At Directions EMEA 2026, Microsoft shared new information about the integration of Microsoft Copilot and Dynamics 365 Business Central. For many businesses, this raises a key question:
Will we need an additional Microsoft 365 Copilot licence to use Copilot in Business Central in the future?
The answer is: No. The built-in Copilot features remain part of Business Central.
Which Copilot features are already included?
Business Central already offers a wide range of AI capabilities, including:
No additional Microsoft 365 Copilot licence is required for these features.
When is Microsoft 365 Copilot needed?
The situation is different if Copilot needs to access not only Business Central data, but also information from Microsoft 365.
This includes, for example:
Work IQ provides the foundation for this. Through Work IQ, Microsoft Copilot can bring together work and business context from different sources, for example by combining information from Business Central with Outlook emails, Teams meetings or SharePoint documents. An appropriate Microsoft Copilot licence is required for the corresponding Microsoft Copilot features.
| Scenario | Additional Microsoft 365 Copilot License |
|---|---|
| Copilot features in Business Central | No |
| Questions and analysis based on Business Central data | No |
| Access to Microsoft 365 data through Work IQ | Yes |
| Autonomous BC agents | Copilot Credits required |
What are Copilot Credits?
Copilot Credits are the usage currency for certain AI agents and automated processes. They are used particularly for autonomous agents that carry out tasks independently.
One example is processing emails through an agent such as CommunicationCenter.
Added value by combining both worlds
Things become particularly interesting when Business Central and Microsoft 365 work together. ERP data, emails, appointments, documents and other information can then be analysed within a shared context.
This creates new opportunities for sales, service, purchasing and management to access information faster and make informed decisions.
Would you like to explore the possibilities for your business?
We will show you which Copilot features are already included in your Business Central licence, when Microsoft 365 Copilot makes sense and how you can use Work IQ and AI agents to benefit your business.
New from January 2027: Business Central and Microsoft 365 Copilot in a bundle
From 1 January 2027, Microsoft will also offer Dynamics 365 Business Central and Microsoft 365 Copilot as a combined bundle through CSP. The offer is aimed at businesses with up to 300 users and will be available for both Business Central Essentials and Premium.
This gives businesses looking to use Business Central and Microsoft Copilot together a simpler way to get started. Specific pricing for the German market is not yet available.
Once pricing in EUR is available, we will publish a separate news article in December with details of the terms and purchasing options through TSO-DATA.
Arrange a no-obligation consultation with our Business Central and Copilot experts today.
TSO-DATA
Jan Grundmann (Business Central) | businesscentral[at]tso[dot]de
Jannis Wolke-Hanenkamp (Copilot) | ki[at]tso[dot]de
+49 (541) 13 95-0
