Microsoft is conducting a survey to gauge demand for a Copilot version for on-premises Exchange Server. The survey focuses on organizations that run mailboxes locally and use hybrid configurations. The company is particularly interested in compliance requirements and data processing requirements.
A crucial part of the Microsoft survey revolves around sending Exchange Server data to the cloud. The company explicitly asks whether organizations are comfortable sending certain data, such as email data and log files, to the cloud, while mailboxes themselves remain on-premises.
This touches on the core of many compliance challenges. Organizations must comply with the GDPR. The survey asks about the non-negotiable requirements that must be met before organizations can enable Copilot.
These include guarantees that email and user data will remain within the organization’s boundaries, management options per user or role, and the ability to work in isolated environments without a direct internet connection. Microsoft seems to recognize that these points are crucial for adoption.
Focus on on-premises environments
Microsoft is launching a survey on the possible development of Copilot for on-premises Exchange Server environments. The survey focuses specifically on companies with mailboxes that run entirely locally or use a hybrid setup with on-premises and Exchange Online mailboxes.
The questionnaire emphasizes compliance reasons, data sovereignty, and organizational preferences that compel companies to remain on-premises. Custom configurations, legacy dependencies, and cost considerations are also discussed.
A significant portion of the questionnaire focuses on the Copilot functionalities considered valuable. Microsoft seems to want to determine which specific capabilities should be prioritized when Copilot becomes available for Exchange Server.
Tip:End of support for Exchange 2016 and 2019 is approaching, successor is slow in coming