If your company has a renewal of Microsoft 365 licenses Planned for the coming weeks, this is a good time to review your contract. Starting July 1 New rates will come into effect, and it's still possible to secure the current conditions in certain scenarios.
Months ago Microsoft announced a price update for several of its business solutions. Since then, many organizations have postponed reviewing their licenses, but now that the date is just around the corner, it's worth looking at what impact it could have on the IT budget and what options exist to optimize costs.
Beyond the price changes, this situation also represents an opportunity to check if the licenses we have are still the best fit for the company's current needs.
If your Microsoft 365 renewal is coming up, this will interest you
Many companies work with annual renewals and usually don't check their licenses until they get the expiration notice. However, when rate changes happen like the one announced by Microsoft, getting ahead of it can make a big difference.
The affected plans they include solutions widely used by companies of all sizes:
- Microsoft 365 E3 and E5
- Office 365 E1 and E3
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic
- Microsoft 365 F1
- Microsoft 365 F3
The real impact depends on the number of users
Although the increase per license may seem moderate, the cumulative effect can be significant.
For example, an organization with 100 users can experience a considerable annual increase just by maintaining the same technological environment.
That's why a lot of companies are using these last days to review their contracts and make decisions before the new rates come into effect.
More than a renewal: an opportunity to optimize licenses
One of the most common mistakes is renewing the exact same licenses year after year without analyzing how employees actually use them.
Before renewing, it's worth answering a few preguntas:
- Do all users need the same type of license?
- Are there underused licenses?
- Are there employees who could work with tighter plans?
- Are the included features being taken advantage of?
A quick audit usually reveals saving opportunities that make up for some of the cost increase.
Checking now can prevent unnecessary expenses
In many organizations, we find situations like:
- Users with advanced licenses who use basic features.
- Licenses assigned to employees who are no longer part of the company.
- Outsourced services that are already included in Microsoft 365.
Detecting these cases before renewing allows optimizing the inversión tecnológica.
What new features does Microsoft include in this update?
Although the focus of this article isn't to analyze the functional changes in depth, it's important to understand what additional value Microsoft brings.
Among the announced improvements stand out:
Enhanced security for business environments
Microsoft continues betting on cybersecurity integrated within Microsoft 365.
The new capabilities they include improvements related to:
- Advanced email protection.
- Privilege management on devices.
- Secure remote support for IT teams.
- Advanced threat prevention.
In a context where cyberattacks keep growing, these features can help reduce operational risks.
More storage capacity in Exchange Online
The Business Standard and Business Premium plans will include additional storage for email.
This improvement is especially interesting for companies that handle large volumes of communications and need to keep email records for long periods.
What if you still don't use Microsoft 365?
Companies that are considering moving to Microsoft 365 should also take the current calendar into account.
If the implementation is planned for the coming months, moving up the hiring can allow you to take advantage of current conditions before the rate update.
Also, Microsoft 365 has become a much wider platform than just a simple productivity package. It currently includes:
- Professional email.
- Microsoft Teams.
- Office apps.
- Device management.
- Business security.
- Protection of identities.
- Artificial intelligence tools like Microsoft Copilot.
That's why many organizations are taking advantage of this moment to speed up technology modernization projects.
Checklist to go over before renewing Microsoft 365
If your renewal is coming up, we recommend you do these checks during the next few days:
Recommended steps
- Check the exact expiration date.
- Analyze the current inventory of licenses.
- Identify users with different needs.
- Evaluate possible cost optimizations.
- Check the available options before July 1.
- Seek specialized advice if there are any doubts about licensing.
A preventive check-up it’s usually much more profitable than reacting once the new rate is applied.
How ABD can help you with your Microsoft 365 renewal
At ABD Consulting and IT Solutions We help companies manage their Microsoft licenses correctly and make informed decisions before each renewal.
Our team can help you with:
- Check your current situation.
- Optimize the number and type of licenses contracted.
- Identify saving opportunities.
- Plan strategic renovations.
- Improve the security and productivity of your Microsoft environment.
As an Microsoft-specialized partner, we work to ensure that every organization gets the maximum value from its technology investment.
Last days to check your licenses
With the new rates coming into effect on July 1, now is the right time to look at your situation and make decisions with some leeway.
Whether you already use Microsoft 365 or are considering implementing it soon, a license review can help you optimize costs and avoid surprises in future renewals.
Get in touch with ABD and we'll help you review your Microsoft 365 licensing, answer your questions, and evaluate the best options for your company before the rate change.