Microsoft Copilot Frontier: the new features reshaping enterprise work

Microsoft Copilot Frontier: the new features reshaping enterprise work

Microsoft Copilot is no longer limited to summarising meetings or drafting emails. With Frontier, Microsoft is testing a new generation of functions capable of executing tasks, using software, and coordinating multiple actions.

Les Microsoft Copilot Frontier features give a clear indication of the direction Microsoft is taking. The goal is no longer just to help a user produce content. Copilot must be able to understand an expected outcome, organise the steps, and take action within Microsoft 365.

This evolution directly impacts IT managers and CIOs. It unlocks new productivity gains but also increases the need for governance, rights management, and agent oversight.

Important update: as of 6 August 2026, not all features presented under the Frontier name have the same status. Some are still experimental. Others, such as Copilot Cowork or agentic capabilities in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, are already generally available.

What exactly is Microsoft Copilot Frontier?

Frontier is Microsoft’s early access programme for new artificial intelligence features in Microsoft 365.

A registered company can test Copilot agents and experiences before their large-scale deployment. The relevant features are identified by the “Frontier” label in Microsoft 365 Copilot. Microsoft states that these may evolve, be expanded, or even be removed before general availability.

Frontier is therefore not a new standalone version of Copilot. It is a controlled testing environment within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

For CIOs, this distinction is important. Enabling Frontier means granting access to features still under validation. Access is disabled by default and can be configured from the Microsoft 365 admin centre for a limited group of users.

Copilot Cowork turns a request into executed work

Copilot Cowork is arguably the most transformative new feature in Microsoft Copilot.

A traditional assistant waits for a question and provides an answer. Cowork receives a goal and performs multiple actions to achieve it. It can search for information in Microsoft 365, create documents, send emails, post in Teams, schedule meetings, or manage a calendar.

The user describes the expected outcome. Cowork then uses the accessible data in Outlook, Teams, Excel, OneDrive, or SharePoint to prepare and execute the work. Sensitive actions remain subject to validation before execution.

A request could take this form:

“Analyse the meeting minutes from the project, identify pending decisions, create an action plan, and organise a meeting with the relevant managers.”

Copilot Cowork can then retrieve the documents, cross-reference the exchanges, produce the plan, identify the participants, and prepare the meeting.

Cowork has been generally available since 16 June 2026 for Microsoft 365 Copilot customers. However, its operation is based on usage-based billing, calculated using Copilot Credits according to the models used, context searches, tool calls, and execution time.

For a CIO, the question is therefore no longer just about the price per user. It is also about tracking the actual cost of long tasks and repeated processes.

Microsoft 365 agents become a new layer of the information system

Les Microsoft 365 agents are specialized Copilots for a specific task, data source, or process.

An agent can connect to a document database, SharePoint, business data, or multiple tools. It can provide answers, generate analyses, and execute processes based on the permissions granted.

Microsoft already offers several built-in agents, such as Researcher for in-depth research or agents specialized in planning, surveys, and finance. Companies can also create their own agents using Copilot Studio.

This brings us closer to the operation of an enterprise AI agent : the tool receives a mission, consults sources, selects actions, and uses software.

This flexibility creates a new challenge. A company can quickly accumulate dozens of agents created by business teams. Each agent may have its own connections, instructions, owners, and access rights.

Agent governance must therefore align with that of internal applications. Microsoft Agent 365 aims precisely to inventory, supervise, and secure the agents deployed within the organization. Microsoft Defender can, for example, map their identities, cloud resources, and the MCP servers they are connected to.

App Builder enables the creation of small applications directly from Copilot

Among Microsoft Copilot Frontier’s features, App Builder is one of the most accessible for business teams.

The user describes the application they need. Copilot then generates a lightweight, interactive application without requiring development skills. This application can be modified and shared with other users.

App Builder can be used to create a request tracker, a small planning tool, a consultation interface, or a simple dashboard.

This feature can reduce the time between identifying a need and creating a first tool. However, it can also reinforce shadow IT if each department creates its own applications without a shared framework.

Rapid creation does not eliminate architectural considerations. It remains necessary to define where data is stored, who maintains the application, how permissions are managed, and what happens when the prototype becomes critical.

To mitigate these risks, the IT department can rely on a shadow IT action plan and clearly distinguish between prototypes, temporary tools, and applications intended for production.

Workflows automates Microsoft 365 using natural language

The Workflows agent allows users to create automations by simply describing the expected process.

Instead of configuring each step and connector, the user can request:

"When a new request arrives in this SharePoint list, create a Planner task, notify the manager in Teams, and send a confirmation email."

Workflows then generates a process using compatible Microsoft 365 services. It can operate in Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, and Planner, respond to an event, or run on a defined schedule. The workflow can then be tested and managed in a visual interface.

This approach makes automation more accessible. However, it does not replace process framing.

A stable, predictable, and critical workflow must remain documented and testable. An agent is more relevant when steps vary depending on the context. The difference between the two approaches is detailed in our guide on choosing between AI agents and automation.

DLP policies configured in Power Platform remain critical. They allow control over which services can exchange data and limit unauthorised connections.

Copilot can now use a browser

Browser access significantly expands the scope of Microsoft AI in enterprise environments.

In Frontier, Copilot Cowork can use a local Edge browser while respecting the policies already applied to users. It can thus consult web services and complete steps that lack direct Microsoft 365 integration.

Researcher with Computer Use offers another approach. The agent interacts with websites, applications and tools in a secure virtual environment. It can navigate, log into a service and collect data as part of a research task.

This capability enables automation of tasks that still required human intervention: searching for information on a portal, consulting multiple interfaces or retrieving data from a legacy application.

It also increases risks. An agent with browser access can retrieve sensitive information, input data into a form or trigger an external action. Rights, accessible domains, validations and logging must be defined before any large-scale deployment.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint enter agentic mode

Copilot can now perform multi-step actions directly in Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

In Word, it can create, restructure and improve a document while referencing other files. In Excel, it can analyse data, build calculation logic and evolve the workbook. In PowerPoint, it can produce and refine a full presentation from an objective and multiple sources.

The difference from early Copilot versions is significant. The AI no longer merely suggests a paragraph or an isolated formula. It can plan the work, execute multiple changes and improve the result within the application. These features have been generally available since April 2026.

This reduces switching between Copilot Chat and Office tools. The user stays in their document, Excel file or presentation.

For IT departments, the quality of results will depend on the quality of data and internal models. A poorly structured file or outdated documentation will still produce fragile results.

Outlook goes beyond email summaries

Copilot in Outlook is also becoming more autonomous.

It can sort messages, highlight important topics, manage certain calendar conflicts and help users track requests that require a response. The goal is to handle a continuous part of inbox and calendar management, rather than just responding to one-off requests.

This evolution can deliver real benefits to employees managing high email volumes. However, it requires particular attention to automatic actions, retention rules and access to shared mailboxes.

What IT departments should prepare now

The new Microsoft Copilot features show a clear trend: Microsoft 365 is becoming an execution platform for AI agents.

The priority is not to enable all features. It is to select a few useful use cases, with identified data, a business owner and an acceptable risk level.

An initial pilot can focus on a simple internal process, such as preparing a committee meeting, processing a request or creating a report. Results should be measured before broader deployment.

IT departments must also plan a registry of agents, generated applications and workflows. Each element must have an owner, an access scope, a control procedure and a withdrawal rule.

This approach aligns with the best practices of anbusiness process automation: start with the need, limit the scope, and industrialise only what delivers measurable value.

Towards a business where AI truly takes action

Microsoft Copilot Frontier features mark the shift from an AI that advises to an AI that executes.

Copilot Cowork delegates time-consuming tasks. Microsoft 365 agents specialise. App Builder generates applications. Workflows builds automations. The browser provides access to web tools. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook become agentic work environments.

For IT managers and CIOs, the potential is significant. But the value will not come from the technical activation of Copilot. It will come from selecting the right processes, ensuring data quality, and implementing governance tailored to agents.

Scroll supports companies looking to frame their AI use cases, automate their processes, or integrate agents into their information systems. The goal is not to add another layer of tools. It is to build reliable, maintainable, and genuinely useful solutions for teams.