Exchange Online provides the capabilities of Exchange Server as a Microsoft-hosted cloud service. The subscription-based nature of Exchange Online allows you to enjoy the benefits of business-class email in a pay-as-you-go model.
How to license Exchange Online:
Each user who accesses an Exchange Online mailbox needs a User Subscription License (USL). Microsoft offers the following USLs for Exchange Online:
Exchange Online (Plan 1) – Provides email, calendaring, contacts, and archiving with 25 GB of mailbox storage.
Exchange Online (Plan 2) – Provides all the features of Exchange Online (Plan 1), plus advanced archiving capabilities, unlimited storage, and hosted voicemail.
Exchange Online Kiosk – A version of Exchange Online designed for employees such as “deskless” workers, shift workers or retail store employees who use shared PCs.
Visit Exchange Online Pricing for a comparison chart and to purchase Exchange Online for your organization.
Refer to the "User Subscriptions" section of the Exchange Online Service Description for details on the differences between these subscription types.
These subscriptions can be purchased on a standalone basis or as part of Office 365 suite subscriptions that include SharePoint Online, Lync Online, and Office Professional Plus.
Conference room mailboxes, equipment mailboxes, and shared mailboxes are provided free of charge in Exchange Online.
Hybrid deployments of Exchange Online and Exchange Server:
Organizations that install an Exchange 2010 server solely to act as a bridge between their Exchange Server 2003 or Exchange Server 2007 on-premises environments and Exchange Online can request a Hybrid Edition server key to license the server (or to license multiple servers for redundancy purposes). The Hybrid Edition server key is provided at no cost. Organizations can obtain a Hybrid Edition server key by contacting Office 365 Support, who will verify that the organization has a valid Exchange Online subscription and then send the key via email. The Hybrid Edition key is not available to trial customers.
The Hybrid Edition server cannot be used for other purposes besides connecting the legacy Exchange Server environment to the cloud. If the organization moves a mailbox to the Exchange 2010 server, or takes advantage of any other Exchange Server 2010 feature outside of the scope of the hybrid deployment, a regular Exchange Server 2010 license and Exchange Server 2010 CALs are required.
See the "Exchange Hybrid Deployment" section of the Exchange Online Service Description for details.
Questions?
See the Licensing FAQ for answers to common questions about Exchange Online licensing.
In the United States, call (800) 426-9400 to speak to a Microsoft representative.
In Canada, call (877) 568-2495.
