B2B buyers are now researching vendors inside Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Gmail, and Outlook, using AI tools like Copilot and Gemini to draft comparisons and summarize options before a traditional search occurs. In January 2026, Microsoft reported 15 million paid Microsoft 365 Copilot seats during its Q2 FY2026 earnings call, representing 160% year-over-year growth, within a base of over 450 million Microsoft 365 commercial users. CEO Satya Nadella noted daily active Copilot users increased 10x year-over-year, with average conversations per user doubling. On January 8, 2026, Google announced Gmail is entering the “Gemini era” for its more than 3 billion users, embedding AI Overviews inside Gmail search. On February 19, 2026, Google rolled out “Help Me Write” with personalization for business users; according to Fortune, 70% of enterprise users who use “Help Me Write” in Gmail or Google Docs accepted Gemini’s suggestion, and 85% of users said they want more personalized AI in Gmail. WebFX reports that strategies are evolving to maintain visibility as the B2B research phase has moved inside these AI tools.