Category Archives: Uncategorized

Microsoft 365 Business Voice

Microsoft introduced Microsoft 365 Business Voice in November 2019 for the UK and Canada, and from 1 April 2020 it’s also available in the US. This is a single Add-on licence which includes access to Phone System, Audio Conferencing, and a Domestic Calling Plan, and can be added to an Office 365 plan (Business Essentials, Business Premium, A1, E1, F3, A3, E3) or a Microsoft 365 plan (Business, F3, A3, E3). It’s limited to up to 300 users in an organisation, and the price per month is $20 per user. There’s also an International Calling Plan available for $12 per user per month. Business Voice without a calling plan also launches on 1 April, 2020 in around 70 additional countries.

Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/2RlnP6K and confirmation of US pricing here: https://bit.ly/3aVc12Z.

Name changes to some Office 365 and Microsoft 365 plans

Microsoft announce that there will be name changes to some Office 365 and Microsoft 365 plans from 21 April, 2020. Here’s the summary:

For the Business plans aimed at customers requiring less than 300 users:

  • Office 365 Business Essentials becomes Microsoft 365 Business Basic
  • Office 365 Business Premium becomes Microsoft 365 Business Standard
  • Microsoft 365 Business becomes Microsoft 365 Business Premium

For the Office applications:

  • Office 365 Business becomes Microsoft 365 Apps for business
  • Office 365 ProPlus becomes Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise

For the consumer plans:

  • Office 365 Personal becomes Microsoft 365 Personal
  • Office 365 Home becomes Microsoft 365 Family

Changes to the names are automatic in all the relevant portals, and there are no changes to any pricing or functionality with the exception of the consumer plans where additional, new Microsoft 365 features are added.

Find the main announcement here: https://bit.ly/2yF3yCX, additional information on the consumer plans here: https://bit.ly/3bPge8q, and information for partners here: https://bit.ly/3e1Line.

Azure Dedicated Host Reservations

The Reservations family continues to grow with one and three years Reservations for Azure Dedicated Host available. Get the overview here: http://bit.ly/2VXbJ7b, understand how the discounts are applied here: http://bit.ly/2IMPUj3, and get pricing here: http://bit.ly/2KkxB6m.

If you want a review of Azure Dedicated Host licensing, then head over to this article on our blog: http://bit.ly/2OJ5Nwx.

Changes to Microsoft Firstline Worker plans

Microsoft announce some changes to their plans for Firstline Workers, effective from 1 April, 2020. The existing Microsoft 365 F1 plan will be renamed to Microsoft 365 F3 and keep its $10 per user per month price, and a new plan (with a lesser set of functionality) will take the Microsoft 365 F1 name and have a price tag of $4 per user per month. Office 365 F1 is also renamed to Office 365 F3 and remains at $4 per user per month. All of the Firstline Worker plans will have additional  Teams functionality added, as well as enhanced identity and access management features.

There’s a useful chart comparing what’s available in the different plans in the announcement article here: https://bit.ly/3a6Qkg4.

Device-based licensing for Office 365 ProPlus

Microsoft announce that an Office 365 ProPlus device add-on licence will be available for EA and EAS customers in the summer of 2020.

This will effectively allow an Office 365 ProPlus licence to be assigned to a device so that multiple users can use Office 365 ProPlus on that device, whether or not they have their own User SL for Office 365.

A similar add-on was made available in August 2019 for education customers with an EES, where the add-ons are free as long as all Education Qualified Users are licensed with an Office 365 ProPlus User SL.

Find the latest announcement for commercial customers here: http://bit.ly/2KSJjnB and recap on the education offer here: http://bit.ly/30enR2Z.

Azure Cost Management: February update

Azure Cost Management is a set of tools that helps customers and partners to feel in control of their spend on the Azure consumption services. Features are continually being added to this service and the February updates include new Power BI reports for EA customers, and greater visibility into the individual meter costs that make up the total cost for a resource. Find the update here: http://bit.ly/3aLFHPP.

Additional availability for FastTrack for Azure

FastTrack for Azure helps customers to accelerate the deployment of their Azure solutions and it’s at no cost from Microsoft for eligible customers.

Eligibility is focussed around having an identified Azure project supported by the FastTrack program that’s expected to reach at least $5,000 of service usage per month within 12 months of deployment.

FastTrack services have recently also become available in Japan (http://bit.ly/2Vk9jza) and countries in the Asia Pacific region (http://bit.ly/32qT6tn).

Find out more about FastTrack for Azure here: http://bit.ly/2kriyNO.

Host Integration Server

BizTalk Server 2020 is added to the March 2020 Product Terms document with information on page 15 detailing a customer’s allowable usage of Host Integration Server.

Essentially this is allowed when BizTalk Server Core licences are purchased, and the edition of BizTalk acquired defines the rights – for example BizTalk Server Branch Edition licences restrict the use of HIS software to branch office deployments.

Find the current Product Terms document here: http://bit.ly/MSproductterms.

VDA Add-on for Microsoft 365 E3/E5

A VDA Add-on for Microsoft 365 E3/E5 is added to page 57 of the March 2020 Product Terms

This Subscription Licence allows Microsoft 365 E3/E5 users to access a Windows Enterprise Virtual Desktop Infrastructure on dedicated servers when the users don’t have a primary device with a Qualifying Operating System – for example, users whose primary device is a thin client or a Mac. Note that these licences are only available to customers buying through an Enterprise Agreement.

Find the current Product Terms document here: http://bit.ly/MSproductterms.