Microsoft announced the general availability of Copilot Cowork, an agentic capability within Microsoft 365 Copilot that can carry out multi-step tasks across apps like Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint. It marks a shift from AI-assisted work to AI-executed work. On licensing, Cowork requires an existing Microsoft 365 Copilot license but is billed separately on a usage-based model (Copilot Credits) — so you pay for actual consumption, not a fixed per-user fee. Here is how the licensing works and how to keep costs under control.
Pontos-chave
- Copilot Cowork is now generally available — an agentic capability in Microsoft 365 Copilot that plans and executes multi-step tasks across Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.
- It is a metered capability on top of Microsoft 365 Copilot, not a bundled feature: you still need a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, and Cowork is then charged via Copilot Credits (pay-per-use).
- Each task consumes credits based on task complexity and depth of reasoning, the amount of data and context retrieved, and the number of tools or actions executed — complex, multi-step tasks drive the majority of cost.
- Payment options are pay-as-you-go (roughly $0.01 per Copilot Credit) or a prepaid plan (P3) with discounted rates for higher usage.
- Admins can cap spending at tenant, group, or user level, monitor usage and set alerts, and control access — the feature is off by default.
- Cost visibility is still developing: users may not see the full cost impact before running a task, so budgets, governance, and high-value use cases must be set up front.
Frequently Asked Questions
Perguntas frequentes
What is Copilot Cowork?
Copilot Cowork is an agentic capability within Microsoft 365 Copilot that can carry out tasks across your Microsoft 365 environment. It represents a shift from AI-assisted work to AI-executed work, letting users delegate multi-step tasks that are planned and completed across apps such as Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.
Do I need a Microsoft 365 Copilot license to use Cowork?
Yes. Copilot Cowork requires an existing Microsoft 365 Copilot license to access the experience. On top of that, Cowork itself is billed separately through Copilot Credits on a usage-based model — you pay based on actual consumption rather than a fixed per-user fee.
How is Copilot Cowork priced?
Cowork is charged via Copilot Credits. Each task consumes credits depending on task complexity and depth of reasoning, the amount of data and context retrieved, and the number of tools or actions executed. Payment options are pay-as-you-go at roughly $0.01 per Copilot Credit, or a prepaid plan (P3) with discounted rates for higher usage.
What controls do administrators have?
Cowork is off by default. Administrators can control who gets access, limit spending at tenant, group, or user level, and monitor usage with alerts. The main gap today is real-time cost visibility — users may not always see the full cost impact before running a task, so admins rely on reporting and controls to manage usage afterward.
How should organisations manage Copilot Cowork costs?
Treat it as a metered service, not a bundled feature. Set budgets and governance up front, actively manage usage, and focus on high-value, outcome-based scenarios. Without this discipline, costs can scale quickly — especially with complex, multi-step tasks that consume the most credits.
O que isto significa para si
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