Github Copilot
by GitHub
by GitHub
Profile Information Last updated on: 1 July 2024
Profile Information Last updated on: 1 July 2024
We help make selecting a software for your business effortless, economical and efficient.
by GitHub
by GitHub
Profile Information Last updated on: 1 July 2024
Profile Information Last updated on: 1 July 2024
The typical implementation process for GitHub Copilot involves several steps to ensure a smooth integration into a developer's workflow. Initially, users need to set up a GitHub Copilot subscription, which can be done through either an individual or organizational account. For individual users, this involves signing up for a GitHub Copilot Individual subscription, while organizations can opt for GitHub Copilot Business or Enterprise subscriptions. Once the subscription is active, users need to install the GitHub Copilot extension in their preferred Integrated Development Environment (IDE) such as Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, or Neovim.
After installation, users must authorize the extension to access their GitHub account. This step involves granting necessary permissions to the extension, which allows it to provide code suggestions based on the context of the code being written. Users can then start using GitHub Copilot by typing code, and the tool will offer suggestions in real-time. The setup process is relatively straightforward and can be completed within a few hours, depending on the user's familiarity with the tools and the complexity of the environment.
For organizations, additional steps include managing seat assignments and configuring organizational policies. This involves assigning GitHub Copilot seats to team members and setting up policy management to ensure compliance with organizational standards. Organizations may also need to integrate GitHub Copilot with other tools and workflows, which can take additional time depending on the complexity of the existing infrastructure.
Overall, the implementation process for GitHub Copilot is designed to be user-friendly and efficient, allowing developers to quickly start leveraging the tool's capabilities. The entire process, from subscription to full integration, can typically be completed within a day for individual users and a few days for organizations, depending on the scale and specific requirements.
GitHub Copilot offers some level of customization to fit specific business needs, although it has limitations. The tool is designed to adapt to the coding style and context of the projects it is used on, providing context-aware suggestions that align with the developer's workflow. This means that Copilot can generate code snippets, complete functions, and offer suggestions that are relevant to the specific project and coding patterns used by the developers.
However, as of now, GitHub Copilot does not support fine-tuning the model for custom repositories or local code bases. This means that while Copilot can provide general code suggestions based on its training data, it cannot be specifically trained on proprietary codebases to offer more tailored suggestions. This limitation is acknowledged by GitHub, and there are ongoing discussions about potentially adding this capability in the future.
For organizations using GitHub Copilot Enterprise, there are additional features that enhance customization. These include organizational license management, policy management, and IP indemnity, which help ensure that the tool is used in compliance with the organization's standards and policies. Additionally, GitHub Copilot Enterprise can integrate more deeply with the organization's codebase, providing more personalized suggestions based on the indexed code.
Despite the current limitations, GitHub Copilot still offers significant value by improving coding speed, enhancing code quality, and reducing repetitive tasks. Organizations can leverage these benefits while maintaining their coding standards and workflows, ensuring that the tool complements their development processes effectively.
The primary cost associated with GitHub Copilot is the subscription fee. For individual users, GitHub Copilot costs $10 USD per month or $100 USD per year. For organizations, GitHub Copilot Business is priced at $19 USD per user per month, while GitHub Copilot Enterprise costs $39 USD per user per month. These fees cover the use of the tool and its features, including code suggestions, completions, and chat assistance.
There are no explicit setup fees for GitHub Copilot, as the installation and configuration process is straightforward and can be done by the users themselves. However, organizations may incur additional costs related to the time and resources needed to integrate Copilot into their existing workflows and to manage seat assignments and policy configurations.
Maintenance costs are generally included in the subscription fee, as GitHub Copilot is a cloud-based service that is maintained and updated by GitHub. This includes regular updates to the AI models, security patches, and feature enhancements. Organizations do not need to worry about maintaining the infrastructure or the tool itself, as this is handled by GitHub.
Support charges are also covered under the subscription fee, with GitHub providing support through its documentation, community forums, and direct support channels. For enterprise customers, additional support options may be available, including dedicated account managers and priority support, which can help address any issues or questions that arise during the use of GitHub Copilot.
GitHub Copilot offers various training and support options to help new users get started and make the most of the tool. For individual users, GitHub provides comprehensive documentation and quickstart guides that cover the basics of setting up and using Copilot. These resources include step-by-step instructions, best practices, and troubleshooting tips to ensure a smooth onboarding experience.
For organizations, GitHub offers more extensive training and support options. This includes developer training sessions, self-service licensing, and reminders to help teams quickly realize the benefits of GitHub Copilot. Organizations can also access learning pathways and modules that cover essential topics such as establishing trust in using Copilot, understanding the data pipeline, and measuring the impact of the tool on the business.
GitHub also provides personalized project reviews and feedback for users enrolled in its training programs. This helps users apply the skills they learn to practical situations and gain hands-on experience with GitHub Copilot. Reviewers offer constructive feedback and practical tips to enhance the user's work, ensuring that they retain knowledge longer and can apply new skills immediately.
In addition to these resources, GitHub offers support through its community forums, where users can ask questions, share experiences, and get help from other developers. For enterprise customers, GitHub provides dedicated support channels, including direct access to support teams and account managers who can assist with any issues or questions related to GitHub Copilot.
GitHub Copilot implements several security measures to protect user data and ensure the safe use of the tool. One of the primary security features is the encryption of data both in transit and at rest. This ensures that sensitive data, such as user edit actions, source code snippets, and repository URLs, remain secure and inaccessible to unauthorized parties.
Access to the data is tightly regulated and limited to specific individuals, including named GitHub personnel working on the Copilot team and Microsoft personnel involved with the tool. Role-based access controls and multi-factor authentication are implemented to add an extra layer of security, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access the data.
GitHub Copilot also employs filters to block offensive words and avoid producing suggestions in sensitive contexts. This includes detecting and removing biased, discriminatory, or abusive outputs. Users are encouraged to report any offensive suggestions directly to GitHub, which helps improve the safeguards and ensure a safer user experience.
To further enhance security, GitHub Copilot uses a proxy service to test prompts for toxic language, relevance, and hacking attempts before they are processed by the large language model. This helps prevent the model from engaging with inappropriate content or being tricked into revealing information about its inner workings. Additionally, the responses generated by the model are tested for code quality and checked for unique identifiers and matches with public code to ensure that the suggestions are relevant and secure.
Overall, GitHub Copilot's security measures are designed to protect user data and maintain the integrity of the tool, providing a safe and reliable coding assistant for developers.
GitHub Copilot releases updates frequently, often on a daily basis. This rapid update cycle is intended to ensure that users have access to the latest features, improvements, and bug fixes. However, this frequency can sometimes be disruptive, especially for users who rely on a stable development environment. For instance, users of JetBrains IDEs have reported that the frequent updates require them to reload their IDEs, which can interrupt their workflow.
The updates are managed through the respective IDEs' extension or plugin systems. In Visual Studio Code, for example, users can opt to disable auto-updates if they prefer a more stable environment, although this means they might miss out on the latest features and fixes. In JetBrains IDEs, the update process is less seamless, often requiring manual intervention to reload the plugin, which has been a point of frustration for some users.
GitHub Copilot's update management also includes a duplication detection filter, which helps ensure that the code suggestions provided do not include large blocks of code that match public repositories. This feature is part of GitHub's broader strategy to maintain the quality and security of the code suggestions provided by Copilot.
Despite the frequent updates, GitHub Copilot aims to maintain a high standard of quality and security. The updates are part of a continuous improvement process that includes user feedback and rigorous testing. However, the balance between rapid updates and stability remains a challenge, and GitHub is continually working to improve this aspect of the service.
GitHub Copilot's policy on data ownership is clear: users retain ownership of their code and any suggestions generated by Copilot. GitHub does not claim any ownership rights over the code written by users or the suggestions provided by Copilot. This ensures that developers have full control over their work and can use it as they see fit.
Regarding data portability, GitHub allows users to access, modify, delete, and export their personal information at any time. This includes code, inputs, text, documents, images, and feedback provided through the service. Users can control the visibility of their personal information and repositories through profile settings, ensuring that they can manage their data according to their preferences.
GitHub also provides processes for data deletion and retention. Data is deleted when it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected. However, there are exceptions to the data retention policy, and it is not always clear whether user data is deleted upon account cancellation or termination. Users can request the deletion of their data, but the specific time frame for this process is not always indicated.
In terms of data transfer, GitHub may share personal data with third parties under certain conditions, such as mergers, acquisitions, or legal obligations. Users are notified if their information is transferred to a third party, and GitHub ensures that any third-party transfers are bound by contractual obligations to maintain the same privacy practices.
GitHub Copilot offers flexible terms for scaling up or down based on organizational needs. For organizations using GitHub Copilot Business, billing is based on the number of assigned seats. This means that organizations can add or remove seats as needed, and the billing will be prorated accordingly. If a seat is assigned partway through a billing cycle, the cost is prorated based on the number of days remaining in the cycle.
To scale up, organization owners can grant access to GitHub Copilot for all current and future users or for specific users and teams. This can be done through the organization's settings on GitHub, where they can configure access policies and assign seats. The process is straightforward and allows for quick adjustments to accommodate changes in team size or project requirements.
Scaling down involves revoking access for users who no longer need it. Organization owners can disable GitHub Copilot for specific users or teams, or for the entire organization. This is done by removing assigned seats through the organization's settings. Once access is revoked, the changes take effect from the beginning of the next billing cycle, ensuring that organizations are not billed for unused seats.
GitHub Copilot also supports auto-scaling features for services, allowing organizations to automatically adjust the number of service copies based on metrics, time intervals, or alarms. This feature is particularly useful for managing resources efficiently and ensuring that the service can handle varying workloads without manual intervention.
GitHub Copilot's terms and conditions for contract renewal and cancellation are designed to provide flexibility and transparency for users. For individual subscriptions, users can choose between monthly and yearly billing cycles. If a user decides to cancel their subscription, they can do so at any time, and they will receive a prorated refund for any remaining portion of the current billing cycle.
For organizations using GitHub Copilot Business, the subscription is available on a monthly cycle. Billing is processed at the end of each billing cycle, and the cost is based on the number of assigned seats. Organizations can modify their subscription by adding or removing seats as needed, with prorated billing adjustments for any changes made during the billing cycle.
To cancel a GitHub Copilot Business subscription, organization owners need to remove all assigned seats. This involves revoking access for all users in the organization through the organization's settings. Once all seats are removed, the subscription is effectively canceled, and the organization will not be billed for the next cycle.
GitHub also provides a self-serve virtual assistant and support documentation to assist users with the cancellation process. Users can request refunds for charges incurred after the trial period if they did not intend to continue with a paid subscription. The support team is available to help with any issues related to subscription management, ensuring that users have a smooth experience when canceling or modifying their subscriptions.
GitHub Copilot meets several compliance standards to ensure the security and privacy of its users. Notably, GitHub Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise have achieved SOC 2 Type 1 certification. This certification demonstrates that GitHub Copilot has the necessary controls in place to protect the security of the service. The SOC 2 Type 1 report covers various aspects of security, including code completion in the IDE, and chat in the IDE, CLI, and mobile.
In addition to SOC 2 Type 1, GitHub Copilot Business and Enterprise are included in the scope of GitHub’s Information Security Management System, as reflected in their ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification. This certification indicates that GitHub Copilot is developed and operated using the same security processes and standards as the rest of GitHub’s products. It underscores GitHub's commitment to maintaining a high level of security and compliance across its services.
GitHub also supports compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other data protection laws. Customers can enter into a Data Protection Agreement (DPA) with GitHub, which outlines the data handling commitments and ensures compliance with GDPR and similar legislation. This agreement covers how personal data is processed, stored, and protected, providing transparency and assurance to users.
Furthermore, GitHub Copilot's data processing practices are designed to prioritize security and privacy. Personal data is encrypted during transit and is not stored at rest. Prompts sent from the code editor to generate suggestions are deleted once the suggestions are generated. GitHub does not use this data for any other purpose, including training language models, unless explicitly instructed by the user through optional features or products.
By GitHub