Training: Copilot Foundations (AI-3018)

Why Choose the Copilot Development Training at ITTA?

Microsoft Copilot is redefining how people interact with AI in their daily work. This one-day training at ITTA teaches you to build custom copilots that extend the Microsoft Copilot ecosystem with your organisation’s specific knowledge, workflows, and business logic. Our MCT-certified trainers will guide you through the full development process, from understanding the copilot architecture to deploying functional copilot solutions.

Delivered at our Geneva and Lausanne centres and via virtual classroom, this official Microsoft curriculum includes hands-on Microsoft cloud labs where you build and test copilots in real time. You will work with both Microsoft Copilot Studio for low-code development and Azure AI Foundry for more advanced AI integration scenarios.

As organisations across French-speaking Switzerland adopt Microsoft 365 Copilot, the ability to build custom copilots tailored to specific business processes becomes a critical skill. This training positions you to lead copilot adoption and customisation initiatives within your organisation.

Understanding the Microsoft Copilot Ecosystem

The training begins with a comprehensive overview of the Microsoft Copilot landscape. You will understand how Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, and Azure AI Foundry fit together, and where custom copilot development adds value. Your trainer will clarify the distinction between using built-in Copilot features, extending them with plugins, and building entirely custom copilot experiences.

You will explore the underlying architecture, including how copilots leverage large language models, orchestration layers, and grounding mechanisms to deliver contextually relevant responses. This foundational understanding helps you make informed design decisions when building your own copilots and ensures you can articulate the value proposition to stakeholders.

Building Copilots with Microsoft Copilot Studio

Microsoft Copilot Studio provides a powerful low-code environment for building custom copilots. During the hands-on labs, you will create a copilot from scratch, define topics and conversation flows, connect to knowledge sources, and test your copilot’s responses. You will learn to use generative AI features in Copilot Studio that allow your copilot to answer questions dynamically from your connected data.

You will also implement authentication, configure channel deployment options, and set up analytics to monitor copilot performance. Your trainer will demonstrate how to connect copilots to SharePoint, Dataverse, and external APIs, enabling your copilot to access and act on organisational data in real time.

Advanced Copilot Capabilities with Azure AI Foundry

For scenarios that require more sophisticated AI capabilities, you will learn to integrate Azure AI Foundry into your copilot solutions. This includes connecting to Azure OpenAI models for enhanced language understanding, implementing retrieval-augmented generation for grounding responses in your documents, and building custom prompt flows that orchestrate complex multi-step interactions.

You will explore how to combine Copilot Studio’s ease of use with Azure AI Foundry’s advanced capabilities, creating solutions that are both accessible to business users and powerful enough for complex enterprise requirements. This hybrid approach is particularly valuable for organisations that need to balance rapid deployment with deep customisation.

Prompting Strategies and Best Practices

Effective prompting is central to copilot performance. You will learn structured approaches to crafting system instructions that define your copilot’s personality, scope, and behaviour. Your trainer will cover techniques for handling edge cases, managing conversation context, and ensuring consistent, helpful responses across different user interaction patterns.

You will also explore governance and security considerations for copilot deployment, including data loss prevention policies, access control, and compliance with organisational standards. These topics are particularly relevant for organisations in the Swiss market where data governance requirements are stringent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need programming experience for this training?

No programming experience is required for the Copilot Studio components. Basic familiarity with Azure and cloud concepts is helpful for the Azure AI Foundry modules.

What is the difference between Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry?

Copilot Studio is a low-code platform for building conversational copilots, while Azure AI Foundry provides a full development environment for advanced AI solutions. They can work together for maximum flexibility.

Can I deploy copilots to Microsoft Teams?

Yes, copilots built with Copilot Studio can be deployed to Microsoft Teams, web chat, and other channels. The training covers multi-channel deployment strategies.

Is this training available virtually?

Yes, ITTA offers this course both in-person at our Geneva and Lausanne centres and through virtual classroom with full access to Microsoft cloud labs.

What Microsoft 365 licence is needed for Copilot Studio?

Copilot Studio requires a separate licence from Microsoft 365 Copilot. Your trainer will explain the licensing options and help you understand which approach is right for your organisation.

Can I integrate copilots with third-party services?

Absolutely. Copilot Studio supports connectors to hundreds of external services, and you can build custom connectors for proprietary systems using Power Platform or Azure Functions.