Microsoft's new pricing model for Copilot for Security is a step in the right direction

Microsoft announced that Copilot for Security will be available to commercial customers starting April 1, and with it, the Redmond-based tech giant also explained that the AI model will be released with a special pricing model: the pay-as-you-go model, which will be $4/hour.

This model means customers will be able to pay for as much as they use the model, and it will allow for versatile budgeting, catering to each company’s unique infrastructure, needs, and situations.

The Redmond-based tech giant calls the new pricing model the Security Compute Unit (SCU), and the consumption will be calculated based on the number of queries, and the complexity of each query, so it’s not going to take into consideration the number of security analysts in a company that is using it, or the number of devices Copilot for Security scans.

Basically, no matter the infrastructure of the company, Copilot for Security will still be billed $4/hour, however, the complexities of each scan, or case, might depend on the organization. For instance, a big company will have a complex infrastructure, so that means Copilot for Security will take more time to complete tasks.

A smaller company won’t have to use Copilot for Security for long, as the tasks will take less time to be completed.

So, ultimately, the pricing gets down to how much time Copilot for Security runs, and it’s not only a fair pricing model but also a good step in the right direction. All companies, no matter their budget, can afford to get the AI tool and use it according to a plan that suits their current financial resources.

Plus, Copilot for Security also comes as a standalone experience, and it won’t be tied to additional platform (although for better results, collaboration is recommended, see Copilot in Intune, for instance), so companies have more than enough ways to plan their budget to include the tool.