, and 70% said they were more productive overall.

Transform Your Workplace with Confidence

At Leaf IT, we help Irish businesses adopt technology that works for them, not against them. As an accredited Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern Work, we guide you through Copilot setup, governance, and training, ensuring you unlock maximum value while staying secure and compliant.

Let’s talk about how Copilot can transform the way you work—safely, securely, and smartly.

Contact us: hello@leaf-it.ie | +353 (0) 1 582 4075 | leaf-it.ie