Power Platform Community Forum Thread Details

Hello, I have an internal presentation this week and I am struggling to comprehend some information around what has really changed with PVA. I am very familiar with Authoring and working with Power Virtual agent chatbots, but I am tasked with explaining the difference between PVA and Co-pilot studio M365 bots. For whatever reason I cannot really find a good distinction after going through so many YouTube videos and documents online. Below is my understanding and i am hoping someone out there can correct me If I am wrong on this! Thank you SO much in advance.

"PVA is not gone it has been rolled up into Co-Pilot Studio. Standalone Chatbots are what we would consider are old traditional "PVA" chatbots. The only difference between Co-pilots and standalone chatbots is that standalone chatbots we can publish to external websites, apps etc. "

The last couple questions I would have are listed below.

I am a little confused because could we not surface a M365 chatbot in teams, but we can also surface a standalone chatbot in teams, which chatbot would it actually be then?

Does anyone have any good links or documentation on the distinction between the two, I have never struggled this hard with a new MS product release/rebrand.

THANK YOU

Categories:

General topics

Hi @Crumblytube2642

Copilot studio is the same thing as PVA. It’s just a rebrand from Microsoft to better align with what PVA can actually do.

1. Rebranding of PVA to Co-pilot Studio: Power Virtual Agents has been rebranded and is now part of Microsoft Co-pilot Studio. This transition integrates PVA’s capabilities into Co-pilot Studio, a comprehensive conversational AI solution that enhances the functionalities previously offered by PVA .

Key Features of Co-pilot Studio:
Low-Code Solution: Co-pilot Studio remains a low-code platform, making it accessible for users without extensive programming knowledge.

Integration with Microsoft 365: Co-pilot Studio offers deeper integration with Microsoft 365, allowing the bots to leverage the context and data from the M365 environment, which enhances the user experience in applications like Microsoft Teams .

Customization and Workflow Automation: Users can connect Co-pilot to their data using pre-built or custom plugins, create and orchestrate workflows, and manage their Co-pilots in one centralized location .

Generative AI and Advanced Capabilities: Co-pilot Studio incorporates generative AI technologies, offering advancements in the creation of conversational AI assistants, customizable workflows, and intelligent virtual agents .

Azure Integration: For professional developers, Co-pilot Studio is integrated with Azure OpenAI Studio, supporting future generative AI innovations .

Continuity for Existing PVA Users: For existing PVA customers, there will be no interruption in their experiences or solutions. All the capabilities they have been using with PVA are now available within Co-pilot Studio, and their existing bots will continue to function as they did in PVA .

Extended Use Cases Beyond Customer Service: Unlike PVA, Co-pilot Studio allows for the creation of standalone Co-pilots for purposes beyond customer service. This includes sophisticated workflows and plugin integrations .

In summary, Co-pilot Studio is an evolution of PVA, retaining its low-code, user-friendly approach while expanding its capabilities with advanced AI technologies, deeper Microsoft 365 integration, and extended functionalities for a broader range of applications. Existing PVA functionalities are maintained in Co-pilot Studio, ensuring a seamless transition for current users.

links::

https://microsoftcopilotstudio.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-power-virtual-agents-now-part-of-microsoft-copilot-studio/

https://www.changingsocial.com/blog/pva-vs-copilot-studio/

https://microsoftcopilotstudio.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-power-virtual-agents-now-part-of-microsoft-copilot-studio/

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/microsoft-copilot-studio

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2023/11/15/introducing-microsoft-copilot-studio-and-new-features-in-copilot-for-microsoft-365/

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/fundamentals-what-is-copilot-studio