Success stories

Our customers come in all shapes and sizes.

We work with organisations from all walks of life, with different ambitions and requirements. Explore how we’ve helped them reimagine everyday, and align technology with their culture and business goals.

Why you need Microsoft 365 end user support

What are the benefits of outsourcing Microsoft 365 end user support, and is now the right time for your organisation? Find out here.
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Microsoft 365 Business Standard vs. Premium: Discover what’s right for your business

What's best for your organisation? Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Microsoft 365 Business Premium? Here we explore the features of each product to help you decide.
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How to optimise Microsoft 365 licence costs

Save money with these tips on how to optimise Microsoft 365 licence costs and ensure you're only paying for what you need.
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How to choose the right Microsoft 365 Enterprise plan for your organisation

With so many features, options and add-ons to choose from, how can you choose the right Microsoft 365 Enterprise plan for your organisation? Find out here.
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Microsoft 365 pricing, what we know about next year’s price rise

Microsoft 365 pricing is increasing in 2022. What impact will this have on your IT budget? Here we share what we know so far.
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Microsoft licensing optimisation – are you paying too much?

With Microsoft's news that prices for M365 and O365 are set to increase in 2022, Microsoft licensing optimisation has never been more important. Here 5 steps to reduce costs.
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Could Windows 365 transform your business?

Microsoft has launched Windows 365 for a hybrid world! Find out whether it can transform your business, by reading our blog post.
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4 ways to boost productivity with a hybrid work model

Many employees are returning to the office as part of a hybrid work model. To ensure that productivity doesn't suffer, read our blog on ways to boost it instead >
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5 reasons to use a CSP for your Microsoft 365 licensing

Here we explain why procuring your Microsoft 365 licensing via a CSP brings numerous benefits including no up front costs, pay-as-you-go billing and lots of added value from partner expertise.
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Hybrid working: How the get the most out of Microsoft 365

With a return to the office in sight, the future of the workplace for many businesses will be a hybrid working model. Moving to a hybrid workplace can deliver the best of both worlds and has many benefits to productivity, employee wellbeing, and work-life balance.  To facilitate this transition, it will be important to get the most out of your current Microsoft 365 subscription. Microsoft has all the collaboration, communication and productivity tools necessary for a successful move to hybrid working. However, the breadth of Microsoft’s product offering can make it difficult to know how to best use each app to support the move.  Here, we have compiled a few tips on how to get the most out of Microsoft Apps as you move to a hybrid workplace. Your Microsoft 365 hybrid workplace SharePoint In a hybrid workplace, one of the most important considerations will be how to have a seamless work experience, no matter where you are working. SharePoint is a tool that allows access to all organisational files that can be edited and collaborated on no matter where you are located or what device is being used. This means that whether an employee is at home, in the office or on the train, they will be able to collaborate with their colleagues on shared documents. SharePoint is also a perfect tool as a repository of organisation wide data that can be accessed from anywhere. This may include templates, forms, procedures and business data. Having it all in a single place makes it easy for employees to find the documents they need, regardless of whether they are in the office or at home. Planner When working both remotely and in the office, it can be difficult to manage all tasks that need to be completed in a team. This is even more tricky if email is the primary tool of communication and planning, as it is easy to lose a request in a sea of emails. In Microsoft Planner you can create a plan, add individual tasks to the plan and assign these tasks to members of your team. Tasks can also be synced from emails so your team spends less time searching and more time doing. To help the move to hybrid working these plans can be accessed and completed on any device, anywhere. Microsoft Planner can also be integrated with Teams and all other Microsoft 365 applications to keep all communication, collaboration, and productivity in one place. Whiteboard One of the best methods for brainstorming and collaborating in meetings is a good old-fashioned whiteboard. With both hybrid and remote working this was more difficult, however with Microsoft Whiteboard, multiple users can collaborate on a virtual whiteboard from a variety of devices. The whiteboard can also be added to a Teams meeting to collaborate in real time with colleagues for brainstorming, project planning or to explain a concept. Yammer Yammer is an organisation-wide social platform built for enterprise communication. Yammer is easy to set up and fosters a culture of transparency, connection and open communication. With a move to a hybrid workplace model Yammer is a fantastic tool to stay up to date with what is happening within a company, both from a strategy and personal viewpoint. Yammer also offers employees the opportunity to ask questions to a wider company audience, increasing productivity and communication. Yammer also allows members of an organisation that would not normally interact a chance to meet those in other teams to make a business feel more connected. To make the move to a hybrid workplace seamless experience a business should make the most of their existing Microsoft 365 subscription. Hybrid working may not be possible for all businesses or industries, but for those that can work in the office and remotely there will be a myriad of benefits.  If you want to find out more on how to make the most out of your Microsoft 365 subscription, get in touch today.
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How secure is the cloud?

In this video, Gary Duke, answers the common question "How secure is the cloud?" and explains what a Shared Responsibility Platform means in the cloud.
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What are Microsoft 365 Managed Services?

Find out what Microsoft 365 Managed Services deliver and the benefits of outsourcing this IT operation in this article.
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Why you need Microsoft 365 end user support

Microsoft 365 is intuitive to use and, should you need support to troubleshoot an issue, there are plenty of answers on the Internet. 

However, that’s from the viewpoint of someone working in IT. Someone who already knows their way around the apps and services suite, knows a few workarounds to resolve common issues, and also knows where to get help if needed.

Not the average end user. While your end user community is increasingly tech savvy, not everyone is confident about trusting their intuition or searching for tech advice on the world wide web. While you know that to get permission to access something in SharePoint you can just click ‘request access’, your end user community might not know this. 

Learn more about End User Support services here >

Microsoft 365 end user support – where does all the time go?

That’s why most IT teams spend significant amounts of their working days, resolving Microsoft 365 related tickets. Password resets, registering a new phone with MFA, requests for permission to view somebody else’s calendar, and SharePoint permissions, are daily occurrences. 

As well as end user support tickets there are other M365 task that can be a drain on your time. Starters and leavers can be a bit of a headache. Setting up accounts, allocating licenses, providing the right permissions, and then making sure leavers are removed correctly and there’s no chance that a disgruntled employee could still access important data.

M365 licence management is another task that can take your IT team away from more strategic activities. With the recent price rise, it’s more important than ever to make sure your licensing is optimised effectively. Ensuring that you’re on the right plans and using the services to the max, means monitoring usage and making adjustments to ensure you’re getting value for money.

If you haven’t got enough resource internally, what can you do?

Outsource Microsoft 365 end user support!

Did you see that one coming?! Of course, if you’re time poor, don’t have internal capacity, or don’t want your highly skilled IT team spending their time on password resets, outsourcing Microsoft 365 end user support is the solution.

Typically, the right time to do this is when you agree with one or more of the following statements:

  • Projects are getting delayed because of the volume of 1st line tickets 
  • We’re thinking about hiring additional staff to help with IT support
  • Morale is low because the team don’t spend enough time on the things they’re paid for
  • IT support is costing more than it should because the team are paid more than the going rate for a 1st line service desk analyst
  • IT’s reputation is poor because we’re unable to offer end users support in a timely way
  • Organisational productivity is impacted by our current end user support model
  • We’re not getting value for money from our Microsoft 365 subscriptions

Outsourcing Microsoft 365 end user support is generally a more efficient way of managing tickets and requests than managing it in-house. It can deliver cost savings, increase productivity and technology adoption, minimises downtime and frees IT teams up to focus on their core competencies. 

With a Microsoft 365 Managed Service you can also get support with procurement, licence and cost optimisation, 1st, 2nd and 3rd line tickets, and also flex days that give you access to 365 professional services too.

Does your 365 license provider give you the support you need?

If you buy your Microsoft 365 licences direct from Microsoft, it’s down to you to provide your end users with IT support. However, if you procure your Microsoft 365 subscriptions from a Cloud Services Provider (CSP), they should also be providing your organisation with 1st line end user support. As part of a Microsoft reseller agreement, CSPs must provide their customers with support. 

However, not all IT support is equal. If your end users are not getting responses and resolutions that meet SLA targets, or the SLAs are not aligned with your organisation’s needs, you may want to explore an alternative service.

Recent changes to Microsoft’s CSP programme has made switching providers a little more challenging. Prior to the new NCE Per Seat model, you could move your 365 licence plans at any time to a different CSP. Now you are locked into the subscription term – monthly or annual – with the CSP, which makes it even more important to be happy with the end user support they provide.

This is not a problem for organisations with monthly 365 subscriptions as you can move to a different CSP relatively quickly. But if you have annual subscriptions and you’re thinking about switching, make sure you have visibility on when your annual terms end before they auto-renew.

For those organisations that procure 365 plans directly from Microsoft it’s worth exploring the benefits of purchasing via a CSP instead.

As well as Microsoft 365 end user support, CSPs can often offer more competitive pricing, and give you access to licensing experts to ensure you’re on the right plans and getting value from your services. You’ll also get access to cyber security experts too. If you need support exploring best practices and security options such as MFA, conditional access etc., a CSP is there to help.

Are you ready to outsource Microsoft 365 end user support?

Ultimately the reason organisations outsource end user support is to get stuff done. 

A high performing service desk reduces downtime, increases productivity and technology adoption, and helps end users get more value from the Microsoft 365 suite.

Outsourcing also helps your IT team get more stuff done. Freeing them from day-to-day support tickets so they can focus on the work they do best. As a by-product of a great service, it can also elevate IT’s reputation across the organisation and increase morale.

If you’re ready to outsource Microsoft 365 end user support and would like to discuss your options, please get in touch. We’d be happy to explore with you whether the time is right and make recommendations.

To find out more about end user support services click on the graphic below.

Microsoft 365 Business Standard vs. Premium: Discover what’s right for your business

The Microsoft 365 for business suite brings together office applications, Windows 10 or 11 and Enterprise Mobility and Security. It’s a powerhouse of productivity, communication, collaboration, and security. For organisations with fewer than 300 seats, there are four licensing options when deploying Microsoft 365: Microsoft 365 Apps, Business Basic, Business Standard, and Business Premium. 

Microsoft 365 Apps and Business Basic are the cheapest options but lack many features, which is why for most organisations Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Premium is the best fit.

Here we compare both products so you can decide what’s right for you.

Do you already subscribe to Microsoft 365 and want to know if your organisation is on the right plan for your requirements? Our free Microsoft 365 Licence Health Check explores your licence usage and adoption, and makes recommendations if there’s a better way to get the services you require. Learn more here >

Microsoft 365 Business Standard

A Microsoft 365 Business Standard licence includes Windows 10 or 11, with access to mobile, web and desktop office applications (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), as well as a suite of cloud services for collaboration and communications (Teams, Exchange, OneDrive and SharePoint). Business Standard users are protected with standard security and compliance features. It also includes some lesser-known applications, such as Microsoft Forms, Lists and Bookings, which can improve many business processes. 

Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the most feature-rich Microsoft license for businesses under 300 seats. Business Premium includes all the features in Business Standard, with additional advanced security features. These include the use of Intune, Azure Information Protection, and Microsoft Defender (soon to be Microsoft Defender for Business).

Intune

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM) service. It allows businesses to control how devices, such as mobile phones, tablets and laptops, are being used. It is also possible to configure policies for specific applications on a device.

The use of Intune can reduce the risk associated with shadow IT, BYOD programs, and enable efficient update and patch management. As hybrid work and remote work has become commonplace it is increasingly important to be able manage employees’ devices. With employees working away from the office, IT teams have less visibility over individual devices, which increases the chance of a cyberattack.

Azure Information Protection

Azure Information Protection (AIP) is a cloud-based service that allows businesses to discover, classify, and protect documents and emails by applying labels of the content. With efficient use of AIP, businesses can strengthen their security posture by setting limits on documents and users’ actions within a document.

The use of AIP enables businesses to have more granular visibility over where content is being distributed and how it is being used. This prevents illicit modification and distribution of data, solves the challenge of unauthorised individuals viewing sensitive content, and helps businesses meet regulatory data protection and compliance standards.

Microsoft 365 Defender / Microsoft Defender for Business

Microsoft 365 Defender is a security solution that uses AI to automatically analyse threat data across Microsoft 365 to build a picture of each attack within a single dashboard. This technology can stop attacks before they happen by reducing the attack surface and eliminating persistent threats.

In November 2021, Microsoft announced a new security solution that will be available within a Business Premium licence, Microsoft Defender for Business. This solution brings enterprise-grade capabilities to businesses under 300 seats with next-generation protection, endpoint detection and response, threat and vulnerability management, and more. This new addition provides even more value to a Business Premium licence.

Which Microsoft 365 licence is right for your business?

The key differences between Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Business Premium are the security features. Although Business Standard has all the communication, collaboration and productivity features to empower your employees to do their best possible work, it does not offer any advanced protection over these applications. This lack of protection increases the risk of a data breach or other cyberattack.

Over the past two years there has been a substantial increase in the number of businesses falling victim to a variety of cyberattacks, most commonly, ransomware. Microsoft Defender for Business, along with the other advanced security features reduces the chance of your business falling victim to such an attack. Similarly, if your business has remote or hybrid employees, the addition of Intune makes it easier to manage employee devices, regardless of where they are located. For all businesses, we recommend having a conversation with one of our team to ensure that your business makes the right decision when purchasing a Microsoft 365 license. Contact us today and we will be happy to help.

How to optimise Microsoft 365 licence costs

In March 2022 Microsoft 365 licence costs will increase by as much as 20% across the following 6 SKUs:

  • Microsoft 365: Business Basic, Business Premium, E3 
  • Office 365: E1, E3, E5

For many organisations the price increase will consume IT budget that is already allotted for other activities, using up a sizeable chunk of available spend. Consequently, if they haven’t already, IT teams urgently need to optimise Microsoft 365 licensing to reduce costs and protect IT budget.

Lock in your current Microsoft 365 prices until February 2023. Learn more here >

Microsoft 365 licence cost optimisation: the basics

Ahead of the price rise the first thing IT teams should do is ensure they are not over-provisioned. Review your licence counts and allocation to make sure you don’t have more licences than needed, and that those you have are allocated to people who need them.

Key areas to explore include:

  1. Licences assigned to users who have left your organisation
  2. Licences assigned to inactive users
  3. Licences assigned to users who only need a few services
  4. Licences that are unallocated

From this exercise you can see if there are opportunities to reduce your Microsoft 365 licence costs by purchasing fewer licences. You can also reassign unused licences to people who need them. Finally, you can review whether some users who are under-adopting services either require a different licence SKU with fewer services, or to be enrolled in a technology adoption programme to get more value from their tech.

Escape the price rise for 12 months

Another way to optimise your Microsoft 365 licence costs is to lock in current pricing for the next 12 months. If you renew a licence plan now, before 1st March 2022, with a 12 month subscription term the price increase will only be applied when that subscription ends in February 2023. 

This can buy you more time to plan for the eventual price increase when your subscriptions renew next year. 

Please note that at the same time as publicising the 365 licence price increase, Microsoft also announced that customers will no longer be able to decrease their licence count until end of the subscription term. You can increase your licence count and pay for additional licences pro rata, but you can’t remove licenses during the term. It is therefore important to ensure you keep your licence counts lean.

Get creative now to save on Microsoft 365 licence costs later in the year

If your organisation has seasonal fluctuations in the number of users requiring Microsoft 365 licences, or if you are planning for a period of growth this year, a bit of creativity now can save you money later.

For example, if your organisation needs to increase your licence count for Microsoft 365 Basic for the Christmas holiday season, you could purchase an annual subscription plan now with a minimal number of licences at the current pre-March price point. When you need to increase your licence count in November and December 2022, you can add those additional licences to your 12 month subscription still on the old pricing. Even though you may not require those additional licences in January 2023, you could still make a significant saving compared to procuring licences at the new price point on a monthly subscription term.

It is also worth speaking to your Cloud Service Provider (CSP) about whether they can discount 365 licence plans further. Many are offering competitive prices on annual subscription plans to help customers manage this price increase.

How to choose the right Microsoft 365 Enterprise plan for your organisation

Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans are licensed per user and, depending on which licence package you choose, provides your organisation and your people with Microsoft software and services products such as Office 365, Windows 10 Enterprise, and Enterprise Mobility + Security.  

Designed to provide end users with productivity, collaboration, mobility and business insights in a secure environment, Microsoft 365 delivers modern workplace technology for the way we work today. 

With the recent announcement from Microsoft that the cost of most M365 and O365 plans will increase from March 2022, choosing the right Microsoft 365 Enterprise plan that delivers the services you need without becoming over-provisioned, is vital. While Microsoft has made this decision as easy as possible, with so many different features, options and add-ons, identifying the right plan can be complex. 

In fact, you may even find that a Microsoft 365 Enterprise plan is not the most cost effective plan for your organisation. In some cases, even for companies with over 300 employees, a Microsoft 365 Business plan may be a better fit if not all users require access to the same software and services. 

Are you on the right Microsoft 365 Enterprise plan? Book a free 365 Licence Health Check to find out > 

5 tips for choosing a Microsoft 365 Enterprise plan 

Here are our tips for identifying the right Microsoft 365 Enterprise plan. If you would like an informal chat about your options, we’d be happy to share our advice. 

1: Assess your current IT environment 

What do you currently have that needs to integrate seamlessly in the Microsoft 365 cloud, or needs to be migrated? Identify all the devices your organisation has, the operating systems they run, the software, systems and data your users need and what’s business critical. 

2: What are the business drivers for Microsoft 365? 

A clear objective for moving to Microsoft 365 is the key to a successful migration. What do you want to achieve? Has does M365 support strategic objectives and business plans? What can’t you do now that M365 will facilitate? 

In the video below our CEO, James Butler, explains why having a purpose is so important for a successful 365 migration.

3: What do your people need? 

Not everyone in an organisation needs the full M365 stack. Over-provisioning is a common issue and reason why some enterprise organisations pay more than necessary. Identify what different departments and end users need to work effectively, and what technology will help them achieve their objectives. Mixing and matching different plans can often be more cost efficient and still ensures people have the right technology for their roles. 

4: Consider the pros and cons of different licensing programs 

Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans can be purchased through Microsoft licensing program channels. They are: 

  1. Microsoft Volume Licensing (VL), 
  1. Cloud Solution Provider program (CSP), and/or  
  1. Web Direct (MOSP) programs.  

More details on ways to buy can be found here. You may also find this blog post about purchasing your Microsoft 365 licensing via a CSP useful > 

5: Compare plans and review against your requirements 

For an overview of all the different Microsoft 365 and Office 365 plans and ‘service families’ visit the Microsoft website. Here you can compare what services are available in each plan and explore them in more detail by clicking on the relevant links. 

For some organisations combining different plans is the most effective way to ensure sufficient licencing and optimise costs. Also, some services are available as a standalone plan, which can also be combined with a M365 or O365 family plan. For example, if your organisation has 600 employees but under 300 users require access to the Office 365 platform whilst the remaining just need an email account, you could combine a 365 Business plan with a standalone Exchange Online plan to provide sufficient licensing. 

Get ROI from your Microsoft 365 Enterprise plan 

Once you’ve identified the right plan for your organisation and migrated to Microsoft 365, you’ll want to maximise your technology investment and ensure it is living up to expectations.  

Running regular usage reports can help you see whether your organisation is leveraging the usage rights you have and identify opportunities to increase technology adoption. If you are already on a Microsoft 365 plan and would like to explore this further, take advantage of our free Microsoft 365 licence health check here

Microsoft 365 pricing, what we know about next year’s price rise

Microsoft 365 pricing is going up for many licence SKUs from March 2022. Jared Spataro, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President for Microsoft 365, shared this announcement in a blog post on 19 August highlighting the innovations the company has delivered over the last decade.

While there is much to shout about in terms of the services and features available through these commercial products, what everyone really wants to know is how much IT budget Microsoft licensing will now consume.

At the time of writing, Microsoft has only announced figures for its US market, however the changes are global with some local market adjustments. We will update this blog post when we have confirmation on costs for UK customers, but here is what we currently know:

365 pricing plans affected by the price rise

Customers on education and frontline worker plans can breathe a sigh of relief, these plans are not affected. Nor are consumer products at this time. The 365 pricing changes that will go into effect in six months on 1st March 2022 are:

  • Microsoft 365: Business Basic, Business Premium and E3
  • Office 365: E1, E3 and E5

The big question – how much?

We estimate that 365 pricing will rise by between 10% and 20% in 2022 across these core SKUs.

Our understanding is that Nonprofits will continue to benefit from 365 Business Basic for free and receive discounts on other products, albeit at the new price point.

What else is changing?

If you purchase your Microsoft licensing via a Cloud Service Provider (CSP) there are a few additional changes that you need to know about. They are:

Fixed terms and less flexibility

Microsoft is also removing some of the flexibility you may currently enjoy. From March 2022 subscription terms will be rigorously enforced, so you won’t be able to scale your licences down until your subscription renewal date.

If you have a monthly subscription term you will be largely unaffected as you can adjust your licensing month by month. However, you can expect to see the largest increase in price for consuming 365 in this way.

Customers who have an annual subscription term, even when paying on a monthly basis, will benefit from a lower cost per user but won’t be able to reduce the quantity of licences during the term. Of course, you will be allowed to increase the number of licences, but you will have to remain at that level for the duration of your subscription term.

This puts the onus on you and your CSP to ensure you are on the right plan for your needs and factor in any future changes to the business that might impact your licensing. If your CSP is not proactively managing your licence optimisation we recommend that you review your current licensing now, make sure you’re not over-provisioned and explore more cost effective plans if possible. This will go some way to reduce the impact of the price rise in 2022.

We offer a free Microsoft Licence Health Check to review your current usage and make recommendations. Further details can be found here >

Monthly, annual & 3 year terms

Microsoft is introducing a 3 year term, alongside its current monthly and annual subscription terms. This could be beneficial if you are confident that your business won’t need to dramatically reduce licences in the next 12 – 36 months. The longer the subscription term, the lower the cost per user.

We expect that you will be able to pay monthly, annually or upfront, depending on how you want to spread the cost of your Microsoft licensing. Customers currently on an annual subscription plan will continue to be able to pay monthly or annually.

CSPs can offer discounts on the RRP

One of the advantages of purchasing your 365 licensing via a CSP is that we can often offer discounts on the RRP. This won’t change with the price rise, we will still offer discounts depending on your licence requirements and any other services you have from us.

Beat the price rise

Renewing your 365 subscriptions now rather than waiting for next year could be a good way of saving money and beating the price rise for some organisations. Those companies that want to get reduce licensing costs with an annual or 3 year term can renew in the next few weeks or months (from mid-October 2021) with their CSP and lock their 365 pricing in at the current rates for the duration of their term.

We would recommend that you start with a licensing review to ensure you’re on the right plan/s before renewing your current subscriptions, and align your licensing with any strategic plans taking effect in the period covered by your chosen subscription term.

What can you do now about 365 pricing?

Here’s our advice for preparing for the price rise:

  1. Don’t panic, yet! At the time of writing you’ve got 6 months before 365 pricing increases,
  2. Review your current Microsoft plans and usage. Our free 365 Licence Health Check is a good starting point >
  3. Speak to your CSP about how they can help you optimise costs further,
  4. Move plans or scale down licences in October, if you can, to reduce costs before the price rise,
  5. If you currently purchase your 365 plans directly from Microsoft, explore whether a CSP can offer discounts on the RRP with a 364 licensing management and optimisation service.

As more information and confirmation on 365 pricing for UK and EU customers becomes available, we will be updating our blog and social media. Keep checking in for further news or get in touch to discuss your organisation’s licensing in more detail.

Microsoft licensing optimisation – are you paying too much?

This week’s Microsoft licensing announcement is the first time Microsoft has increased licence costs for M365 and O365 plans in 10 years.

Effectively this will mean that, from 1st March 2022, M365 and O365 plans will increase between 10% and 20% per user per year. Microsoft 365 E5 will remain at the current price. Azure licensing is also untouched.

These price hikes add up significantly when you have high volumes of users. Enterprise organisations with 10,000 users could be faced with finding over £260,000 per year to maintain the same level of Microsoft services.

Already IT teams are under pressure to save money and make their IT budgets go further. This news from Microsoft will not be welcome.

Microsoft licensing – are you over-provisioned?

With demand for cloud services rocketing because of the pandemic, spending on Microsoft 365, O365 and Azure AD has seen substantial growth. But Microsoft licensing is complex and often it’s not clear exactly what you’re buying.

Our free Microsoft licence health check helps you identify cost optimisation opportunities and ensures you’re on the right plan. Book here >

In the scramble to deploy remote and hybrid work strategies, some organisations are now finding they’re over-provisioned or under-utilising the services they have available. As Microsoft licensing is already consumes a huge chunk of annual IT budget in many organisations, ensuring you’re on the right plan and not over licensed is a top priority.

How to optimise your Microsoft 365 and Azure AD licensing

If you suspect that you’re wasting money on licences you don’t need, the following steps will help:

Step 1: Remove or reassign licences assigned to users that have left your organisation

When we perform a Microsoft licence health check it often surprises our customers how many users still have licences assigned to them, even though they’ve left the company. Many organisations don’t have robust software asset management (SAM) processes in place, or simply a process where HR informs IT when someone is due to leave.

Ask your HR department for a report on all employees who have left your organisation since you last reviewed your licence pool, then export a report from the Admin Portal for all licensed users. Cross reference the two reports to identify licensed users that have left the organisation and either remove those licences completely or reassign to new recruits. 

While you’re at it, set up a process with HR to ensure you’re notified of leavers and new starters so you can better manage your licence pool.

Step 2: Review your Microsoft licence pool

Best practice is to keep a licence pool to manage the ebb and flow of leavers and new starters, or spikes in demand such as when contractors need licences for specific projects. However, a high percentage of licences in your pool can mean a lot of unnecessary cost. 

By understanding your organisation’s licence usage by department, location or business function, over a period of time, you will get a better idea of how big your licence pool needs to be. 

Step 3: Identify unused licenses assigned to current users

We often find users within an organisation that have been assigned a licence for a specific project and 12 months after the project has closed, they still have the licence. A licence usage report will help you analyse what has been assigned but is not in use. 

Similarly, there may be users who have been assigned a full E5 or E3 licence who have no need for all the services included. We see this particularly in manufacturing and retail where many users ‘on the shop floor’ only need email. An Office F1 license bundled with an Exchange Online Plan, could be much more cost effective.

Having identified unused licences, you can now work with different areas of your organisation to understand their usage requirements and potentially remove or reassign licences to users in other areas of the business.

Step 4: Increase technology adoption to get better ROI

Effective Microsoft licence management is not just about slashing costs. It’s also about ensuring you’re getting a positive return on your technology investment. Licence usage reports can help you identify users or areas of the business where cloud services are not being fully adopted and who is not getting the productivity and collaboration benefits of the 365 stack.

Having identified those users or groups you can then target them with a user adoption campaign or training programme. A Day in a Life workshop that highlights the products and services they have available, and how they can transform their working day, is a great way to increase adoption. Another key area to consider is the End User Support services you provide. High quality service desk support has a positive impact on technology adoption.  

Step 5: Review your different Microsoft plans

If your organisation has multiple Microsoft licensing plans you may be paying more than once for the same licences. As well as enterprise plans, Microsoft also allows end users to purchase different plans, which again can mean your organisation pays twice for Microsoft licensing. For example, end users can now purchase the Microsoft Power Platform: Power BI, Power Apps and Power Automate.

Even if you’re not over-provisioned when business users purchase plans directly, it is still problematic. There may be compliance issues, after all it’s effectively shadow IT, and you lose control over costs and licence management.

Another way to reduce your Microsoft licensing costs is to purchase your licensing via a Cloud Service Provider (CSP). They can often offer discounts on the RRP, and they will provide you with licensing management services to drive further cost savings.

More on the benefits of working with a CSP can be found in this blog post >

Beat the price rise

Depending on your current subscription term/s, it may be advantageous to renew sooner rather than later and beat the 2022 price rise. Microsoft offer monthly and annual subscription terms, and has also announced a new 3 year term. While longer terms are not as flexible as a monthly subscription where you can adjust your licence pool month by month, if you’ve optimised your current licensing and don’t expect to need to scale down in the next 12 months, an annual term will be more cost effective. If you would like to discuss these options, please get in touch.

With six months to go before Microsoft effects its price hike, now’s the time to optimise your Microsoft licensing and ensure you’re only paying for what you need. To help you get started, take advantage of our free Microsoft Licence Health Check to find out what you’re currently using. We’ll also make recommendations to save money, and hopefully lessen the impact of this unwelcome news.

Could Windows 365 transform your business?

At the beginning of this month, Microsoft released the next new development in their product ecosystem, Windows 365. Windows 365 was developed to support the changing workplace model, with the bold statement that it’s a ‘hybrid Windows for a hybrid world’. 

The product’s aim is to be easy to use, familiar and always available, regardless of the location of the user or the device they are using. So could it transform your business? Below we will discuss what Windows 365 is, its benefits and how it can transform your business.

What is Windows 365?

Windows 365 is a service that allows users to access cloud PCs from anywhere, on any device streaming a Windows 10 desktop in a web browser or through the Microsoft Remote Desktop app. When users log into the service they are greeted with all the same apps, tools, data and settings from previous sessions, enabling a productive hybrid workforce.

Whilst this virtual desktop technology is not a new concept, and although Microsoft already offers Azure Virtual Desktop, what makes Windows 365 stand out is its simplicity. In the past, desktop virtualisation has often been complex, costly and difficult to manage without in-house expertise. Windows 365 simplifies this process with easier management and a simple per-user monthly subscription cost.

Benefits of Windows 365 for businesses and end users

The key benefit of using Windows 365 is its simplicity, both for the end user and the business. A Windows 365 user can have a personalised desktop that will have the same apps and settings each time they log in, even if it is on a completely different device. As it is a Microsoft service it also seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft cloud services. Once the user is connected to Windows 365 the computer will function as if it is a typical PC, with multi-monitor support and the ability to use the camera and microphone for Teams audio and video calls. For the business, it is simple to create new virtual desktops as the business grows and billing is always predictable as it is per-user pricing.

Another key benefit of using Windows 365 is that it greatly increases security. As more businesses work remotely or in a hybrid work model, it has been difficult to ensure that all devices accessing company data are secure. Windows 365 solves this problem as the image for the PC can be set up by an IT admin to have strict security policies to ensure that all company data stays safe and secure. 

How Windows 365 can transform your business

As the workplace has fundamentally changed over the past 2 years, the way businesses view computers should change too. For businesses that are implementing a hybrid workplace model, Windows 365 can aid in this process. It allows the possibility for businesses to decrease their hardware costs as the physical device does not need excessive computing power: the compute is through Windows 365. This also enables businesses to consider a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) programme which allows employees to use hardware they are familiar with whilst having the same security protocols as a work-issued device.

Similarly, many businesses require, or may benefit from, an elastic workforce. This may include temporary interns, consultants or contractors that need access to a work device for a short period of time. In the past, the only way to accommodate these workers was to have a surplus of devices available. With Windows 365, temporary workers can bring their own device and have a cloud PC deployed for the time they are working for the company.

Finally, in some organisations the amount of computing power employees need may fluctuate depending on the projects they are working on. Windows 365 allows businesses to change the amount of computing power quickly and easily on each cloud PC to ensure employees have the best experience whilst optimising costs.

Windows 365 marks a new era for hybrid working and virtual desktops in general. If you want to find out more about how Windows 365 can transform your business, get in touch today.

cloud readiness

4 ways to boost productivity with a hybrid work model

recent study found that 27% of employees would prefer to work remotely full time, and 62% would prefer to work in a hybrid arrangement. Many businesses have listened to employee feedback and have spent the last few months planning how a hybrid work model can be introduced.

The move to hybrid aims to offer all the benefits of working in the office and working from home, such as collaboration, ease of communication and a stronger organisational culture. The hybrid work model can also significantly increase productivity, leading to a better work-life balance and increased employee satisfaction.

Below are 4 ways to boost productivity when employees are hybrid working.

1: Learn how to run an effective hybrid meeting

After 18 months of online meetings, most employees have found an effective and productive way to run meetings. Starting to work from the office will require a change in the way meetings are run, especially when some members are in the office and others are working from home.

Two methods of running an effective hybrid meeting are having all members using Microsoft Teams, or office workers all using a single computer, talking to remote workers on Teams. The former enables the experience to be the same for all attendees and may be a better solution for some businesses. The latter can aid in collaboration, however it is important to ensure that remote workers are included and the audio and video equipment used are sufficient. It will take some time to adjust to the new method of meetings, but from trial and error businesses will find the most effective way to run hybrid meetings to increase productivity.

2: Stick to your hours both at work and at home

For some employees, whilst working from home they find it easier to close their laptop at the end of a day and finish on time, whereas others struggle to set clear boundaries between work time and home time. Similarly, some employees find it difficult to leave the office on time, especially when there is more work to do. Spending more time working may seem like it would increase the amount of work completed, however, in the long run this leads to a poor work-life balance and puts employees at the risk of burnout which will greatly decrease productivity.

It is important that regardless of where employees are working, they stick to their start and finish times. When working at home a way to ensure this is to set and alarm for when it is time to finish work, and turn off all work related notifications on mobile phones. In the office if there are multiple employees that finish at the same time colleagues should encourage each other to leave at the same time to ensure no one is forming an unhealthy habit of prioritising work over home life.

Workplace analytics can help identify employees who are regularly exceeding their working hours. Line managers can use this information to encourage them to switch off at a sensible time.

3: Minimise distractions

For many that have become acclimatised to working from home with few distractions, going back to the office may be difficult to manage the distractions. This can decrease productivity, make work more stressful and leave employees feeling less motivated. In the office a great way to decrease distractions is by setting aside time that will be focus time and let colleagues know that during these times you should not be disturbed. It is also beneficial to set aside time dedicated to checking and replying to emails, rather than replying to all emails as soon as they arrive.  

When working from home it is typically easier to avoid distractions, however having meetings too often can cause distractions that decrease productivity and can lead to an unhealthy work-life balance. In Microsoft MyAnalytics it is possible to view how much of a week is dedicated to meetings and automatically set times in your calendar that is dedicated to focusing without distractions.

4: Use the office for collaboration and keep up communication at home

One of the more common problems with working from home has around collaboration on projects. Even with collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams, it’s still easier to do in person. For this reason, take advantage of working in an office for collaboration and tapping into other employees’ knowledge and skills to drive productivity and business growth.

Similarly, it is important to maintain communication when working from home and include those who may be remote only. One way to ensure this is to hold short meetings with all members of a department throughout the week to keep all employees in the loop. Effective communication increases productivity as it enables employees to better understand each other and increases morale.

As the workplace is fundamentally changing, employees and businesses need to consider what changes need to be made to ensure the move to a hybrid work model is seamless and productivity doesn’t suffer. If you want to find out more about hybrid working productivity, or how technology can be used to increase productivity, get in touch today!

5 reasons to use a CSP for your Microsoft 365 licensing

Updated: On 19th August 2021 Microsoft announced some changes to its Microsoft 365 licensing plans. As well as a price rise of between 10% and 20% per user per year, the ability to scale down your licence pool via your CSP will no longer be available. Instead your subscription term (monthly, annual or, soon, 3 year terms) will be enforced.

Why purchase your Microsoft 365 licensing, or Azure plans, via a Cloud Solutions Provider (CSP) when you can buy direct from Microsoft? 

There are many benefits of using a CSP, here are our top 5: 

1: Licensing optimisation 

Choosing the right Microsoft 365 licensing plans for your organisation is not as straight forward as you might think. With Microsoft now rigorously enforcing its subscription terms, with only a 72 hour cooling off period after buying, it’s even more important to ensure you’re on the right plan/s.

A CSP / Microsoft Partner knows 365 licensing inside out, and has the experience of working with many other organisations who may have similar requirements to yours. We help you can identify the most cost licensing SKU, which may often be a combination of different plans to give you the right licensing levels. We also advise you on the most advantageous subscription term for your plans. For example, if your organisation has seasonal spikes or needs additional licences just a few months at a time, a monthly subscription term for some licenses will give you the flexibility you require. Whereas an annual term may be appropriate for your core team, with the associated cost savings of a longer fixed term.

2: Flexible billing 

No credit cards needed! A CSP will bill you for your cloud consumption – 365 licences and Azure consumption – on a monthly or annual basis, depending on your requirements. CSP agreements are also more flexible than a Microsoft EA or Open Licence, with shorter contract terms, lower (or no) penalties for adjustments, and no upfront licensing costs. 

3: Cost savings 

Going the CSP route unlocks opportunities to gain discounts on the RRP. A big win against paying direct. Potential discounts from RRP are dependent on your licensing requirements and may be greater if you are also procuring wraparound services from the CSP.  

A Microsoft 365 Licensing Health Check can also uncover further cost savings. You might find that you’re not using all the services covered by your plan and could potential switch to a different plan or initiate a user adoption programme so you do get the benefits of your cloud services. We often see organisations with an EA who can get all the services they need and use from a Microsoft 365 Business plan, at a much lower cost to the business. 

4: Licensing expertise 

With one partner looking after all your Microsoft 365 licences, you can draw on our expertise and skills to maximise the benefits of your technology investment. Tell us what your IT strategy is, and we will ensure your licensing is aligned to your goals. Our Microsoft licensing management service continuously monitors your licensing usage, managing your licence pool and making sure you’re not over-provisioned or under-utilising your resources.

5. IT support 

If you have an EA, your organisation has to provide 1st line IT support and then purchase support directly from Microsoft for escalation. With a CSP we become your 1st and 2nd line point of contact for the service, and already have a built-in escalation agreement to Microsoft for additional support, at no cost to your organisation. With a marketing-leading IT service desk, the support your users receive is best in class. 

Your CSP partner is also the point of contact for billing and subscription support and may also offer other services like Service Integration & Management, which will help you get the most from all the services you’re paying for. 

Find out if your organisation is on the right plan, book a Microsoft 365 Licence Health Check here >

Common questions about Microsoft Cloud Solutions Providers 

Will I still maintain Admin Control? 

Yes. You can still have full admin control over your Office 365 tenancy and Azure subscriptions. 

Can I migrate existing Azure Services to CSP Azure? 

Yes. We will first need to undertake a review of your environment to understand if there are areas that will not easily move e.g. Backup Vaults and Express Route. We then schedule some engineering time to move you to the new subscription. We aim to achieve this without loss of service. We would obviously discuss options for items that are not so easily moved between Azure subscriptions. 

Who will invoice me? 

Yes. We will invoice you monthly (unless you require annual billing). We get invoiced indirectly from Microsoft on a monthly basis for all the CSP spend attributable to our customers. We just take this data and generate an invoice for your specific spend. 

Do I need to sign any agreements? 

Yes. You will need to agree to the Microsoft Cloud Agreement. 

Can I license my on premises licenses via CSP? 

Yes. SQL Server, Windows Enterprise and User CALs are available through CSP. This gives the customer the ability to utilise Hybrid Use Benefit to run services on premises or in the cloud 

Can I change CSP provider? 

Yes. You are free to transfer to any other provider of your choice, but we hope our people-centric approach and focus on your user experience, alongside other services we deliver, are good reasons to stay. 

Can I leave CSP? 

Yes. If you have a monthly subscription term you can enter in any month of the calendar year and stop at any time. Remember, a CSP gives you the flexibility to alter your subscription, in numbers and services, per month. 

Will access to my tenancy or subscription be terminated if I do not pay my bill? 

Ultimately yes. But clearly we all want to avoid this situation. We follow normal processes to retrieve the money for services provided, but we are within our rights to terminate if your invoices are not being paid in a timely manner. 


As a Microsoft Gold Partner we can provide licensing and management for Microsoft 365 and Azure services. We also have specialist expertise in planning, migrating, monitoring, and managing on-premises, private, and multiple cloud provider environments. Speak to our team if you would like to learn more, or book a Microsoft 365 Licensing Health Check to find out whether we can save you money on your current licensing.

Hybrid working: How the get the most out of Microsoft 365

With a return to the office in sight, the future of the workplace for many businesses will be a hybrid working model. Moving to a hybrid workplace can deliver the best of both worlds and has many benefits to productivity, employee wellbeing, and work-life balance. 

To facilitate this transition, it will be important to get the most out of your current Microsoft 365 subscription. Microsoft has all the collaboration, communication and productivity tools necessary for a successful move to hybrid working. However, the breadth of Microsoft’s product offering can make it difficult to know how to best use each app to support the move. 

Here, we have compiled a few tips on how to get the most out of Microsoft Apps as you move to a hybrid workplace.

Your Microsoft 365 hybrid workplace

SharePoint

In a hybrid workplace, one of the most important considerations will be how to have a seamless work experience, no matter where you are working. SharePoint is a tool that allows access to all organisational files that can be edited and collaborated on no matter where you are located or what device is being used. This means that whether an employee is at home, in the office or on the train, they will be able to collaborate with their colleagues on shared documents.

SharePoint is also a perfect tool as a repository of organisation wide data that can be accessed from anywhere. This may include templates, forms, procedures and business data. Having it all in a single place makes it easy for employees to find the documents they need, regardless of whether they are in the office or at home.

Planner

When working both remotely and in the office, it can be difficult to manage all tasks that need to be completed in a team. This is even more tricky if email is the primary tool of communication and planning, as it is easy to lose a request in a sea of emails. In Microsoft Planner you can create a plan, add individual tasks to the plan and assign these tasks to members of your team. Tasks can also be synced from emails so your team spends less time searching and more time doing. To help the move to hybrid working these plans can be accessed and completed on any device, anywhere. Microsoft Planner can also be integrated with Teams and all other Microsoft 365 applications to keep all communication, collaboration, and productivity in one place.

Whiteboard

One of the best methods for brainstorming and collaborating in meetings is a good old-fashioned whiteboard. With both hybrid and remote working this was more difficult, however with Microsoft Whiteboard, multiple users can collaborate on a virtual whiteboard from a variety of devices. The whiteboard can also be added to a Teams meeting to collaborate in real time with colleagues for brainstorming, project planning or to explain a concept.

Yammer

Yammer is an organisation-wide social platform built for enterprise communication. Yammer is easy to set up and fosters a culture of transparency, connection and open communication. With a move to a hybrid workplace model Yammer is a fantastic tool to stay up to date with what is happening within a company, both from a strategy and personal viewpoint. Yammer also offers employees the opportunity to ask questions to a wider company audience, increasing productivity and communication. Yammer also allows members of an organisation that would not normally interact a chance to meet those in other teams to make a business feel more connected.

To make the move to a hybrid workplace seamless experience a business should make the most of their existing Microsoft 365 subscription. Hybrid working may not be possible for all businesses or industries, but for those that can work in the office and remotely there will be a myriad of benefits. 

If you want to find out more on how to make the most out of your Microsoft 365 subscription, get in touch today.

How secure is the cloud?

There is a common misconception that the cloud is not as secure as on-premise infrastructure. Even with a significant increase in cloud adoption over the last year, many organisations believe that keeping their data on site is safer than migrating it to the cloud.

In fact, you might find your data is more secure in the cloud. Protecting your data on premise is no easy task. A firewall doesn’t stop you getting hacked it’s the people who deploy that firewall and manage it that prevent data breaches. If you haven’t got the right in-house expertise, or cyber security services, your on premise infrastructure is vulnerable. Migrating your data to the cloud will provide many of the resources and skills you are currently missing. In Verizon’s 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report, cloud assets accounted for 24% of breaches, compared to 70% of on-prem assets.   

Cloud providers like Microsoft give you access to cyber security tools, best practice and governance protocols, continually updating their solutions to protect customers from evolving threats. 

The cloud is still a target for cyber criminals 

Of course, the cloud is still a target. In 2020 cloud-based attacks rose by 630% between January and April, as cyber criminals took advantage of vulnerabilities created by the pandemic and remote work. The most common threat vectors for cloud-based attacks are compromised credentials and misconfigured cloud servers.

In the video below, Gary Duke explains how the cloud is a Shared Responsibility Platform so it’s down to you as a business to make sure that the access to your data and systems is secure. 

According to Verizon’s findings, misconfigurations are the fastest-growing risk to web application security. Misconfiguration errors have increased significantly since 2017, from below 20% to over 40% of total breaches covered; now more common than malware and outranked only by hacking.   

How to secure your data in the cloud 

To get the security benefits of the cloud it’s important to make sure your cloud is configured by experts, regularly audited, updated and patched. As Gary says, it’s a Shared Responsibility Platform so the configuration and management of the cloud is shared between your organisation and your service provider. 

If you’re a Microsoft customer using 365, check your Microsoft Secure Score to understand your organisation’s vulnerabilities across identity, devices, information, apps, and infrastructure. Find out more about Microsoft Secure Score here >

What are Microsoft 365 Managed Services?

Microsoft 365* doesn’t stand still. To maximise your investment, admins need to continually manage, monitor and optimise 365, as well as provide end users with support. 

This can be a significant drain on internal resource. That’s where Microsoft 365 Managed Services fits in. Outsourcing this element of your IT operations helps your organisation maximise return on investment in 365, and frees up your internal team to focus on core activities. 

In our experience, many organisations are paying higher than the market rate for internal teams to manage and support Microsoft 365. Or they’re over-staffed in order to meet fluctuations in demand. Shared managed services address these issues, typically saving 1 – 3 people in your IT team. 

What are the benefits of Microsoft 365 Managed Services?

As well as driving cost efficiencies, outsourcing Microsoft 365 management and support delivers the following benefits:

  • Increases uptime of your 365 environment: proactive and reactive management and monitoring minimises downtime, pre-empts and quickly resolves any issues.
  • Boosts end user satisfaction: faster ticket response and resolutions times, managed by a professional service desk team, equates to happy users.
  • Interoperability of solutions integrated with 365: highly qualified Microsoft analysts ensure workflows from different apps work seamlessly in your 365 environment.
  • Better security, governance & compliance: access best practice and support to ensure your 365 environment is secure, data protected and your organisation meets compliance and regulatory requirements.
  • Increases productivity, collaboration and user adoption: maximise return on investment with end user support that empowers your people to do more with their technology.
  • Boosts your IT team’s productivity: free your team from 1st, 2nd & 3rd line support, tenant level admin, and service, incident and request management, so they can be more productive in other areas.
  • Access Microsoft 365 expertise: service desk analysts and technicians continually update their Microsoft qualifications and training, so your organisation has access to these specialist skills.

Find out how much outsourcing Microsoft 365 management and support would cost, click here to get a quote >

Microsoft 365 Managed Services methodology

Best practice is to take a holistic approach to managing your Microsoft 365 environment. Here at Cloud Business we like to visualise it as a wagon wheel, where our service wraps around every element of 365 and the ‘spokes’ integrate different aspects of the service.

With this approach your Microsoft 365 environment is aligned with your organisation, users and operational goals.

Got any questions? Book a discovery call for a chat about your IT environment, challenges and goals, and to explore if our Microsoft 365 Managed Services can help you get more from your technology.

*formerly Office 365, the Microsoft 365 stack includes Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and other capabilities depending on your licensing plan. 

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