New capabilites to manage data in the AI era, Copilot for Microsoft 365

In January, Microsoft updated its Microsoft Copilot product line to extend and use Copilot for Microsoft 365 to more businesses, lifting the limit on the minimum number of purchases it has made.

Now, Microsoft’s Data Residence capabilities can be extended to add interactive content with Copilot for Microsoft 365 to the Data Residence mandatory and offering portfolio. Microsoft extends the Product Terms and Conditions and Microsoft 365 Data Residence to ensure that interactive content with Copilot for Microsoft 365 is stored in the same country or region where Microsoft 365 content is stored.

Since its early days in cloud computing, Microsoft has built its products and services on security, privacy, compliance, and transparency. Microsoft knows their customers are entrusting them with one of their most important assets: data. Microsoft’s long experience with data privacy builds on the ability to control the data you enter into the cloud, including where it is stored. The tremendous advances that artificial intelligence has made in productivity, security, and learning have raised interest in this fundamental data privacy and resistance obligation, but they have not changed. Technology has advanced, but Microsoft’s value has remained consistent.

New Copilot for Microsoft 365 data residency and offerings

The announcement ensures that data content for interaction with Copilot for Microsoft 365 is stored according to the specified data storage location in Microsoft 365 data. This residency applies only to customers who have a tenant provisioned in specific geographies, with additional options for additional locations. You can already delete content of interactions data with Copilot for Microsoft 365 at any time.

Microsoft 365 offers a variety of data storage options to support data residency and privacy obligations. These also apply to data content that interacts with Copilot for Microsoft 365.

Product Terms Data Residency provides data residency commitment for Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Microsoft Teams in the following countries and regions
South Korea, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Norway, Qatar, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, United States, European Union
Advanced Data Residency add-on (ADR) extends the coverage of Microsoft 365 workloads to eligible customers, builds data resistance in local data center areas, and provides priority tenant migration services. ADR will be available in Poland, Italy, and Israel, along with all regions covered by the terms and conditions Data Residence, and new regional data center areas in Mexico and Spain will be added soon.
Multi-Geo Capabilities add-on provides customers with the ability to scale Microsoft 365 to multiple regions within their existing Microsoft 365 tenants. The Multi-Geo feature is available in three macro regions, the United States, Asia Pacific, and the European Union, along with the same regional set as ADR. Find out more about the workloads that apply.
EU Data Boundary allows customers in the European Union and the European Free Trade Association to keep their data in the EU.

What’s Next?

Microsoft has updated its commitment to include Copilot for Microsoft 365 content interaction data. Customers within these obligations can be confident that such data will be stored within their region. By the end of 2024, Microsoft will include Copilot for Microsoft 365 by expanding the data location card in the Microsoft 365 Management Center. This Data Location Card allows current Microsoft 365 customers to view specific geographic storage locations for Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Microsoft Teams. For customers with the ADR add-on, the Data Location Card provides a more transparent view of geographic locations for expanded workloads.

Microsoft recommends contacting the Microsoft Account Team to learn about the options available to manage your organization’s data, as well as whether the Advanced Data Residence or Multi-Geo capabilities can help meet the needs of Data Residence.

Microsoft’s vision for Microsoft Copilot is to bring the power of Gen AI to everyone.

Learn more about Microsoft Copilot and what are some actionable guidelines for starting a business transition with Copilot through the Copilot for Work site.

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