Copilot Sales 2024 Release Wave 2: What’s New in Microsoft Copilot for Sales

Summary

Copilot Sales 2024 Release Wave 2 expands Microsoft Copilot for Sales with deeper integration across Teams, Outlook, and CRM, helping sellers reduce manual data entry, capture meeting insights, and generate AI-assisted communications without switching systems. This release strengthens productivity for both sellers and managers through improved pipeline visibility, coaching dashboards, and smarter CRM updates. For organizations evaluating Copilot for Sales, understanding the differences, licensing requirements, and adoption strategy is essential before implementation.

If you're using Dynamics 365, you're likely familiar with Microsoft’s steady release cycle — including updates like Copilot Sales 2024 Release Wave 2.

These updates span all Dynamics 365 applications — Sales, Field Service, Finance, Business Central, and more — and are delivered in two major release waves, each rolling out over a six-month period.

Dynamics 365 2024 Release Wave 2 runs from October 2024 through March 2025.

With so many updates across multiple applications, it can be difficult to determine what matters most for your sales team.

To simplify things, we created this two-part series focused specifically on sales innovation:

• Part 1: Dynamics 365 Sales 2024 Release Wave 2

• Part 2: Copilot Sales 2024 Release Wave 2 (this article)

In this article, we focus on Microsoft Copilot for Sales, part of the broader Microsoft Copilot ecosystem, and break down the key updates introduced in Release Wave 2 — including new application experiences in Microsoft Teams and expanded functionality in Outlook.

Microsoft’s objective is clear: Streamline operations, improve decision-making, and help sales teams close deals faster using AI.

Let’s dive in.

What Is Microsoft Copilot for Sales?

Microsoft released Copilot for Sales on February 1, 2024.

Microsoft Copilot for Sales is an AI-powered sales assistant designed to bring CRM data and generative AI directly into the tools sellers use every day. Rather than working exclusively inside a CRM interface, Copilot for Sales extends intelligence into Microsoft 365 applications like Outlook and Teams, allowing sellers to access insights, summarize records, and take action without switching systems.

Built to reduce manual data entry and streamline communication, Copilot for Sales helps sellers focus on high-value activities such as building relationships, advancing opportunities, and closing deals.

How Copilot for Sales Integrates with Dynamics 365 and Salesforce

Copilot for Sales integrates with both Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales and Salesforce, making it flexible for organizations operating in either ecosystem.

The integration connects directly to CRM records such as accounts, contacts, leads, and opportunities. Sellers can view CRM data, generate summaries, create or update records, and capture meeting insights — all without navigating away from their productivity tools.

This connection ensures that customer data remains centralized in the CRM while allowing sellers to interact with it in a more natural, AI-assisted way.

How Copilot for Sales Connects to Microsoft 365 Apps

Copilot for Sales extends beyond the CRM by embedding AI assistance directly into Microsoft 365 applications such as Outlook, Teams, and Word.

Inside these applications, sellers can:

• Draft AI-assisted emails based on CRM context

• Summarize meetings and conversations

• Capture and update CRM data

• Receive role-specific insights and recommendations

Microsoft also consolidated the previous Sales Copilot Teams app and Outlook add-in into a single enhanced Teams app, creating a more unified experience across collaboration tools.

When paired with Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot for Sales delivers a connected “better together” experience — combining CRM intelligence with generative AI to surface relevant insights at the right moment.

The result is a more streamlined selling experience where sellers spend less time toggling between systems and more time advancing opportunities.

Copilot for Sales vs Dynamics 365 Sales Copilot

The term “Copilot” can be confusing because Microsoft uses it across multiple products.

Copilot for Sales is a standalone product that extends AI capabilities into Microsoft 365 applications. It is not the same as the Copilot functionality embedded directly within Dynamics 365 Sales.

Understanding the distinction is important when evaluating licensing, capabilities, and overall AI strategy.

Copilot Inside Dynamics 365 Sales

In Dynamics 365 Sales, Copilot refers to the AI assistant embedded within the model-driven Sales app.

This built-in AI capability uses generative AI to assist sellers directly inside the CRM interface.

Key capabilities include:

• Summarizing account, opportunity, and lead records

• Listing recent changes to sales records

• Recommending relevant SharePoint content

• Assisting with meeting preparation

• Helping compose professional emails

This version of Copilot enhances productivity within the CRM itself, helping sellers navigate records and surface insights more efficiently.

How Copilot for Sales Extends Beyond the CRM

Copilot for Sales goes beyond the CRM interface by embedding AI-driven assistance directly into Microsoft 365 applications such as Teams, Outlook, and Word.

Instead of logging into Dynamics 365 to retrieve or update information, sellers can:

• View CRM data within Outlook and Teams

• Capture meeting notes and sync them to CRM

• Create or update records without leaving their workflow

• Generate AI-assisted communications based on CRM context

Copilot for Sales can be configured to connect to either Dynamics 365 Sales or Salesforce, making it flexible across CRM ecosystems.

In short:

• Dynamics 365 Sales Copilot enhances AI inside the CRM.

• Copilot for Sales brings CRM intelligence into everyday productivity tools.

That distinction matters when planning adoption and licensing.

Microsoft Copilot for Sales Licensing Explained

Now that we’ve clarified the difference between Copilot for Sales and Dynamics 365 Sales Copilot, the next common question is licensing.

Microsoft’s licensing structure can be complex, and Copilot for Sales is no exception. Understanding what is included versus what requires an additional license is essential before planning adoption.

What’s Included with Dynamics 365 Sales

Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise and Premium customers receive limited Copilot capabilities within the CRM experience. These features may include AI-assisted email drafting and basic generative summaries.

However, these embedded capabilities are not the full Copilot for Sales product. They represent a subset of AI features available directly inside Dynamics 365 Sales.

Organizations looking for broader Microsoft 365 integration will require additional licensing.

Copilot for Sales Pricing Options

Full access to Microsoft Copilot for Sales requires a separate license.

At the time of writing:

• Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales: $50 per user/month

  (Includes Microsoft 365 Copilot and the Copilot Sales Agent)

If you already have Microsoft 365 Copilot:

• Copilot Sales Agent add-on: $20 per user/month

For organizations using Dynamics 365 Sales Premium:

• A separate Microsoft 365 Copilot license (approximately $30 per user/month) is still required to enable the broader Copilot experience.

Licensing structure can significantly impact total cost of ownership when deploying Copilot at scale.

Because licensing structures can evolve, organizations should confirm current pricing directly with Microsoft or a certified partner.

For a detailed breakdown of Dynamics 365 Sales licensing tiers, see our guide:

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Licenses: Which One is Right for You?

Licensing Limitations to Know

Copilot for Sales is not available for on-premises versions of Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement.

It is designed for cloud-based deployments where Microsoft 365 and CRM integrations can function together in a connected environment.

What’s New in Copilot Sales 2024 Release Wave 2?

Copilot Sales 2024 Release Wave 2 introduces expanded AI-driven capabilities designed to improve seller productivity, enhance managerial visibility, and streamline CRM interaction across Microsoft 365.

This release strengthens Copilot for Sales by embedding deeper intelligence into Microsoft Teams and Outlook, allowing sellers to work more efficiently without switching between systems.

The image below shows the Copilot for Sales experience inside Microsoft Teams.

These updates focus on:

• Empowering sales managers with actionable pipeline insights

• Assisting sellers with AI-driven lead and opportunity management

• Enabling seamless CRM updates directly within Teams and Outlook

With natural language capabilities, sellers can ask questions about CRM data and receive contextual responses instantly — reducing friction and improving focus.

Application Experiences in Microsoft Teams

Release Wave 2 significantly enhances the Microsoft Teams experience for sellers and managers.

Sales Chat (GA Feb 2025)

Sales Chat introduces an AI-powered assistant directly within Teams conversations. Sellers can reference CRM data, meeting transcripts, and email threads using natural language prompts.

Instead of manually searching for information, users can ask questions and receive contextual insights in real time.

Create Opportunities from Meeting Summaries (GA Nov 2024)

Sellers can generate opportunities directly from AI-generated meeting summaries within Teams.

This reduces manual data entry, improves CRM accuracy, and ensures critical deal information is captured immediately after customer interactions.

Update CRM Directly from Post-Meeting Insights (GA Mar 2025)

Copilot enables sellers to save notes, create records, and update CRM data directly from post-meeting summaries.

This keeps CRM data current without requiring users to leave the Teams environment.

Manager Dashboards for Coaching (GA Oct 2024)

Sales managers gain enhanced visibility into seller performance and customer interactions through AI-driven dashboards.

Managers can analyze:

• Customer sentiment trends

• Conversation patterns associated with closed deals

• Seller activity metrics over time

Advanced filters such as call time, conversation length, and campaign data allow managers to refine coaching strategies and improve forecasting accuracy.

Microsoft Outlook Enhancements

Copilot for Sales expands further into Outlook, including Outlook for Mobile (GA Mar 2025), enabling sellers to remain productive while working remotely or in the field.

AI-Assisted Email Drafting

Copilot can generate context-aware email drafts using CRM data and prior communication history.

This helps sellers respond faster while maintaining personalization and consistency.

Meeting and Interaction Summaries

Copilot summarizes email threads and customer interactions, helping sellers quickly understand context before engaging.

Summaries can be synced back to CRM to maintain accurate records without manual transcription.

CRM Activity Tracking

Outlook activities such as emails and meetings can be automatically tracked and associated with the correct CRM records.

This reduces administrative burden and improves data integrity.

Contact Creation and Editing

Sellers can create and update CRM contact records directly from Outlook.

This ensures new contacts and updated information are captured immediately, eliminating delays and missed data.

These enhancements reinforce Microsoft’s broader strategy: embed AI directly into seller workflows rather than requiring sellers to operate inside a single system.

The result is a more connected, efficient selling experience across Teams, Outlook, and CRM.

How Copilot Sales 2024 Release Wave 2 Improves Seller Productivity

Copilot Sales 2024 Release Wave 2 is designed to reduce friction across the sales workflow by embedding AI directly into the tools sellers use most.

Instead of toggling between CRM, email, and collaboration platforms, sellers can:

• Capture meeting insights automatically

• Generate AI-assisted communications

• Update CRM records without manual re-entry

• Access pipeline insights in real time

This shift reduces administrative burden and allows sellers to spend more time on high-value activities such as building relationships, advancing opportunities, and closing deals.

For sales managers, the enhanced dashboards and behavioral insights improve coaching effectiveness and forecasting accuracy. Rather than relying solely on lagging reports, leaders gain real-time visibility into seller engagement patterns and deal progression.

The overall impact is measurable:

• Cleaner CRM data

• Faster follow-up

• Improved pipeline visibility

• More consistent sales execution

Copilot for Sales is not just an incremental feature upgrade in Release Wave 2 — it represents a structural shift toward AI-assisted selling.

Organizations that pair AI capabilities with structured CRM governance typically see the strongest results.

Summary of Copilot Sales 2024 Release Wave 2

Copilot Sales 2024 Release Wave 2 expands Microsoft’s AI strategy by embedding intelligent assistance directly into seller workflows across Teams, Outlook, and CRM.

In this article, we reviewed:

• The core capabilities of Microsoft Copilot for Sales

• The distinction between Copilot for Sales and Dynamics 365 Sales Copilot

• Licensing considerations

• The new Wave 2 enhancements designed to improve productivity and managerial visibility

These updates are not simply feature additions. They represent a continued shift toward AI-assisted selling, where CRM data, communication tools, and collaboration platforms operate as a connected system.

For sales leaders, the opportunity lies not just in understanding what’s new — but in deciding how and when to adopt the right capabilities.

If your organization is evaluating Copilot for Sales or planning for Release Wave 2 adoption, the Optrua Care Plan provides structured strategic and technical guidance to help you:

• Prioritize the right features

• Align licensing with business objectives

• Improve CRM adoption and data integrity

• Turn AI capabilities into measurable sales outcomes

Microsoft Copilot for Sales can drive meaningful productivity gains — but only when implemented with clarity and intent.

Continue Learning with Optrua Webinars

If you’re evaluating Copilot for Sales or planning for Dynamics 365 Release Wave 2 adoption, ongoing education is critical.

Optrua regularly hosts webinars focused on:

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 strategy

• Copilot and AI adoption

• Sales process optimization - Smarter Systems. Better Sales.

• CRM implementation best practices

These sessions are designed to help sales leaders and CRM administrators make informed, strategic decisions — not just understand features.

👉 Explore upcoming and on-demand Optrua webinars.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Copilot Sales 2024 Release Wave 2?

Copilot Sales 2024 Release Wave 2 is Microsoft’s set of updates for Copilot for Sales released during the October 2024–March 2025 wave. It expands AI-driven selling capabilities across Microsoft Teams and Outlook to reduce manual work, improve CRM data capture, and help sellers stay in flow.

What’s new in Copilot for Sales in Release Wave 2?

Release Wave 2 introduces new Copilot for Sales enhancements across Teams and Outlook, including Sales Chat, creating opportunities from meeting summaries, updating CRM from post-meeting insights, manager dashboards for coaching, and expanded Outlook functionality such as AI-assisted drafting, summaries, activity tracking, and contact updates.

How does Copilot for Sales integrate with Teams and Outlook?

Copilot for Sales embeds CRM insights and AI assistance directly into Teams and Outlook so sellers can summarize conversations, draft emails, capture meeting outcomes, and update CRM records without switching between multiple systems. This helps reduce administrative effort and keeps customer data more current.

What is the licensing cost for Microsoft Copilot for Sales?

Licensing can vary by agreement and may change over time, but Copilot for Sales typically requires a separate license beyond Dynamics 365 Sales. Many organizations license Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales or add the Copilot Sales Agent if they already have Microsoft 365 Copilot. Always confirm current pricing and eligibility with Microsoft or a certified partner.

How is Copilot for Sales different from Dynamics 365 Sales Copilot?

Dynamics 365 Sales Copilot refers to AI capabilities embedded inside the Dynamics 365 Sales app experience. Copilot for Sales is a separate product designed to bring CRM intelligence into everyday productivity tools like Teams and Outlook, enabling sellers to access and update CRM information where they already work.

About the Author

Ryan Redmond is the Founder of Optrua, where he advises organizations on CRM strategy, Microsoft Dynamics 365 optimization, and sales process improvement.

Drawing on leadership experience shaped by his time in the Navy, Ryan focuses on building structured, efficient systems that help teams operate with clarity and discipline.

He works with growth-focused organizations to streamline technology, improve CRM adoption, and empower sales teams to work smarter — without adding unnecessary complexity or overhead.

Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn.