Next-level IT solutions: integrating task-specific content with Microsoft 365 Copilot

In an earlier blog post, we've already touched upon the added value the added value Microsoft 365 Copilot offers for organizations looking to make the most out of their enterprise content. The Copilot AI model is enabled for nearly 200 different Microsoft applications, from Office Suite to Teams and from Outlook to SharePoint. But what about the content currently locked into your CRM system or digital invoicing platform?

How much more on-point would your business operations be if users could easily pull information from different task-specific systems? By integrating content from external sources like Salesforce or OpenText with enterprise content already stored in your Microsoft 365 environment, you're widening the scope Microsoft Microsoft 365 Copilot can draw from to create valuable business insights. This also creates a more streamlined and interconnected IT infrastructure, for maximum operational efficiency.

Mastering task-specific software integration with Microsoft Graph

There are myriad benefits to migrating your legacy ECM to Microsoft 365. But sometimes, you don't want to abandon your legacy software platforms entirely. If you need to retain access to certain task-specific systems, periodic integration with your enterprise content is the answer. That integration is easily achieved by connecting data and content via Microsoft Graph; the connecting layer between all sorts of content sources and the various Microsoft 365 applications. After adding some additional contextual semantic data, Copilot can make intelligent decisions on how and where to show the content in Microsoft 365 applications. We've included a helpful diagram by Microsoft below:

Readying your enterprise content for integration with Xillio

In practice, any third party can create a data and content connector based on the Graph API, provided the source system can be addressed via an API too. However, plugging a Microsoft Search connector directly into your CRM system can be tricky. If you haven't configured your user permissions and encryption protocols correctly, you run the risk of sensitive enterprise content becoming available to your whole organization. Our seasoned Microsoft experts are happy to prepare your content for integration, making sure both quality and security are top-notch before Microsoft Copilot has access to it.

For example, the Xillio connectors we developed in-house always add so-called Access Control Lists to individual content items, to ensure that their full security context is preserved. They also recognize any updates made to your enterprise content at the source. Rather than copying the entire enterprise content repository, the connector focuses on updated content only. This process, called delta replication, is extremely useful for charting periodic changes in your enterprise content over a longer time. The Xillio platform also offers dashboarding options to easily monitor enterprise content quality, usage metrics and other statistics once the integration is completed. 

Software integration with Microsoft 365 reveals the full picture

Imagine how much better you could understand and serve your customer base once your organization's task-specific data is fully integrated with its Microsoft 365 environment: sales pipelines, financial insights, customer data and communication channels at your fingertips, all within the familiar Microsoft 365 interface. It doesn't matter whether you're using on-premises software or cloud-based solutions; integrating them with Microsoft 365 Copilot finally lets you see the full picture.