A few days ago, Microsoft announced Microsoft 365 Copilot for Viva Engage.
I was confused when I first read this announcement because I know certain Viva Premium licenses already include Copilot in Viva Engage.
The screenshot below is from the latest Viva licensing sheet (January 2025, as no newer version is available).
I asked Microsoft whether they plan to follow the same approach as with Copilot in Planner, meaning removing Copilot from Viva Premium licenses and requiring an additional Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
For now, Microsoft has declined and explained that Viva Engage will include two Copilots:
- Engage Copilot v1 (previously Microsoft Copilot in Viva Engage) is included with certain Viva Premium licenses.
Engage Copilot v1 helps you brainstorm ideas for posts, decide where to share them, create templates and draft content, refine writing quality, and provide feedback to improve your posts. This Copilot is solely for Viva Engage and has no connections to other Microsoft 365 products. - Microsoft 365 Copilot in Viva Engage (the new Copilot) is not included in Viva Premium licenses. It requires an additional Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
Microsoft 365 Copilot in Viva Engage is connected with other Microsoft 365 products, helps you stay up-to-date, discover, and collect information whenever you need it, and connect the dots across important apps in Microsoft 365. It brings contextual information to where you are, whether you’re in Engage Communities, Storylines, Campaigns, or in a single conversation.
Microsoft also published FAQs to answer questions for those already using Engage Copilot v1.
Personally, I would call Engage Copilot v1 the legacy Copilot for Viva Engage.
It’s unlikely that further developments will come for Copilot v1, as Microsoft 365 Copilot in Viva Engage is coming, most importantly at an additional cost. Microsoft has not yet announced a release date for the new Copilot. This direction also aligns with rumors about upcoming Copilot announcements at the Ignite conference.
