Microsoft 365 Frontline Suites

Microsoft offers Frontline suites (sometimes also referred to as Firstline) as value licensing for organizations to cover their deskless workers. They are typically used as a negotiation gambit against Google and other low-cost suites where Microsoft would have sold device-based licensing in the past. 

The value pricing of Microsoft 365 F3 in particular (US$8) is enticing; however, it can become problematic if the organization licenses and deploys any Microsoft 365 E5-level security and compliance services, as those are typically deployed tenancy-wide, and offer no practical per-user license enforcement. To fill those license compliance gaps, the organization must purchase F5 Security or F5 Compliance (each US$8, doubling the price to US$16) or F5 Security and Compliance to add both (US$21).

This is still a significant savings off Microsoft 365 E3 (US$36) and Microsoft 365 E5 (US$57), but close to Office 365 E3 (US$23), which can present a significant cost for licensing frontline workers.