On June 16, 2026, Microsoft made Copilot Cowork available worldwide. Behind this somewhat technical name lies a significant shift in how artificial intelligence works within Microsoft 365: instead of helping you draft a document, Cowork takes an entire task, completes it from start to finish, and delivers the finished product. And it continues working even when your computer is closed, because everything runs in the cloud.

For a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) in Trois-Rivières, the Mauricie region, or elsewhere in Quebec, the real news isn't just the arrival of a new AI agent. It's their new billing method : instead of a fixed monthly fee, you pay based on actual usage. This opens up possibilities, but it also requires close monitoring of your bill. We'll explain the changes, simply.

1. What exactly is Copilot Cowork?

The Copilot that most people are familiar with waits for a question, then answers. Cowork goes further. It's what's called an agent: you give it an objective, and it automatically executes the steps to achieve it. According to Microsoft, it can combine multiple tools and data sources from your Microsoft 365 environment (Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, your files) to produce a complete deliverable, not just a starting point.

In practical terms, this means tasks such as:

• Prepare a detailed report by gathering information from multiple documents and email inboxes.
• To follow up on a case over several days without having to send reminders.
• To process a long series of repetitive steps while you do something else.

The key point: the work is done in the Microsoft cloud, within the security and compliance rules already in place in your Microsoft 365. Your computer can be turned off, the task continues.

2. The real innovation: you pay as you use it

This is where the business model changes. Cowork doesn't operate on a fixed price per user. First, you need a Microsoft 365 Copilot license (the famous USL), then Cowork usage is billed in Copilot credits, based on your actual consumption.

Microsoft offers two payment options: pay-as-you-go (credit is displayed at around US$0.01 for informational purposes; the current official price is from Microsoft), or commit to a volume in advance to obtain a discount. The cost of a task depends on four factors: the AI ​​model used, the amount of information to be retrieved, the number of tools involved, and the time the task takes to complete.

To give an idea of ​​the scale, Microsoft classifies tasks into three categories (indicative figures, to be validated with the source):

• Light task: a quick summary, around 100 to 300 credits.
• Average task: around 400 to 700 credits.
• Heavy task: a large report in several releases, 700 credits and more.

The logic is similar to that of an electricity bill: the larger and longer the task, the more it costs. It's flexible, but it means you have to keep a close eye on consumption, just as you would with any cloud service. Our managed IT services helps SMEs manage this type of variable expense before it gets out of control.

3. Why this matters for your SME in Quebec

Many businesses in the region already pay for Microsoft 365 subscriptions. The arrival of Cowork adds a useful layer of automation, but also a new cost line to understand. Here's what changes in concrete terms:

• Time saved. Long and tedious tasks (compiling, sorting, following up) can be delegated, freeing up your employees for value-added work.
• An expense to keep an eye on. The usage-based model is advantageous if it's properly managed, but risky if left open without limits. An employee could launch several large tasks without realizing the cost.
• A decision needs to be made. Should it be activated for everyone, for a pilot team, or not at all for now? The right answer depends on your actual needs.

According to Microsoft's own tests, Cowork is on average 30 to 40 percent cheaper than the equivalent Claude agent connected to Microsoft 365. This is a figure provided by Microsoft, to be taken as an indication and not as an absolute truth, but it shows that the cost battle between AI agents is very real.

4. Safeguards: disabled by default and controlled by the administrator

Good news for peace of mind: Cowork is disabled by default. Nothing will start running or generating bills until an administrator intentionally enables it in your environment. Microsoft has also included a cost management dashboard in the Microsoft 365 admin center, allowing you to maintain control.

Among the tools available to prevent things from going wrong:

• Spending limits are set per organization, per group, or per user. When the limit is reached, billing stops.
• Alerts that notify those in charge as soon as a threshold you have set is exceeded.
• Newspapers and reports to see who consumes what and understand the costs.

Also note: customers who participated in the preview program (from March to June 16) benefit from a grace period and will not be billed for Cowork until July 1, 2026. If your organization was in this group, now is a good time to set your limits before billing begins. Unsure about your situation? Contact our team; we can review your tenant with you.

5. Our recommendation at OKTO

AI-powered automation is a real breakthrough, but the model requires discipline in practice. Before rolling out Cowork company-wide, we recommend starting small: a pilot group, clear spending limits, alerts in place, and a review of usage after a few weeks. This is the best way to benefit from the time savings without receiving an unexpected bill.

This is exactly the kind of support that OKTO Solutions provides to SMEs in Trois-Rivières and Mauricie: setting up the right safeguards, explaining to teams what each task costs, and keeping your Microsoft 365 environment secure while you explore these new tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Copilot Cowork included in my Microsoft 365 subscription?

No. Cowork requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, and usage is then billed separately, in credits, based on what you consume. It's not a fixed amount included in the basic subscription.

Will Cowork activate itself and generate costs?

No. It is disabled by default. An administrator must enable it intentionally, and they can set spending limits per organization, per group, or per user to maintain control.

How much does a task cost in Cowork?

It depends on the task. Microsoft provides indicative ranges, from approximately 100 to 300 credits for a light task to over 700 credits for a heavy task. The exact cost varies depending on the model, the amount of data processed, and the processing time. Always refer to Microsoft's official pricing, which is subject to change.

Ready to integrate AI into your Microsoft 365?

The arrival of Copilot Cowork presents a great opportunity to automate without losing control of your costs, provided it's configured correctly. Discover how our team can help you on our Managed IT Services, or contact us directly through our Contact to discuss your Microsoft 365 environment.