MAY 2025 SECRET AGENT BRIEFING RECAP

The May 2025 Secret Agent Briefing, hosted by Jeffrey DeMaria, featured AJ Ansari, a leading Microsoft MVP specializing in Business Central and AI tools. The session focused on the importance of Copilot for the future of AI agents and provided valuable insights into the latest enhancements and strategies for leveraging Microsoft’s AI capabilities.

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1. Enhancements and Updates: Jeffrey DeMaria firstly kicked off the briefing by sharing updates on the latest enhancements to the xMonthly platform. These improvements include an updated home page layout, making it easier for partners and agents to navigate and access valuable resources related to Microsoft 365 and the Microsoft Cloud stack. Additionally, new landing pages for previous Marketing Mix and Secret Agent Briefing sessions were introduced, allowing users to delve deeper into past content and insights.

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2. Importance of Copilot for AI Agents: Secondly, AJ Ansari emphasized the critical role of Copilot in the future of AI agents. He highlighted several key points:

• Security and Business Focus: Unlike other AI tools such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini, Copilot is designed specifically for businesses, ensuring enterprise-level security and data protection. This enhanced security makes it suitable for organizational deployment, safeguarding sensitive information within the company’s tenant.
• Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem: Copilot also seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365, utilizing Azure Active Directory (now Microsoft Entra) for secure access to resources. This integration ensures that all data remains within the organization’s tenant, providing a secure and efficient AI experience.
• BYOAI Syndrome: AJ discussed the concept of “Bring Your Own AI” (BYOAI), where employees might use personal AI tools if their organization does not provide adequate AI resources. He stressed the importance of having a playbook for acceptable AI use within the workplace to prevent security risks and ensure proper utilization of AI tools.

3. Copilot Studio and Agent Creation: AJ introduced Copilot Studio, a low-code/no-code tool for creating AI agents. He explained the different types of agents that can be built, ranging from simple knowledge agents to more complex autonomous agents, including:

• Benefits Assistant: A knowledge agent grounded in HR documents, providing quick answers to employee queries about benefits and coverage.
• Business Central Agent: An agent connected to Business Central, capable of retrieving customer information, analyzing sales behavior, and scheduling meetings.
• Support Desk Agent: An autonomous agent managing support tickets, providing answers, and escalating issues as needed.

4. Licensing and Costs: AJ ended his presentation with a discussion about the licensing requirements associated with Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Copilot Studio. Copilot for Microsoft 365 is priced at $30 per user per month, with annual commitment options. Copilot Studio, on the other hand, is free to use for building agents, with costs incurred based on message usage when deployed.

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• DynamicsCon: xMonthly will be in attendance at DynamicsCon 2025 in Chicago from May 13-16! If you’ll be attending, make sure to connect with us! We’re excited to partipate as an attendee.
• CSP Briefing: Take control of the cloud conversation and attend our May 2025 CSP Briefing on May 21^st!