Category Archives: Uncategorized

Microsoft 365 Licensing Updates

Microsoft’s December 2018 Licensing News article has three topics of interest covering Microsoft 365 licensing updates. Firstly, EA and MPSA customers can now take advantage of a single SKU for Microsoft 365 which means that they see a single item in their Admin Centers and License Summaries, rather than seeing Office 365, Windows and EMS as separate components.

Secondly, there’s details of Microsoft’s new Home Use Program offer. Historically, HUP has been a Software Assurance benefit where users of devices licensed with Office + SA could purchase Office for their home PCs at a heavily discounted price. That benefit still exists for Office 2019 but the article reveals that this will come to an end on 30 June, 2019.

The new HUP offer allows individuals to purchase Office 365 Home or Office 365 Personal annual subscriptions at a 30% discount. This is available to customers who have Office with Software Assurance but is also available to customers who qualify with a certain number of Office 365/Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 licences: 2,000 for commercial organisations, and 13,000 for education or charity institutions.

Now, this isn’t available worldwide yet and although you can see it’s live in most countries (see the UK site here, for example http://bit.ly/2B6guQG), the article states that China and Japan will have this benefit on 1 April, 2019, and if you check out the US site (http://bit.ly/2sOPW1Q) there’s a message telling you that the US launch will be in early 2019.

And finally, there’s an update on the dual use rights available when a customer has a Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 From SA licence. Currently there are special rights detailed in the Product Terms which allow customers to install “traditional” Office Professional Plus as well as Office 365 ProPlus. The article states that these rights will be removed from 1 August, 2019 so customers renewing agreements after that date will no longer be entitled to the special installation rights.

Find the December 2018 Licensing News article here: http://bit.ly/2R3bV2u.

Dynamics 365 for Operations Server On-Premises Licensing Guide

There’s an updated (January 2019) Dynamics 365 for Operations Server On-Premises licensing guide. If you haven’t seen a recent version of this guide you’ll notice the new look, and there’s a useful section on page 9 detailing the licensing of Retail scenarios – something’s that only been available since late 2018.

As usual you’ll find this guide here: http://bit.ly/MSLicensingGuides.

Office 365 for Mac available in the Mac App store

Microsoft announce that Office 365 for Mac is now available on the Mac App store, where users with an Office 365 subscription that includes the Office apps will be able to install the Mac versions of the Office products with a single click.

Find the announcement here: http://bit.ly/2RAfNV6 Apple also make the announcement (https://apple.co/2WhsCY4) highlighting the further benefit that businesses will now be able to use the Apple Business Manager to easily distribute the apps to employees.

Dynamics 365 April 2019 Release Notes

Microsoft announce that the April 2019 Release Notes for Dynamics 365 and Power Platform are now available, detailing the hundreds of new enhancements and capabilities across the Dynamics 365 applications. Key dates for your diary include 1st February, 2019 when the preview of some of the new features starts, and 5th April, 2019 when it’s General Availability time.

Find the announcement and download the 315 page PDF here: http://bit.ly/2R6qOwV.

Visual Studio Subscriptions

Visual Studio subscriptions provide access to developer tools, as well as cloud services and software to support all types of dev projects. Microsoft have sold Standard subscriptions through Volume Licensing agreements and annual or monthly Cloud subscriptions through the Visual Studio Marketplace. Note that annual Cloud subscriptions are no longer available, but that existing customers can continue to renew, increase, decrease, or cancel their subscriptions.

The Cloud subscriptions page is here: http://bit.ly/2HrksJj.

MyAnalytics Availability

Microsoft announce that MyAnalytics is now available to everyone using Office 365 and Microsoft 365 Enterprise and Business suites that include Exchange Online. Previously, MyAnalytics was only available with an E5 plan or as an Add-on to E1 and E3 plans.

To remind yourself of the benefits of MyAnalytics and to get an overview of timelines, find the Microsoft announcement here: http://bit.ly/2Cz31AE.

New Security and Compliance Offerings

The Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans are a convenient way of purchasing Windows 10 Enterprise, Office 365 and EMS. If you look at the difference between the E3 and E5 plans then there are three main areas where you get more functionality in E5: security and compliance, productivity tools, and telephony.

On 2nd January, 2019 Microsoft announced two new Add-on plans for Microsoft 365 E3 to allow customers to buy the security and compliance components at a cost-effective price from 1st February, 2019.

Information Protection & Compliance will be made up of Office 365 Advanced Compliance and Azure Information Protection Plan 2 and will be $10 per user per month.

Identity & Threat Protection will be ALL of the other security components: Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection, Azure Advanced Threat Protection for Users, Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection (now including Office 365 Threat Intelligence), Azure Active Directory Premium Plan 2, and Microsoft Cloud App Security. This plan will be available for $12 per user per month.

Find the Microsoft announcement here: http://bit.ly/2sFNgUa.

A new way to buy and manage Microsoft Azure services

Microsoft announce that from March 2019 there will be a new way to buy and manage Microsoft Azure services directly from Microsoft. Customers will have a new agreement – the Microsoft Customer Agreement – which will replace any existing agreements that they are buying Azure through, and will be a non-expiring, simpler agreement.

Management of the Azure services is likely to be easier too with a single portal for account and cost management, and billing and invoicing. Note that to start with, customers will be invited by Microsoft directly to purchase through this new agreement.

Find out more and access an FAQ here: http://bit.ly/2D24dhg.

CSP Subscription Billing Frequency Changes

If you’re a CSP partner then you might like to know that from 31 October, 2018 you can now change the billing frequency of a Subscription for the Online Services (Office 365 etc) from monthly to annual, and vice versa.

Find an FAQ here: http://bit.ly/2T0izF0 and an updated billing article here: http://bit.ly/2FfyA77.