Category Archives: Uncategorized

Microsoft Entra update

Microsoft introduced us to the Entra family in May 2022 and it’s grown steadily since then; this is a good diagram showing the current portfolio – find the source diagram in Microsoft’s blog post here: https://bit.ly/3qB3EXu.

However, it’s not immediately obvious what’s available, how much it costs, and how it’s licensed, so here’s the summary:

  • Microsoft Entra ID – available in a free edition, Plan 1 costing $6 per user per month, or Plan 2 costing $9 per user per month. Get the plan comparison document here to see where it’s included in EMS and Microsoft 365 licences: https://bit.ly/3sdixQj
  • Microsoft Entra ID Governance – available costing $7 per user per month
  • Microsoft Entra External ID – currently in public preview
  • Microsoft Entra Verified ID – currently included with any Microsoft Entra ID licence, including the free one
  • Microsoft Entra Permissions Management – available costing $10.40 per resource per month
  • Microsoft Entra Workload ID – available costing $3 per workload identity per month
  • Microsoft Entra Internet Access – currently in public preview
  • Microsoft Entra Private Access – currently in public preview

For further detail, find Microsoft’s Entra plans and pricing page here: https://bit.ly/3skNulo.

Copilot and friends: the summary

Here’s the licensing summary of the latest AI-ification that Microsoft is enabling in products.

First, Windows Copilot will be included in Windows 11 and available in preview this year – find out more about that here: https://bit.ly/45BkJzz.

Next, Bing Chat Enterprise is currently in preview and will be included in Microsoft 365 E3/E5 and Microsoft 365 Business Standard/Premium licences. On release it’ll also be available as a standalone offering for $5 per user per month, and will be accessible from Windows Copilot. Microsoft 365 Copilot is also in preview and will be a $30 per user per month Add-on for Microsoft 365 E3/E5 and Microsoft 365 Business Standard/Premium licensed users. Find out more about Bing Chat Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot here: https://bit.ly/457xWQC.

And finally, Sales Copilot includes the Viva Sales capabilities and is generally available both as a standalone licence and included for users licensed for Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise/Premium. Find out more about that here: https://bit.ly/3DWd0jL.

Microsoft 365 plan comparison document

There’s an updated (August 2023) version of the popular Microsoft 365 plan comparison document showing you the different components in all of the Enterprise and Frontline Worker plans and the Add-on licences that are available. This latest refresh is updated for the name change of Azure Active Directory to Entra ID, includes more detail on the Defender Vulnerability Management SKUs, and updates the Viva section with Viva Glint and Viva Goals.

Find this useful document here: https://bit.ly/3sdixQj.

Azure Savings Plan recommendations

Azure Savings Plans are a great way of saving money in Azure – you commit to a fixed hourly Azure spend for 1 or 3 years, and then you’re eligible for special rates for compute resources. Working out the right amount to commit can be hard work and so Azure makes recommendations for you.

If you want to understand how it comes up with those recommendations, then this article is a good read: https://bit.ly/45phn2f, and if you want to get to grips with Azure Savings Plans all-up, then our Azure book is a great read: https://bit.ly/BOK22Azure.

Dynamics 365 Licensing Guide

There’s an updated (August 2023) Dynamics 365 Licensing Guide with two main additions.

Firstly, an allowance of 100 invoice capture transactions is added to Commerce, Finance, Project Operations, Supply Chain Management, and the Electronic Invoicing Add-on Capacity licences. This capability automates the Accounts Payable invoice-to-pay process – find out more in this article: https://bit.ly/3qunZ0D.

Secondly, Business Central Premium licences are added as eligible Base licences for Field Service Attach licences.

Find this updated guide here: https://bit.ly/441pot6.

Microsoft Clipchamp

Clipchamp is a tool to help users to create professional-looking videos, and Microsoft announce that it will be available to users with Microsoft 365 E3/E5 or Microsoft 365 Business Standard/Premium licences starting at the end of August 2023.

Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/3YvSik1, and the product pages here https://bit.ly/443U3WL and here https://bit.ly/3Soihc5, confirming which plans will have access, and that Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers already have Clipchamp included.

Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 availability

Historically, Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 has only been available through the OEM channel, but from 1st August, 2023 customers will be able to purchase perpetual licences without SA through the MPSA and Select Plus agreements, as well as from their CSP partners.

Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/45nmIqV, and a note in the Product Terms here: https://bit.ly/3prduoo.

Power Platform Licensing Guide

There’s an updated (August 2023) Power Platform Licensing Guide. Visually, this guide looks quite different, but the main amendments are for the changes to Power Automate licensing (see our blog: https://bit.ly/44GB0Dd), the renaming of the Power Apps per User licence to Power Apps Premium, and the availability of Power Automate Process Mining (see our blog: https://bit.ly/45gaoJ1).

Get this updated guide here: https://bit.ly/44TVtVg.

Microsoft Defender for IoT goes to site-based licensing

From 1 June, 2023 Microsoft Defender for IoT is licensed via site licences for organisations protecting their Operational Technology  (OT) environments.

These site licences are applied to a site which is a physical location such as an office building, hospital, rig etc. There are different tiers depending on how many devices need to be protected, starting at an Extra Small tier for up to 100 devices, Small for up to 250 devices, Medium for up to 500, Large for up to 1,000, and an Extra Large tier for up to 5,000 devices.

Customers self-serving buy these site licences through the Microsoft 365 Admin portal and then add them to an Azure Subscription in the Azure Management Portal.

Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/3OmX52M, and information on how to purchase and manage the licences here: https://bit.ly/45lpvkx.

Visio app in Teams

In July 2021 the Visio Web App was made available for users with Microsoft 365 Business Basic/Standard/Premium, Office 365 E1/E3/E5/F3, Microsoft 365 F3/E3/E5, and Microsoft 365 Apps for business/enterprise licences.

Now there’s a new Visio app for Teams available for users to view, edit and create Visio files without leaving Teams. If a user is licensed with Visio Plan 1/Plan 2 then that’s the functionality available to them in the Teams app, otherwise it’s the Visio Web App (AKA Visio in Microsoft 365) functionality for those users licensed with the Office/Microsoft 365 licences listed.

Find the Teams app announcement here: https://bit.ly/3Oe4bpW, and a comparison between the functionality available in Visio in Microsoft 365 and Visio Plan 1/Plan 2 here: https://bit.ly/455zNVM.