Transitioning Microsoft 365 from an EA to an MCA

• Enterprise Agreement customers transitioning to Microsoft Customer Agreements will have to reassess how they license Microsoft 365 subscriptions. 
• The inability to purchase certain Microsoft 365 User and Device Subscription Licenses causes the greatest disruption. 
• Some workarounds are possible but result in greater organizational spend on Microsoft 365 licensing. 
• Customers forced into an MCA should plan to use two or more purchasing programs.  

The Enterprise Agreement (EA) was once Microsoft’s preferred contract for customers with over 500 users. Now the company refuses to renew some EAs, and sends smaller, less strategic customers to buy through the Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA) and Cloud Solution Providers (CSPs). Some Microsoft 365 SKU types are available in an EA but not in the MCA, which can raise subscription costs and administrative overhead for customers who transition. The customer’s CSP can mitigate some of the problems, but customers need to ask for the CSP’s help before making major commitments, and should be ready to turn to legacy volume license programs in a few cases.