Procurement
Latest Analyst Reports
All Procurement Reports
Microsoft 365 Government: What’s in the Box?
Updated: September 21, 2026
Microsoft 365 Government offers U.S. governmental organizations more regulatory compliance capabilities than Microsoft 365 commercial...more
Broadcom Forces More Changes to Azure VMware Service
September 17, 2026
License-included Azure VMware Solution reserved instances will be retired in Aug. 2027, regardless of the...more
Microsoft 365 AI Governance Features: A Dog’s Breakfast
September 14, 2026
Aspects of AI governance are addressed by many features across Microsoft 365’s compliance, identity, security,...more
Planner Subscription Strategy for Project Online Retirement
September 11, 2026
Project Online was retired effective Oct. 1, 2026, leaving Planner as Microsoft’s sole hosted project...more
The Hidden Costs of M365 Copilot
September 10, 2026
Microsoft injected unpredictable consumption costs into user subscription licensing with Copilot Cowork, and there’s more...more
Demystifying Microsoft’s Copilots
Updated: September 4, 2026
Microsoft’s range of Copilots, initially broad and confusing, is narrowing, but remains convoluted. Copilots, like...more
Protecting Power BI Premium Pricing During the Move to Fabric
August 31, 2026
Power BI Premium P customers must move to Fabric F SKUs at the end of...more
Windows Server Licensing Scenarios
Updated: August 23, 2026
The reasons for choosing one edition of Windows Server over another have fundamentally changed over...more
Cut Service Consumption Costs with Pre-Purchase Plans
August 7, 2026
There are now four Pre-Purchase Plans that provide savings over PAYG on consumption-based services, such...more
Azure SQL Database DTUs: There’s a Better Way
July 1, 2026
The Azure SQL Database DTU model bundles compute, memory, and storage that are easy to...more
Identity Manager: SP3 Arrives, But Support Still Ends in 2029
Updated: June 22, 2026
Microsoft Identity Manager is set for retirement in 2029, and no direct replacement is expected....more
Strategies for Controlling Dynamics 365 Storage Costs
June 17, 2026
Dynamics 365 storage growth is a predictable consequence of long-term system use, not an unusual...more
EA to MCA and CSP: Costs and Risks
May 8, 2026
Midsize customers are being forced out of Enterprise Agreements and steered toward Microsoft Customer Agreements...more
Transitioning Microsoft 365 from an EA to an MCA
Updated: April 24, 2026
Enterprise Agreement customers transitioning to Microsoft Customer Agreements will have to reassess how they license...more
Transitioning Microsoft 365 from an EA to an MCA
Updated: April 24, 2026
Enterprise Agreement customers transitioning to Microsoft Customer Agreements will have to reassess how they license...more
Microsoft 365 Education: Differs from Enterprise by Degrees
Updated: April 12, 2026
Microsoft 365 Education offers most of the features included in commercial enterprise Microsoft 365 offerings, with...more
Infographics
All Procurement Infographics
Microsoft’s Units for Metered AI Consumption Costs
September 14, 2026
Frontline Worker Online Suite Packaging
August 14, 2026
Microsoft 365 Enterprise Suite Packaging
August 14, 2026
Office 365 Enterprise suites packaging
August 14, 2026
Office 365 and Microsoft 365 Comparison
August 14, 2026
Per Core License Model Flowchart
May 1, 2026
Teams-related Product Packaging
April 23, 2026
CALs Included with Online Services Suites
April 17, 2026
CAL Suite Contents
April 17, 2026
External User Qualification Requirements
Updated: April 17, 2026
Enterprise Agreement Contract Stack
April 17, 2026
Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise Packaging
April 17, 2026
Office and Windows Supported Combinations
April 17, 2026
Microsoft 365 Extensions
April 16, 2026
Microsoft 365 Copilot Packaging
April 16, 2026
Enterprise Mobility + Security Suite Packaging
April 13, 2026
Reference
All Procurement Reference
Licensing Reference
Planner
Planner is a task and project management tool included in Microsoft 365 and Office 365...more
Licensing Reference
Microsoft Defender for Office 365
An online service that augments the Exchange Online Protection (EOP) service to add protection against...more
Licensing Reference
Office 365 Cloud App Security
Name for the subset of Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps features bundled with Office 365...more
Licensing Reference
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
An online service and accompanying client-side agent that helps security analysts mitigate, detect, investigate, and...more
Licensing Reference
Microsoft Defender for Identity
Online service that detects and identifies suspicious user and device activity within an organization’s Active...more
Licensing Reference
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
An online service that monitors and controls user access across multiple Microsoft and third-party hosted...more
Licensing Reference
Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management
An online service that that enhances the vulnerability discovery tools included in Microsoft Defender for...more
Licensing Reference
Project Online
Project Online was fully retired in Sept. 2026, and the service and all associated data...more
Licensing Reference
Project for the Web
Project for the Web was fully retired as a stand-alone service in Aug. 2025.
Product Reference
Azure Support Plans
Paid Azure support plans provide both break-fix support and guidance to developers and operations staff...more
Licensing Reference
Power BI Report Server
A component of SQL Server that enables customers to host and share Power BI reports...more
Licensing Reference
Microsoft Defender Antivirus
A free antivirus client built into Windows client OSs and into Windows Server 2016 and...more
Licensing Reference
Data Explorer
ADX is purchased with provisioned costs primarily from VMs and an ADX markup fee, and...more
Licensing Reference
SQL Server
A server-based product that provides database management, integration services, reporting, analysis services, and machine learning...more
Licensing Reference
Azure Analysis Services
Azure Analysis Services purchasing is instance-based and hourly, with costs driven by tier, size, runtime,...more
Licensing Reference
Azure Data Factory
ADF is bought through Azure consumption, with costs shaped by activity runs, runtime hours, reservations,...more
Podcasts
What Are Microsoft Enterprise Customers Thinking?
October 1, 2026
· Season - 5 · Episode - 16 · Duration - 29m Uncovering the Hidden Costs of M365 CopilotSeptember 17, 2026
· Season - 5 · Episode - 15 · Duration - 29m Microsoft’s Fiscal 2027: What Enterprises Need to KnowJuly 9, 2026
· Season - 5 · Episode - 12 · Duration - 30mBlog
September 17, 2026
Microsoft to Deliver M365 G7 for Government Users on Oct. 1
by Mary Jo Foley
July 17, 2026
DIY Savings: Back to Basics with Azure
Lane Shelton
June 24, 2026
Understanding M365 E7: The Three Risks Behind the $99 Price Point
Lane Shelton