Which AI Note-Taker Should a Small Office Use?

What we found at one client

Earlier this month we listed every app connected to a client's Microsoft 365. Among them were two different third-party AI note-takers, spread across about ten people. Some could read calendars and meetings. A few could also read email. The company never decided on any of this. People each found a tool that helped, clicked Allow, and moved on.

Last Wednesday we met with their leadership about an AI policy. On note-takers, our advice was short: choose one, check it out properly, and remove the rest. Here is why, and what we would suggest to most small offices in the Inland Northwest.

Why one note-taker beats five

A note-taker is not a small app. It sits in your meetings, records what people say, and stores a transcript and summary somewhere. Client names, pricing conversations and HR talks all end up in that record. Each extra tool means one more company holding a copy, under its own terms.

With one approved tool, you know where meeting records live, who can see them, and what happens to them when someone leaves. You train people once. And when a client asks how you handle their information, you have a clear answer.

It's also kinder to your staff. Most people using these tools are just trying to do good work. Giving them one approved option works better than taking everything away.

The two options we suggest for Microsoft offices

Most of the offices we support run on Microsoft 365, so we start there. Option one is Copilot in Teams. It writes up your meeting notes, and the data stays inside your Microsoft 365. It's a paid add-on and only works in Teams meetings, so it fits best when most of your meetings already happen in Teams.

Option two is the transcription that comes with Teams in Microsoft 365 Business Premium, plus a small summary tool on top. Teams makes the transcript, and the tool turns it into notes and action items. We build tools like this for clients, so the summary can follow the way your team already works. You can see examples on our office tools page.

Either way, the third-party note-takers come out, and meeting records stay with the rest of your company data. If you want help comparing these for your own office, that's the kind of AI help for small business in the Inland Northwest we offer.

The blind spot worth knowing about

Removing extra apps in Microsoft 365 only covers what you can see. Some note-takers never show up there. If someone signs into a note-taker with a personal account, or uses the AI assistant built into another meeting platform, it won't appear in your admin view.

That's why the written policy matters as much as the settings. A one-line rule like 'we use one note-taker, and this is the one' covers what settings can't. Add a short talk with your team so people know what to use and why.

One more setting is worth a look. By default, Microsoft 365 lets any user approve a new app on their own. You can change that so an admin approves new apps first, which keeps the list from growing back. If you make that change, also turn on admin consent requests. That way staff have a way to ask for an app instead of hitting a dead end.

Questions to ask before you approve any note-taker

If you're not on Microsoft, or you're looking at another tool, here is what we would ask. Where are recordings and transcripts stored, and for how long? Is there a business version with admin controls, or only personal accounts? Can you see who is using it and remove someone when they leave? Does it join meetings on its own, or only when someone invites it? Does it tell everyone in the meeting that it is recording?

If a vendor can't answer those plainly, that tells you something.

What to do this week

Ask your team one question: what do you use to take meeting notes? You'll probably hear a few different answers, and that's fine. It's a starting point, not a test.

Then pick one tool, add it to your AI policy in a sentence, and remove the others. If you're in Spokane, Coeur d'Alene or anywhere in between and want a hand with the list, or with teaching your staff the tool you picked, our AI training in Spokane covers exactly this.

Quick answers

Is Copilot in Teams included with Microsoft 365? No, it's a paid add-on. Teams transcription is included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium, and you can pair it with a simple summary tool.

Will removing apps in Microsoft 365 stop every note-taker? No. A note-taker on a personal account, or AI built into another meeting platform, may never show up in your admin view. A clear policy and a talk with your team cover that gap.

Are AI note-takers safe for a small business? They can be, if you pick one, know where its records are stored, and control who has access. The risk grows with every extra tool nobody chose on purpose.

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