Microsoft 365 Business: Navigating the world of Microsoft 365 licences

Microsoft Office has been around for many years now. It provides tools for word processing, emails, presentations, spreadsheets, etc., which have become core applications for all businesses. There are numerous  options when it comes to Microsoft 365 Business licences which can become overwhelming.

How do you know which is the right one for your business? The last thing you want to do is choose a licence which doesn’t include all the required features or waste money by purchasing licences which have loads of features you don’t need.

In this blog we will help you navigate the different 365 Business licences out there.

1. Understanding Microsoft 365 Licence Types

There are 2 different sections of Microsoft 365 with both having different licence options available in each section. These are:

• Business – for organisations with under 300 users
• Enterprise – available for all organisations

Knowing which of these sections to choose is straightforward, but inside each section, it gets more complicated. Below are some of the most popular licences:

Business Basic – Beginners package with web and mobile of the most used M365 apps (including Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams)

Business Standard – Everything in Business Basic, but with extra apps (including Loop and Clipchamp) and the option to add Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant for an extra charge

Business Premium – Adds cybersecurity solutions, including Intune (device management), a powerful next-gen AV and Windows endpoint licences

Apps for Business – Access to desktop versions of Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint

2. Assessing Your Needs

When deciding which Microsoft 365 licence to purchase, the first and easiest question to answer is how many users are in your business? If you’re under 300 users, you’ll need an enterprise license, but if you’re under 300 users, a business package might suit your requirements better.

Next, are your employee’s office-based or will they need to access their Microsoft 365 from home or on the go? Not all licences offer desktop versions of the apps, which could limit productivity.

When choosing which licence, you will also need to assess your security needs. If your business is going to use Microsoft 365 to create and share business-sensitive data, it’s probably best to go for a package that delivers a robust level of security.

4. Licence Management

To get the best ROI from the Microsoft 365 licences you purchase, it’s recommended to monitor usage and make alterations when necessary. 

You should also make sure that when people leave your organisation, you remove them from the Microsoft 365 licence profile database. You can then reassign that licence to a different employee or cancel the licence when the minimum contract term is up.

It can be challenging for some businesses when an  employee leaves. However, having a good IT partner will ensure nothing is lost when someone leaves. They can convert the former employee’s mailbox to a free ‘shared mailbox’ and capture any data in OneDrive before removing the license.

Further to licence management, you can go more granular and check what apps your people use. If you’re paying for a premium licence but some employees are only using Outlook, Word and Excel, maybe you could save money with a more basic licence package.

5. Seeking Assistance from an IT Partner

You want to make sure that you’re getting the right licences, so your employees have the right tech at their fingertips without wasting your budget. 

Unity World can help businesses like you get the most from your Microsoft 365 environment. We’ll take the time to understand your organisation’s unique needs, then recommend the right licence package for you. Once you’re up and running, we can help you monitor and manage it, helping you boost ROI at renewal time and beyond.

Conclusion

Navigating the world of Microsoft 365 licences is a massive challenge, but you don’t need to do it alone.

We help our customers thrive in today’s modern workplace. As part of our expert service, we’ll help you make the right licensing choice for your business, help you get set up with Microsoft 365 to ensure efficient data migration, robust security and a focus on what is needed. Once you’re up and running, Unity will deliver ongoing management, taking care of the tech so you can concentrate on your business.

Want to discuss your Office 365 requirements?