Introduction

Microsoft Teams is an Office 365 service that offers organizations group-based collaboration spaces with persistent chat, voice and video meetings, integrated access to several Office 365 services, and connections to many third-party services. The service will replace Skype for Business Online, which Microsoft intends to retire on July 31, 2021, and is the primary Office 365 service for unified communication, telephony, and team-based collaboration.

• Microsoft’s objective is to maximize predictable revenues by leading customers to subscriptions (annuities) whether on-premises or in Microsoft’s cloud.
• Licensing is built on a complex maze of interdependencies, nuanced and special offerings, and traps designed to lead customers to higher-priced subscriptions.
• Negotiations are time consuming and difficult, and failure to dedicate adequate resources and time to the effort exposes organizations to budget overruns.

• Features available to Microsoft Teams users depend on the level of Microsoft 365 Enterprise suite purchased.
• Teams capabilities are enabled by several integrated Office 365 services, which can make it difficult to manage and maintain license compliance.
• Organizations should be aware of the differences between suites to avoid overpaying for their needs.
• Attempting to mix and match suites to reduce costs can lead to license compliance challenges.