Two months after the launch of Copilot for Microsoft 365 to large businesses, Microsoft has expanded access to the generative AI (genAI) assistant for individual and small and midsize business (SMB) customers. Uptake is likely to be gradual, according to industry analysts, due to significant monthly charges. SMBs will be charged an additional$30 per user each month to access the genAI assistant within Microsoft 365, the company announced Monday, the same as those on enterprise plans. Individual customers will pay an extra$20 per month with the inclusion of Copilot Pro.

As part of the expanded access, Microsoft has done away with a minimum purchase commitment of 300 seats introduced with the launch of Copilot for Microsoft 365 to enterprise customers on E3 and E5 plans last November.

Copilot is the name of the natural language genAI assistant Microsoft has embedded into its business productivity and collaboration apps. The tool - which combines data in a customer's Microsoft Graph with large language models (LLMs) including OpenAI's ChatGPT - helps draft emails, summarize meeting conversations, and find information within documents.  

The latest announcement means Copilot is now available to customers across a wider range of Microsoft 365 payment plans. Following an early access program for smaller businesses, customers on Business Standard and Business Premium can now access the genAI assistant. 

The pricing strategy around Copilot likely reflects a "land and expand" approach, said Ra