;
Skip to main content
Licensing

Microsoft Licensing FAQs

This content is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ON THIS PAGE. Please see full disclaimer below.
All Product and Topics Microsoft 365 General Microsoft 365 suites Frontline worker plans Microsoft 365 Business plans (M365 Business Basic, M365 Business Standard, M365 Business Premium, and Microsoft Defender for Business) Exchange Online Microsoft 365 Apps Microsoft 365 Unattended Microsoft 365 Groups Advanced Data Residency Cross-tenant User Data Migration Microsoft 365 Education Microsoft 365 Government

Microsoft 365

Collapse All

General

Q: Where can I find details on what's included in different Microsoft 365 plans?

Visit the following pages for an overview of plans and pricing as well as links to download detailed plan comparisons:

Q: How many users do Microsoft 365 plans support?

Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, and Microsoft 365 Apps for business support a maximum of 300 users. If you have more than 300 users or think you will soon, take a look at our enterprise plan options.

Q: Does Microsoft 365 work when I’m not connected to the internet?

Microsoft 365 Business Basic provides lightweight web and mobile versions of apps including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook that are accessible online. To get installable desktop apps available when you’re not online, consider Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Business Premium, or Microsoft 365 Apps for business.
With OneDrive, access your file storage when you’re offline. When you make changes while offline, they’ll be synced to OneDrive and across the rest of your devices when you reconnect. With Outlook, you can read emails already delivered to your inbox, or draft new emails and meeting requests. Your inbox and outbox will sync across the rest of your devices when you reconnect.

Q: What’s the difference between monthly and annual commitment Microsoft 365 subscriptions?

To provide the greatest amount of flexibility, different payment options are available.
Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, and Microsoft 365 Apps for business are available for monthly commitment or annual commitment.
  • Monthly commitment: Pay month by month and cancel at any time.
  • Annual commitment: Sign up for a one-year subscription and benefit from a discount for using this payment option. You can choose to pay monthly or for the entire year at the time you sign up. After your purchase, you can change your default billing plan within the Microsoft 365 admin center.
The Microsoft 365 and Office 365 plans for enterprise (including standalone plans such as Exchange Online) are available for annual commitment.
  • Annual commitment: Sign up for a one-year subscription and choose to pay monthly or for the entire year at the time you sign up.

Q: What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, and enterprise plan options?

Microsoft has a variety of productivity and security management offerings for small to medium-sized businesses, each bringing increasingly powerful features and functionality.
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic provides access to lightweight web and mobile versions of apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as business email, cloud storage, and Microsoft Teams.
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard combines powerful desktop, web, and mobile versions of apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and additional apps such as Clipchamp, along with the same services as those in Business Basic.
  • Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes all the same apps and services plus advanced cyberthreat protection and device management capabilities.
  • Enterprise plan options offer increased levels of compliance and security management over business plans and provide additional business intelligence and analytics functionality. These plans are designed for enterprise customers and those with more than 300 users.

Q: Can I purchase Microsoft 365 add-on services to supplement my subscription?

Many customers purchase a Microsoft 365 base subscription and then, depending on their needs, may choose to buy any number of add-on services to round out their implementation. Additionally, customers may choose to purchase apps from one of the thousands of vendors available in the Microsoft 365 store.

Q: Can I cancel my Microsoft 365 subscription at any time?

You can cancel your subscription at any time. However, depending on the product and your subscription, there may be a penalty for canceling before the end of your contract. For subscriptions with a monthly commitment payment, there is no penalty for canceling your contract at any time. Annual commitment subscriptions paid month to month may incur some penalties if canceled early. Annual commitment subscriptions that are paid upfront do not receive a refund if canceled prior to the full contract period. Read the complete Microsoft Online Subscription Agreement for more details.

Q: What is Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 is a trusted, secure, and productive way to work that brings together Office 365, Windows 11 Enterprise, and Enterprise Mobility + Security. Microsoft 365 delivers the latest and most current advanced innovations in enterprise security, management, collaboration, and business analytics, delivered through enterprise cloud services.

Q: What happens to my data if I cancel my Microsoft 365 subscription?

Your data is yours. If you decide to cancel your Microsoft 365 subscription, you can download your data—for example, email and documents on team sites—and save it to another location. You should save your data before you cancel. After you cancel your subscription, data associated with your Microsoft 365 account will be available to your administrator(s) in a limited function account for 90 days.

Q: Do User Subscription Licenses cover multiple user accounts for the same individual?

No. Microsoft cannot and does not differentiate between a user account and an individual. Separate user accounts are recognized and serviced in the same way whether they are used by the same individual or separate individuals, and you assign User Subscription Licenses to a specific user account, not a specific individual. Therefore, you need to assign a separate User Subscription License for the applicable products or services to each user account unless a specific exception is granted.

Q: Does Microsoft 365 require any Bridge CALs?

Bridge CALs are not required when buying the entire Microsoft 365. 

Q: What are the On-Premise capable rights for Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 users receive On-Premise rights to Productivity Servers and Office Professional Plus, per the following:

  • Not a license entitlement, but rights to install and use server and client software for the term of subscription
  • Rights to use latest version or earlier versions of software
  • On-premise rights are not a license and do not include Software Assurance Benefits

The Productivity Server Right includes:

  • Unlimited server installs
  • Access exclusive to Microsoft 365 users
  • Only on customer dedicated hardware server deployments
  • No rights to deploy on multi-tenant cloud

The Office Professional Plus Copy includes:

  • One copy for local install per Microsoft 365 “From SA” or "Full" USL purchased
  • Rights to 1) Microsoft 365 “From SA” users, 2) Microsoft 365 “Full User SL” users who used a device licensed with SA for the Windows Desktop Operating System, Core/Enterprise CAL Suite, and Office Professional Plus before being assigned a Microsoft 365 E3/E5 User SL, or 3) those with pre-existing Software Assurance coverage
  • Limited rights to Microsoft 365 new users—only up to the number of “From SA” users or “Microsoft 365
  • E3/E5 User SL” users, which have been transformed from SA and initially covered under the agreement (1:1 ratio)
  • No rights to deploy client on servers with RDS 

Microsoft 365 suites

Q: Is there a path to specific premium features for Microsoft 365 E3 customers that don’t want the full Microsoft 365 E5?

Yes, there are multiple ways to add Microsoft E5 value to Microsoft 365 E3 without purchasing the full E5 Step-up.
1.Add Microsoft Defender Suite (formerly Microsoft 365 E5 Security) and/or Microsoft Purview Suite formerly Microsoft E5 Compliance (or Microsoft Purview Suite “mini suites”):
  • Microsoft Defender Suite add-on. Includes Microsoft Defender for Microsoft Plan 2, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, Azure Active Directory Plan 2, Microsoft Defender for Identity, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, Application Guard for Microsoft, and Safe Documents.
  • Microsoft Purview add-on. Includes Microsoft 365 E5 Information Protection & Governance, Microsoft 365 E5 Insider Risk Management, and Microsoft 365 E5 eDiscovery & Audit.
  • Microsoft 365 Information Protection & Governance add-on). Includes Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, Purview Data Lifecycle and Records Management, Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Communication DLP (Teams), Rules-based auto classification, Machine Learning-based auto classification, Records Management, Customer Key, and Advanced Message Encryption, and Endpoint DLP.
  • Microsoft 365 Insider Risk Management add-on. Includes Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance, Information Barriers, Customer Lockbox, Purview Data Connectors, and Privileged Access Management.
  • Microsoft 365 eDiscovery & Audit add-on. Includes Audit (Premium) and eDiscovery (Premium).

2.Add individual E5 standalone SKUs, including:
  • Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1
  • Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2
  • Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
  • Entra ID Plan 2
  • Microsoft Defender for Identity
  • Teams Phone
  • Power BI Pro

Q: Are there any pre-requisites to purchasing Microsoft 365 SKUs?

In some cases, yes. Refer to the Microsoft Product Terms.

Q: Is Microsoft 365 available worldwide?

Yes. Refer to Microsoft 365 International Availability for a complete list of all countries and regions where Microsoft Online Services are available.

Q: What are the hybrid server rights for Microsoft 365 E3/E5?

Q: What is the difference between the Original SKUs and the Unified SKUs?

The difference is in how the SKUs are structured, which affects how the services are provisioned and how the licenses are managed.
The Original SKUs are structured as a bundle of separate component SKUs for Office 365, Enterprise Mobility & Security (EMS), Windows E3, Defender for Endpoint, and Extra Features. When the Original SKU is transacted, each of these separate components will appear in the License Summary just as if they were purchased separately. Likewise, licenses are provisioned as if the component SKUs were purchased separately. Therefore Office 365, EMS, Defender for Endpoint, and Extra Features will appear as separate licenses in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. All four licenses must be assigned to a user to enable all the online services.
With the Unified SKUs, all the online services are included in a single Microsoft 365 SKU. When the Unified SKU is transacted, it appears as a single Microsoft 365 product in the License Summary. Note that Windows E3 also appears as a separate component in the License Summary but it is reflected as part of Microsoft 365. The system provisions a “unified” Microsoft 365 license that includes all the respective Office 365, EMS, Defender for Endpoint, and Extra Features services, and therefore only one license must be assigned to users.
Note that because Windows E3 is categorized as an on-premises product, a user subscription license is not provisioned when the Original or Unified SKUs are transacted. 

Q: Is there any difference in product features between the Microsoft 365 Original and Unified SKUs?

No.

Q: Can a customer have both Original and Unified Microsoft 365 SKUs on their tenant?

Yes.

Q: How can customers differentiate between the Microsoft 365 Original and Unified SKUs in their Admin Portal?

In the Admin Portal, the Original SKUs will show up as the separate components in the bundle (i.e., Microsoft, EMS, Defender for Endpoint, and Extra Features), while the Unified SKUs will appear as a single “Microsoft 365” license. 

Q: What licenses are available in the Microsoft 365 Admin Portal for assigning to their Microsoft 365 Original users?

The following licenses are available in the Microsoft 365 Admin Portal for assigning to their Microsoft 365 E3 Original users: 
  • Office 365 E3 
  • Enterprise Mobility + Security E3  
  • Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P1  
  • Microsoft 365 E3 Extra Features 
The following licenses are available in the Microsoft 365 Admin Portal for assigning to their Microsoft 365 E5 Original users: 
  • Office 365 E5 
  • Enterprise Mobility + Security E5  
  • Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2  
  • Microsoft 365 E5 Extra Features 
Note: Windows E3 licenses included in Microsoft 365 E3/E5 Original SKUs are classified as on-premises and therefore do not appear in the portal as user subscription licenses.

Q: Are M365 E3/M365 E5 “Original” SKUs still available for purchase?

No. Effective of November 1, 2025, all Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 “Original” SKUs are subject to end of sale, and effective November 3, 2025, auto opt-in for Extended Period Term (EPT) is disabled.
If you currently subscribe to Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 “Original” SKUs, you may continue to use them until your next renewal, and you may continue to transact true-ups and seat adds until that time. However, you will be required to move to the corresponding “Unified” versions at your next renewal. Please refer to technical guidance on assigning licenses if necessary.

Q: Why did Microsoft decide to discontinue the sale of M365 E3/M365 E5 “Original” SKUs in EA?

The structure of the “Original” SKUs is incompatible with the pricing requirements set forth in Microsoft’s recent commitments to the European Commission resolving its investigation of Microsoft Teams. To comply with these commitments, we must discontinue the offer.

Q: My company was already in the process of renewing our M365 E3/E5 “Original” SKUs when the end-of-sale was announced. Can we continue with the renewal, or do we need to change to Unified SKUs?

You may complete your renewal of the “Original” SKUs. You need to manually re-opt into the Extended Period Term if you require it. At your next renewal, you will need to move to a “Unified” SKU. 

Q: Why are on-premises server access rights for Microsoft 365, Office 365 or EMS subscription licenses included on the CAL/ML equivalency page, and not on the Microsoft 365, Office 365 or EMS product pages?

Access to on-premises servers is a right associated with the on-premises servers. Customers must first license the on-premises servers, and the use rights for those servers provide access rights equivalent to their respective CALs to users and devices with these Online Services subscription licenses. CAL and ML equivalent rights are aggregated on the CAL/ML equivalency page so users can find the access rights in one place, instead of having to refer to individual product entries for the on-premises servers.

Frontline worker plans

Q: What are the available plans for Frontline Workers?

Q: To which customer segments are Frontline Worker SKUs available?

Commercial, WW Commercial Public sector customers, GCC, GCC-High, DoD, Non-profit.

Q: Is Office 365 F3 still available for purchase in all channels?

No. As August 1, 2023 Office 365 F3 is no longer available for purchase by new customers in the VL (EA/EAS) and Buy Online channels.

Q: Does the Exchange service plan in Microsoft 365 F1 provide email?

No, the Exchange Kiosk service plan is included to enable calendar/meeting scheduling only. It does not include rights to a mailbox. 

Q: What if my customer wants to add Exchange Plan 1 or Plan 2 standalone for a Microsoft 365 F1 user?

They can purchase and assign the standalone Plan 1 or Plan 2 license. When assigning, they should first deselect the Exchange K plan from the F1 license.

Q: Does Microsoft 365 F1 include create/edit/save rights for Microsoft 365 for the web and mobile?

No. Microsoft 365 F3 provides create/edit/save rights for Microsoft 365 for the web and mobile.

Q: What customer needs does Microsoft 365 F1 address?

The entry-level Microsoft 365 F1 SKU Is designed to meet the baseline needs of Frontline workers (secure communication / collaboration, access to content, shift management, task management) and provide customers with a robust set of security, compliance, and identity value, for consistency across all worker types.

Q: Are any CAL equivalency rights available for the new Microsoft 365 F1?

Yes, the CAL equivalency rights for the new Microsoft 365 will be equal to the current Microsoft 365 F3 offer. Refer CAL and ML Equivalency Licenses on the Microsoft Product Terms site for details.

Q: How can customers increase the OneDrive storage size for Frontline Workers?

Add SharePoint P1/P2 or OneDrive P1/P2. 

Q: Can the Windows Enterprise E3 edition included in Microsoft 365 F3 be deployed and managed by SCCM (with images)?

Yes, SCCM (now Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager) is included in the EMS E3 component of Microsoft 365 F3. 

Q: Can Microsoft 365 F1 customers use Power Apps in a Team?

No. Microsoft 365 F1 does not include Power Apps rights. Please refer to the Power Apps Licensing Guide for more information.  

Q: Does Microsoft 365 F1 support eDiscovery (standard) search on chat messages?

No. Searching user data as a part of an eDiscovery (Standard) case requires E3 at a minimum. Chat history is not searchable due to the lack of Exchange mailbox (where the chat history is stored). Microsoft 365 F1 user data can be searched using Content Search in the Microsoft Purview Compliance portal. 

Microsoft 365 Business plans (M365 Business Basic, M365 Business Standard, M365 Business Premium, and Microsoft Defender for Business)

Q: How do I choose a Microsoft 365 plan for my business?

Use the Microsoft 365 plan chooser https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/business/microsoft-365-plan-chooser to find the right plan for your business.

Q: Can I combine different Microsoft 365 Business plans and are there limitations on how many users I can license with each?

Microsoft 365 Business base plans (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium) are designed for organizations with up to 300 users. Organizations with more than 300 users should subscribe to Microsoft 365 Enterprise base plans. We reserve the right to enforce a tenant limit of 300 provisioned licenses across the of Microsoft 365 Business base plans, in which case we will provide advance notice and further guidance. In the meantime, we are treating customers that have provisioned up to 300 licenses of each individual Microsoft 365 Business base plan as compliant with this 300-user limit. This applies even if they have currently provisioned more than 300 total licenses across the Microsoft 365 Business base plans.
In addition to the Microsoft 365 Business base plans, there are other plans designed specifically for organizations with up to 300 users, including Microsoft Defender for Business, Microsoft 365 Apps for business, and Windows 365 Business. Each of these plans is separately limited to up to 300 users and may be combined with up to Microsoft 365 Business base plans. This means that if you are an organization with 300 users, an appropriate configuration, for example, would be to license up to 300 users with Microsoft 365 Business Standard and separately license those users with Microsoft Defender for Business.
You can also subscribe to plans that are designed for organizations of any size such as Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Dynamics 365 plans, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and others.

Q: What is Microsoft 365 Business Premium?

Microsoft 365 is an integrated solution that brings together best-in-class productivity tools, security, and device management capabilities for small to medium-sized businesses. It is a comprehensive, cloud-based security solution that enables you to defend your business against advanced cyberthreats with sophisticated phishing and ransomware protection. Microsoft 365 Business Premium helps you safeguard your data, devices and information.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium is fully integrated with Microsoft 365 Apps to provide you with a familiar location for administration, billing, and 24x7 support. It consists of enterprise-grade technology built for businesses with fewer than 300 employees.

Q: How can I get Microsoft 365 Business Premium for my business?

Microsoft 365 Business Premium can be purchased through a Microsoft Partner https://www.microsoft.com/solution-providers/search or directly from Microsoft https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/business. In choosing whether to purchase directly from Microsoft or via a Microsoft Partner, you should consider your on-staff capability and desire to maintain an IT infrastructure. A Microsoft Partner can help you deploy and manage your IT infrastructure, including Microsoft solutions.

Q: Can I combine Microsoft 365 Business Premium with other Microsoft subscription offerings?

Yes, customers can combine their Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscriptions with plans and add-ons from Azure, Dynamics 365, Enterprise Mobility + Security, and Office 365.

Q: Is everyone in my business required to have a Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscription?

No, not everyone needs a Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscription, although the security and management benefits are available only to those users with devices managed with a Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscription.
Standardizing an IT environment helps reduce maintenance and security costs over time and is a state that businesses should strive to attain. However, we recognize that some small and medium-sized customers update their software primarily when they upgrade their hardware, over an extended period. Businesses can deploy Premium to part of their organization, but for best protection of sensitive business data and consistent collaboration experiences, deployment to all users is recommended.

Q: How does Microsoft 365 Business Premium help support our Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy?

Many employees prefer to use their own mobile phones or tablets to access personal and work information rather than carrying multiple devices for each purpose. The use of personal devices for work, while commonplace, increases the risk that business information could end up in the wrong hands. Many competing mobile data protection solutions require users to switch to a specific mode on their device or use another complex mechanism that users may find intrusive and therefore avoid using.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium offers customers a simple but powerful means of enabling employees to use their personal devices for work while providing the business with the ability to prevent those devices from accessing, retaining, and/or sharing business information.

Q: Can I switch my Microsoft 365 plan to Microsoft 365 Business Premium?

Yes, customers may switch their plans from a qualifying Microsoft 365 plan to Microsoft 365 Business Premium. Depending on the customer current plan, there may be a decrease or increase in monthly charges.

Q: Does Microsoft 365 Business Premium include the full capabilities of Microsoft Intune?

Yes, Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscribers are licensed to use full Intune capabilities for iOS, Android, Mac, and other cross-platform device management. Features not available in the simplified management console in Microsoft 365 Business Premium, like third-party app management, configuration of Wi-Fi profiles, and VPN certificates, can be managed in the full Intune console.

Q: Does Microsoft Entra ID P1 come with Microsoft 365 Business Premium?

Yes, Microsoft Entra ID P1 is included with Microsoft Business Premium.

Q: Does Microsoft 365 Business Premium allow customers to manage Macs?

Yes. Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Intune and Defender for Business to help you securely manage iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac devices.

Q: Can I add Office 365 add-ons to Microsoft 365 Business Premium?

All the add-ons that can be added to Microsoft 365 Business Standard can be added to Microsoft 365 Business Premium.

Q: Can I add Phone System and Calling Plans to Microsoft 365 Business Premium?

Yes, you can purchase a Business Voice subscription. Business Voice https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/business-voice/whats-business-voice is a telephony solution designed for small and medium businesses of up to 300 users that bundles Phone System, Audio Conferencing, a Domestic Calling Plan, and more. Phone System capabilities that you will get include voicemail, caller ID, call park, call forwarding, auto attendants, and call queues.
To find out whether Business Voice is available in your country or region, see Country and region availability for Business Voice. For pricing information, see Pricing for Business Voice https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2127221.

Q: Can Microsoft 365 Business Premium customers use Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?

Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Microsoft Defender for Business. Defender for Business was built on the capabilities of Defender for Endpoint and provides advanced security protection for devices. However, you can add Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 or Plan 2 to your Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscription. See Microsoft 365 guidance for security and compliance https://learn.microsoft.com/office365/servicedescriptions/microsoft-365-service-descriptions/microsoft-365-tenantlevel-services-licensing-guidance/microsoft-365-security-compliance-licensing-guidance.

Q: What is the difference between monthly and annual commitment subscriptions?

To provide you with the greatest amount of flexibility, different commitment terms and payment options are available.
  • Monthly commitment with monthly payment: Sign up for a monthly subscription and pay month-to-month and cancel at any time.
  • Annual commitment with monthly payment: Sign up for a one-year subscription and pay monthly.
  • Annual commitment with annual payment: Sign up for a one-year subscription and pay for the entire year upfront.

Q: What benefits do I get from business plan options that I cannot get with Microsoft 365 Personal and Family?

Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, and Business Premium offer advanced tools and features specifically designed for businesses, including:
  •  Professional business email: Create and use a branded email address with your business domain (e.g., yourname@yourbusiness.com).
  • Admin and IT management controls: Manage access, permissions, and devices through the Microsoft 365 admin center, which is designed for businesses.
  • Scalability: Easily add users or upgrade plans as your business grows, with flexible licensing options that adapt to your changing needs.
  • Enhanced security features: Protect your business against email phishing, spam, and malware with Exchange Online Protection. Business Premium also includes Microsoft Defender for Business, offering ransomware protection with automatic threat disruption, advanced antivirus capabilities, and tools for managing vulnerabilities.
  • Advanced collaboration tools: For plans with Microsoft Teams, access enhanced features such as meeting recordings, transcription, and team workspaces optimized for business collaboration.
  • Business apps: Run your business with tools such as Microsoft Bookings for appointment scheduling.
  • Microsoft 365 Copilot: Available as an add-on, Microsoft 365 Copilot is an AI assistant for work that boosts productivity and creativity to help you grow and run your business.

Q: What types of AI features do I get with business plan options?

AI features, including grammar and style suggestions with Microsoft Editor, focused inbox and suggested replies in Outlook, and live captions and meeting transcription in plans with Teams. For business users signed in with a Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat offers limited AI-powered chat with enterprise data protection. While Copilot Chat uses public web data for tasks such as research and analysis, it doesn’t integrate with Microsoft 365 apps or organizational content such as files, emails, or chats. For deeper integration and extensibility, businesses should purchase Microsoft 365 Copilot as an add-on, which connects directly to productivity apps and organizational data.

Q: Can I cancel my subscription at any time?

You can cancel your subscription at any time. However, depending on the product and your subscription, there may be a penalty for canceling before the end of your contract. For subscriptions with a monthly commitment payment, there is no penalty for canceling your contract at any time. Annual commitment subscriptions paid month to month may incur some penalties if canceled early. Annual commitment subscriptions that are paid upfront do not receive a refund if canceled prior to the full contract period. Read the complete Microsoft Online Subscription Agreement (https://portal.office.com/Commerce/MOSA/MOSA_Index.htm) for more details.

Q: What happens to my data if I cancel my subscription?

Your data is yours. If you decide to cancel your Microsoft 365 subscription, you can download your data—for example, email and documents on team sites—and save it to another location. You should save your data before you cancel. After you cancel your subscription, data associated with your Microsoft 365 account will be available to your administrator(s) in a limited function account for 90 days. 

Q: Am I allowed to provision more than 300 users with Microsoft 365 Business plans in total?

That is not the intended use of these plans. Microsoft 365 Business base plans, such as Business Basic, Business Standard, and Business Premium, are designed for organizations with up to 300 users. Organizations with more than 300 users should instead provision users through Microsoft 365 Enterprise base plans.
For example, if your organization has 300 users, an acceptable configuration would be to provision 100 users with Microsoft 365 Business Basic, 100 with Business Standard, and 100 with Business Premium, totaling 300 users across the Microsoft 365 Business base plans. However, if your organization exceeds 300 users, the appropriate configuration is to provision all users with Microsoft 365 Enterprise base plans.
Microsoft reserves the right to enforce a 300-user limit on provisioned licenses across the Business base plans. If this enforcement is applied, Microsoft will provide advance notice and guidance. For now, customers who have provisioned up to 300 licenses per individual Microsoft 365 Business base plan are considered compliant, even if the combined total exceeds 300.
In addition to the Business base plans, Microsoft offers other solutions for organizations with up to 300 users, such as Microsoft Defender for Business, Microsoft 365 Apps for business, and Windows 365 Business. Each of these plans also carries a 300-user limit and may be used in combination with Microsoft 365 Business base plans. For example, an organization with 300 users could provision all 300 users with Microsoft 365 Business Standard and also provision those same users with Microsoft Defender for Business.
Microsoft also offers plans suited for organizations of all sizes, including Microsoft 365 Enterprise base plans, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Copilot Studio, Microsoft Dynamics 365 plans, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and more.

Exchange Online

Q: Do Microsoft 365 Groups require any licensing?

Setting up a Microsoft 365 Group doesn’t require any additional licenses. However, if the Tenant Admin chooses to enable the Group Mailbox to have advanced Office 365 security/compliance features such as Archiving, In-Place Hold, eDiscovery (Premium) (previously Advanced eDiscovery), and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (previously O365 ATP), then the mailbox requires use rights for these advanced features. To enable the Group Mailbox with use rights to advanced features, you may assign the appropriate license to the Organizer of the Group.

Q: What is an Organizer of the Group mailbox?

The Organizer of the Group is the person that creates the Group.

Q: It does not appear that it’s possible to assign licenses to Groups. If it is not possible to assign licenses to Groups, how can we create a requirement for licensing of security/compliance features?

The requirement is to license the Organizer of the group for any security/compliance features that will be enabled for the Group. There is not a requirement to assign licenses to the group. 

Q: For a Group Mailbox with advanced compliance and security features enabled, what if there are multiple Owners of a Group, and the Organizer of the Group is no longer part of the Group?

If the Organizer leaves the group, then one of the Group Owners must be licensed for advanced compliance and security features enabled for the group.

Q: Does this licensing requirement for Group Mailboxes apply to Exchange Protection (EOP)?

EOP is included with all Exchange services, and if the Group Organizer has use rights to EOP, then the Group will inherit use rights to EOP. 

Q: If a company requires security/compliance for all their mailboxes, and if all users can create up to 250 Groups, how can an admin ensure that licensing requirements don’t exceed available budget for licenses?

If all users on a tenant are licensed for a feature, then all Groups created on the tenant would also be licensed for that feature.

Q: Is Office 365 Groups part of Exchange Plan 2?

Full Microsoft 365 Groups functionality is available to users that are licensed with F3, E1, E3, and E5. If you only have Exchange Plan 2, you only have use rights for the Exchange Plan 2 related features of Groups (mailbox only). 

Q: For a Group Mailbox with advanced compliance and security features enabled, what if the Organizer is the only Owner of the Group, and they leave the group?

The group is not out of compliance. However, if a new user takes over the ownership of the group, the user must be licensed with any advanced security and compliance features enabled for the Group Mailbox. 

Q: What if an Organizer of a Group has Office 365 E3, and the Organizer is later unlicensed. Will the Group Mailbox continue to have use rights to Office 365 E3 security & compliance features?

This is handled the same as if the Organizer left the Group. If there are other Owners of the Group, one of the Group Owners must be licensed for any advanced security & compliance features enabled for the Group Mailbox.

Q: What is the difference between a Group Mailbox and a Shared Mailbox?

Microsoft 365 groups are used for collaboration between users, both inside and outside your company. With each Microsoft 365 group, members get a group email and shared workspace for conversations, files, and calendar events, and a Planner.
Shared Mailboxes are used when multiple people need access to the same mailbox, such as a company information or support email address. They are not associated with a Microsoft 365 Group. 

Q: Are additional licenses required to create a Shared Mailbox?

No additional licenses are required to create a Shared Mailbox. There is no limit to the number of shared mailboxes, though the size is limited to 50GB. These mailboxes include core Exchange functionality. For additional functionality, including a larger mailbox or advanced security and compliance for the Shared Mailbox, you must purchase the appropriate licenses.

Q: When are licenses required for Shared Mailboxes?

Licenses are required for the shared mailbox for the following:
  • Increasing the shared mailbox size limit to 100GB requires Exchange Plan 2.
  • Auto-expanding archiving requires Exchange Plan 2 or Exchange K/Plan 1+ Exchange Online Archiving (EOA)
  • Enabling E3/EXO P2 compliance capabilities (for example, applying a basic mail retention policy or litigation hold) requires Exchange Plan 2 or Exchange K/Plan 1 (F3/E1) + EOA.
  • Enabling E5 capabilities (for example, automatic retention or classification, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 requires a license that includes the rights to those capabilities (for example, Purview Suite formerly Microsoft 365 E5 Compliance, E5 Information Protection & Governance, Defender Suite formerly Microsoft 365 E5 Security).

Q: What is an Inactive Mailbox?

An Inactive Mailbox is a mailbox that was on Hold when it was made Inactive. Inactive mailboxes cannot exist without Hold. An inactive mailbox allows a customer to retain mailbox data after an account has been unassigned.

Q: What plan is required for a mailbox to be put on hold?

Exchange Plan 2 or Exchange K/Plan 1 + EOA.

Q: Can mailboxes for Exchange Plan 1 be set as inactive?

No, Exchange Plan 1 (standalone or via Office 365 E1) does include have the ability to set mailboxes as inactive without completely deleting the mailbox data. For example, if you want to retain mailbox data for a user with Exchange Plan 1 after an employee leaves their company, you will need to continue paying for the license. Conversely, you can purchase and assign an Exchange Archiving license to that user’s mailbox which would then allow them to set a hold on that mailbox, thus allowing them to set the mailbox to inactive. This latter scenario would allow the customer to then reassign the Exchange Plan 1 and EOA license to another user. You can do the same by stepping-up the license to Exchange Plan 2.

Q: Can mailboxes for Exchange Plan 2 be set as inactive?

Yes, with Exchange Plan 2 (by standalone or by Microsoft 365/Office 365 E3/E5), you can set mailboxes as inactive by applying a hold to the mailbox. This frees up the license so it can be reassigned to other users while preserving the mailbox data.

Q: What license is required for customers to import archived mailboxes to Office 365 mailboxes?

An Exchange Plan 2 license is required to import and archive mailboxes. For customers importing offline mailbox data they will need to purchase Exchange Plan 2 licenses for those mailboxes in order to complete the import and may then drop the licenses at their next Anniversary. The licenses may be reused to import multiple mailboxes so long as the customer abides by the 90-day reassignment rule.

Q: Are additional licenses required for advanced security/compliance features for an Inactive Mailbox?

Yes. As with Shared Mailboxes, enabling E5 capabilities requires a license that includes the rights to those capabilities. For example, to enable Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (previously O365 ATP) requires purchasing a Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (previously O365 ATP) standalone or Defender Suite license for the Inactive Mailbox. 

Q: How is Exchange Online licensed?

Exchange Online is licensed via a subscription model in which each user needs a User Subscription License (USL). Three types of subscriptions are available:
  1. Exchange Online Kiosk
  2. Exchange Online Plan 1
  3. Exchange Online Plan 2
These subscriptions can be purchased on their own or as part of a Microsoft 365 or Office 365 plan.

Q: Where can I find detailed information about what is included in the difference Exchange Online plans?

To compare the different plans, see comparing Exchange Online plans. Or, for more detail, see the Exchange Online service description.

Q: Do conference rooms require Exchange Online subscriptions?

No. Resource mailboxes, including Room Mailboxes and Equipment Mailboxes, are special mailbox types that are provided free of charge as part of Exchange Online.

Q: Do Exchange Kiosk licenses include all Exchange Online features?

No. Exchange Online Kiosk is designed for users who require fewer messaging features because they do not have dedicated computers. The subscription provides 2 GB of mailbox space per user and web-based access through Outlook on the web. Certain features are disabled for Kiosk users, including inbox rules, public folder mailboxes, site mailboxes, and delegate access to other mailboxes. For more information, see the Exchange Online service description.

Q: Can I put an Exchange Kiosk or Plan 1 mailbox on In-Place Hold?

No. In-Place Hold requires upgrading to Exchange Plan 2 or adding Exchange Online Archiving for Exchange Online.

Q: If my organization is hybrid with Microsoft 365 and does not host any mailboxes on-premises, do I still need to license Exchange Server?

No. If you do not host any mailboxes on the servers used to connect to Microsoft 365 you can license them using the Microsoft 365 Hybrid Configuration Wizard (HCW). The HCW validates your Microsoft 365 subscription and installs the appropriate licenses on your servers. Learn more at https://learn.microsoft.com//exchange/hybrid-configuration-wizard.

Microsoft 365 Apps

Q: What is a Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription?

Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription for Commercial is a license that allows admins to assign a Microsoft 365 Apps licenses to a device rather than to a user with or without an AAD identity. 

Q: How is Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription different than Microsoft 365 Apps user subscription?

The most important difference is in the licensing method. Users on a licensed device will have access to the Microsoft 365 desktop apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). Access to Microsoft 365 services like OneDrive will depend on the user’s license. 

Q: How should Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription be considered relative to user-based licensing?

Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription should be considered for shared-device scenarios. For users who need Microsoft 365 desktop apps on their dedicated PCs, per user licensing is the recommended approach. 

Q: Since there are 2 device-based licenses (Office Professional Plus vs Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription), what is the general guidance for choosing one over the other?

Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription is recommended for several reasons:
  • Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription provides the latest version of the Microsoft 365 apps with all the collaboration and cloud-connected capabilities.
  • For customers who have deployed Microsoft 365 Apps for their users with dedicated devices, device-based subscriptions will allow customers to also deploy Microsoft 365 Apps on their shared devices, providing consistent end-user experience, and simplifying deployment and servicing processes across the environment.
  • Microsoft 365 Apps is governed by our modern lifecycle policy and thus is likely to remain in support for a longer period of time than Office Professional Plus (which is governed by the fixed lifecycle policy). 

Q: Would everyone have the same Office experience when using a computer with a Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription?

No. The specific user experience will depend on the user’s license. A user with a qualifying Office 365 or Microsoft 365 user-based license signing in to a licensed device would have full access to the Microsoft 365 apps – including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint – as well as all licensed cloud services, such as OneDrive or SharePoint. A visitor without a license would have full access to the desktop apps, but none of these cloud services. 

Q: Through which channels is Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription available?

It is available through EA/EAS. 

Q: Can I use Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription as the only product to start an EA/EAS?

Yes.

Q: What are the qualifications and technical requirements for using device-based licensing for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise?

Q: How can Microsoft 365 F1/F3 users use Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription?

Microsoft 365 F1/F3 users are allowed to use a device that has a Microsoft 365 Apps license. Using Microsoft 365 for the web requires the appropriate F1/F3 license, whereas using Office desktop app on that device doesn’t require any license other than Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription. 

Q: Can F3 users access email using Outlook?

Microsoft 365 F3 & Office 365 F3 users can access email using Outlook Web App. They cannot use the Outlook desktop app even if they have a Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription license due to technical limitations.

Q: Are there any limitations with F plans who want to purchase Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription?

No, users with F SKUs are allowed to access Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription. Due to technical limitations, an F SKU Exchange mailbox cannot connect with the Outlook desktop client.

Q: Will Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription work for users who have E1 or E3 without Microsoft 365 Apps on a user basis?

Yes. Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription will be fully licensed regardless of if a user has a Microsoft 365 Apps license or not.

Q: Can I have a mix of Office Professional Plus/Microsoft 365 Apps (per user) and Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription to meet my enterprise-wide commitment for Office?

Yes.

Q: Can Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription be installed on a Mac?

No, because you cannot join Macs to an Azure AD domain.

Q: Will Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription be available for Government customers who purchase via Commercial EA/EAS SKUs?

Yes.

Q: Will Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription be available for US Government cloud customers (GCC, GCC-High and DOD)?

It will not be available in US Government clouds on April 1, 2020. Future availability is TBD. 

Q: Will Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription be available for EDU customers?

Yes, it was added to EES in September 2019. More information available here. https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365-apps/licensing-activation/device-based-licensing

Q: Will Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription be available for CSP channel?

It will not be available in CSP channel on August 1, 2020. Future availability is TBD. 

Q: Is Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription supported on Windows 10 Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC)?

No, Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription is not supported on Windows 10 LTSC.

Q: Are the bits for Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription different from the bits for Microsoft 365 Apps per user?

No. Device-based subscription (DBS) is a mode for Microsoft 365 Apps.

Q: What is the link for an admin to download the bits for Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription?

Once the required number of licenses is purchased, admins need to first assign the license to a device group from Microsoft 365 admin center or Azure portal, then use group policy or update the XML used by Office Deployment Tool to set DBS mode, and finally install Microsoft 365 Apps on these devices within the organization.

Q: Will users have to use one of their five downloads?

No, users with Office 365 or Microsoft 365 licenses will not have to use one of their five downloads in order to access and use Office client apps on a device using/assigned a license for using Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription.

Q: Is there a limit to the number of Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscriptions a customer can buy?

No.

Q: Are there any limitations for using Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription on Azure virtual machine?

No, as long as it can join Azure AD, the virtual machine can be licensed with Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription.

Q: How would Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription work for scenarios where Microsoft 365 Apps is being installed on a server, and then accessed via code or streamed to other devices via remote desktop services. Does the new offering support both of these scenarios?

No, Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription is not a solution for such scenarios. Remote desktop services, which requires user-based licensing, would be the best approach. Learn more https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365-apps/deploy/deploy-microsoft-365-apps-remote-desktop-services.

Q: For Windows Virtual Device (WVD) scenarios, is Office Professional Plus a better choice than Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription?

User-based licenses are required for all WVD scenarios, including Windows single-session, Windows multi-session and Windows Server multi-session. In WVD scenarios with all licenses per user, shared computer activation is the best choice. All users are allowed to access corporate resources with the Microsoft 365 mobile apps, optionally (and recommended) at least MEM-managed and corporate content can be protected on these devices.
Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscriptions are better for Frontline workers (e.g., Microsoft 365 F3 licensed users) who work on shared Windows devices and don’t have a personal qualified primary device covered with the Windows Enterprise upgrade license. When local Office applications are required, Office Professional Plus (which is a per device license) has a different codebase and different servicing channels, so Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription is the best choice. Unification on Microsoft 365 Apps is a benefit for IT operations and eliminates the inconsistent you would have when mixing perpetual and subscription licenses.

Q: How do updates work for devices running Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription if there is no user sign in?

Updates work the same way as user-licensed Microsoft 365 Apps. Users are not required to sign-in to get updates.

Q: How does activation work for Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription when it provides full access to the desktop apps for users who are not licensed for Microsoft 365?

The Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription license will be activated at the end of Office installation, or at the first launch of an Office app after installation. There is no user prompt for activation. The Admin will need to follow the guidelines to assign a device license and set group policy to use the device license. 

Q: If a customer has Office Professional Plus or Office Standard and they want to move to Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription on renewal, is there a From SA license for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise device-based subscription?

No.

Q: If a customer has Microsoft 365 Apps installed on a shared device using SCA, is there a way to convert the existing experience to Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription experience?

Transition from SCA to Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription is very easy. The admin will need to assign a device license and set group policy for the device to use a device license. At the next app launch, the device will then be switched to use the Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription license.

Q: If a customer has a Microsoft 365 Apps per-user license installed on a device, do they need to re-deploy Office to get to the Microsoft 365 Apps device-based subscription?

There is no need to re-deploy. The admin can switch to the DBS mode using the group policy.

Q: Is there a plan to create device-based subscription for Microsoft 365?

We are currently exploring this as an option but have not confirmed any plans yet.

Q: Where can I find more information about Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise Device?

Q: What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise and Microsoft 365 Apps for business?

Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise is built for enterprise customers. Along with always-up-to-date versions of the core Microsoft 365 desktop apps, it also includes enterprise-grade security and compliance features, enhanced communication tools, and fine-grained controls for deployment and management. Some small and medium-sized businesses, including those in regulated industries or wanting higher levels of IT control, may also be interested in Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.
Microsoft 365 Apps for business also offers always-up-to-date versions of the core Microsoft 365 desktop apps, but without any of the additional security, communication, or administrative features included in Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. Microsoft 365 Apps for business is available for businesses with up to 300 users, whereas Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise is available for an unlimited number of users.

Q: What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise and Office LTSC Professional Plus?

Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise and Office LTSC Professional Plus both provide Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, and Access desktop apps, however there are key differences. Office LTSC Professional Plus is provided under a desktop license that is tied to the computer it is assigned to and is available through Commercial Licensing only. Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise is available as User Subscription License (and in some cases, a Device Subscription License). Because it is designed for disconnected environments, Office LTSC does not include any cloud-backed features. It also does not receive any feature updates after launch. If your organization has already deployed Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise or Microsoft 365 Apps for business, there is no need for Office LTSC 2024. Microsoft 365 Apps includes all the features of Office LTSC 2024, plus many additional features not found in Office LTSC 2024. 

Q: Can I run Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise on my personal device to work from home?

Yes. You can install and use Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise on up to five Operating System Environments (OSEs) at a time, which could be on five separate devices. These can be personal or organizational devices. 

Q: Can I run Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise on my Mac?

Yes. Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise is available for MacOS (except for Access and Publisher).

Q: Can I deploy Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise on Amazon WorkSpaces?

Yes, per the Amazon Workspace Deployments section of the Product Terms (https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/terms/product/AmazonWorkspacesDeployments/all), users licensed for Microsoft 365 E3/A3/G3/E5/A5/G5 may install and run Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise (configured under the Monthly Enterprise or Current Channel) on Amazon WorkSpaces. Note that this applies only to Amazon WorkSpaces and not Amazon AppStream. 

Microsoft 365 Unattended

Q: When do I need a Microsoft 365 Unattended license for my RPA solution?

Any of following requires an RPA for Microsoft 365 license:
  • Utilizing Microsoft’s Power Platform for Unattended bots.
  • Utilizing an Unattended bot that interacts with and/or operates on Windows 10.
  • Utilizing an Unattended bot that interacts with and/or operates upon any Office application in any OSE.

Q: How does Robotic Process Automation impact multiplexing and can I use bots to avoid licensing users, devices, and services?

Multiplexing is when any type of automated process acts as an intermediary between different software or hardware to reduce direct connections with the software. Multiplexing does not reduce the number of required Licenses. Multiplexing rules still apply for RPA scenarios. Bots must be licensed in addition to the services and/or devices that they access must also have the proper licenses just as a normal user and/or device would. 

Q: The Microsoft definition of bots varies from other industry definitions. Which one applies to me?

Microsoft definitions and terms always apply if you are using relevant Microsoft products. 

Q: I have created a bot that runs in unattended mode on more than one server at a time and interacts with Microsoft applications directly on the server. Is this allowed?

No, this is not allowed. Since the bot is unattended and accessing Microsoft applications on more than one OSE, it would require the M365 – Unattended license. This license limits the bot’s interaction to only a single server at a time. If you need to access multiple servers at once, you’ll need to have multiple bots and multiple licenses.

Q: Is there licensing associated with development and testing of bots in production/nonproduction environments?

A bot represents execution of a GUI-based process on a machine, so what matters is the dev/test/prod of the RPA which exists in current licensing today.

Q: What about the infrastructure needed to run an unattended bot in a virtual machine and is that included in the unattended RPA add-on?

No – running the unattended RPA bot in a VM requires the separate purchase of any necessary compute resources.

Q: What licenses do I need for an Unattended bot accessing a Windows environment but not using an Office application?

You will require 3 SKUs, the M365 – Unattended License (Windows access), Power Automate unattended RPA add-on (unattended RPA license) which also has a pre-req of either the Power Automate per flow plan or Power Automate per user with attended RPA (depending if you want to license per user or per flow).

Q: How can I reduce my current cost & license position for my employees by implementing an RPA solution?

You cannot reduce licensing cost or position by implementing RPA. However, by implementing an RPA solution, you may see improved time savings, employee performance, or other efficiencies. These benefits may improve your corporation output and help you realize savings in other areas. 

Q: Is there a scenario where I do not have to purchase a Microsoft license for my RPA solution?

If the RPA solution interacts with Windows or Office, then you will need a license. There is no such thing as “unlicensed access” for RPA solutions. There are, however, various configurations possible depending on the RPA function and access requirements.
For example, if there is no Windows client or Office then there is no requirement for the M365 - Unattended license required. This does not mean there isn’t a bot running, but rather a bot license is not required as it is not accessing or utilizing relevant Microsoft software or services.

Q: My company has developed a process that leverages components of Word (or Excel or any other desktop Office app) to complete a process on a server that is then sent to end users. In the past this was not allowed based on multiplexing and other limitations. Is this now allowed and if so, what must be licensed, all the end users or the hardware?

The RPA solutions Microsoft has introduced do not break any preexisting rules. Each end user, hardware, server, and process must be appropriately licensed. You must first determine if the process is a bot that is attended or unattended, and this will determine the proper licensing required for your scenario. The new licenses introduced now enable you to properly license bots for scenarios that weren’t allowed before, but never reduce license requirements.

Q: How do I manage the application via Systems Center Products, and does it matter if the bot is attended or unattended?

Bot implementation does not have any impact on application management. It may be possible to implement an RPA solution to streamline this process, but that depends on how the RPA solution is built.

Q: We’ve been using SQL under the Server and CAL model to support an application where there is a Word document created, converted to PDF and then re-distributed manually by email. We are doing this to decrease the cost of the SQL instance and to eliminate the need for Frontline users to license for Word. Does this new licensing offer a less cumbersome process?

No. This scenario is an attempt to reduce license position for my employees. Each employee must be properly licensed, and bots cannot be utilized to reduce the need for CALs.

Microsoft 365 Groups

Q: Is the Group Organizer the same as the Group Owner in Group Mailboxes?

No, the Group Organizer is the person who created the Group. The Group inherits the licensing from the Group Organizer.

Q: If all users on a tenant are licensed with Office 365 E3, and thus everyone accessing a group have In-Place Hold, is it still necessary to buy additional licenses for groups if In-Place Hold is enabled for groups?

If all users on a tenant are licensed for Office 365 E3, then all Organizers on the tenant would be licensed for Office 365 E3, and all groups would inherit Office 365 E3 use rights from the Organizers.

Q: For a company that is required for compliance reasons to put all documents on In-Place Hold, how would they deploy Microsoft 365 Groups without a risk of licensing compliance issues for In-Place hold?

If the company licenses all users on the tenant for Office 365 E3, this will ensure that all Groups on the tenant inherit use rights to In-Place Hold. 

Q: For example, if an Office 365 E5 is the Organizer of the group, and all other member of the group are licensed with Office 365 F3, what happens if the Group Mailbox is enabled for E5 features and the Organizer leaves the group?

If there is no owner of the group after the Organizer leaves the group, it is not out of compliance. However, if a new user takes over the ownership of the group, the user must be licensed with the E5 features enabled for the Group Mailbox. 

Q: What if a tenant has some users licensed for Office 365 E3 and some licensed for Office 365 F3, and they want to use In-Place hold for all their Groups?

To stay in compliance with the licensing rules, the customer would ensure that only Office 365 E3 users are organizers of Groups with In-Place Hold. It is possible for the Admin to limit the ability to create Groups to specific users. 

Advanced Data Residency

Q: What is Advanced Data Residency and when will it be available?

Advanced Data Residency is an add-on designed to help enterprise customers comply with data residency laws, regulations, and industry standards. It will provide eligible customers with premium services including data storage at rest commitments for expanded workloads including Exchange Online Protection, Microsoft Defender for Office Plan 1, Microsoft 365 for the Web, Microsoft Viva Connections, Microsoft Viva Topics, and components of the Microsoft Purview suite. Additionally, the add-on provides eligible customers the ability to migrate their Microsoft 365 tenants into our local datacenter regions with prioritized migration benefits. 

Q: Are there any pre-requisites for purchasing Advanced Data Residency?

Microsoft 365 F1/F3/E3/A3/E5/A5; Office 365 F3/E1/A1/E3/A3/E5/A5; Exchange Online Plan 1 or Plan 2; SharePoint Online Plan 1 or Plan 2; or OneDrive Plan 1 or Plan 2.

Q: Through which channels is Advanced Data Residency available?

Enterprise Agreement (EA)/Enterprise Subscription (EAS), Buy Online.

Q: To which customer segments is Advanced Data Residency available for purchase?

Advanced Data Residency is available to Commercial (including WW Commercial Public Sector) and Nonprofit customers.

Q: For what situations and scenarios is Advanced Data Residency typically used?

The Advanced Data Residency add-on is typically used by customers to address:
  • Legal or regulatory requirements to store customer data at rest within a specific geographic location. 
  • Public Sector or regulated commercial industries (e.g., Healthcare, Financial Services) requirements or industry standards.  
  • Any customer who may have a higher comfort level with storing core customer data at rest within a specific geography.

Q: Is there a minimum purchase requirement for Advanced Data Residency?

Every user subscription (per below) within a need to be licensed to benefit from the Advanced Data Residency service:  
  • Microsoft 365 F1, F3, E3, or E5 
  • Office 365 F3, E1, E3, or E5 
  • Exchange Online Plan 1 or Plan 2 
  • SharePoint Online Plan 1 or Plan 2 
  • OneDrive Plan 1 or Plan 2

Q: What types of data are part of the Advanced Data Residency commitment?

In accordance with the Advanced Data Residency commitments, Microsoft will store the following customer data at rest only within the specified geo: 
  • Exchange Online mailbox content (email body, calendar entries, and the content of email attachments) 
  • SharePoint Online site content and the files stored within that site 
  • Files uploaded to OneDrive  
  • Microsoft Teams chat messages (including private messages, channel messages, meeting messages, and images used in chat), channel, and meeting conversations, and, for customers using Microsoft Stream (based on SharePoint), meeting recordings 
  • Microsoft Defender for Office P1 (Exchange Online Protection and sandbox inspections) 
  • Microsoft 365 for the web (Caching) 
  • Microsoft Viva Connections (The Dashboard and Feed can have content sourced from SharePoint Online, Exchange Online and Microsoft Teams) 
  • Microsoft Viva Topics (All topics, customer data snippets and configuration data) 
  • Purview (Select services within Audit, Data lifecycle management, Exchange Online Protection, Information Protection, Insider Risk Management)

Q: In which geographies is ADR available?

This offering only applies to customers with a tenant that was created with a sign-up address in a local, single country Microsoft 365 datacenter region (list of countries here). Tenants with sign-up addresses outside of these locations cannot use this offer at this time.  
As of October 2022, local, single country datacenter locations for Microsoft 365 are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Norway, Qatar, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, and UK.  
The United States is not included in list of local, single country datacenter geographies since data residency for the country is provided at regional level. 
Singapore is not currently included in list of local, single country datacenter regions. Singapore is currently only available for specific government customers.

Q: We have announced new datacenter regions in Poland, Israel, Italy, Spain, and other geographies. Will ADR be available for my customers there and is it required?

Yes. ADR will be available at General Availability (“GA”) of Microsoft 365 for each of these expanded local region geos. For new local datacenter regions, customers will be required to purchase the ADR add-on to obtain data residency commitments and to migrate data from macro-regions to the new local datacenter region.

Q: If a customer is in a regional datacenter and would like to migrate their data to a local, single country datacenter. When will they need to purchase ADR SKU?

Microsoft 365 is in process of deprecating the free Move program for customers to migrate tenants and data from Macro Region geos to local region geos. Over time, all eligible customers who desire migration into a local datacenter region will require the Advanced Data Residency add-on to initiate the migration. Eligible customers located in future local datacenter regions will need to purchase ADR to initiate a migration and receive data residency commitment.

Q: What data residency commitments does Microsoft make to Microsoft 365 customers today?

The data residency commitments that Microsoft makes varies by customer type and geography, according to the relevant Product Terms. Please visit the Where your Microsoft 365 customer data is stored | Microsoft Learn article for more information.

Q: Microsoft also has a product called Multi-Geo capabilities for Microsoft 365. How is Advanced Data Residency different When would the customer want Advanced Data Residency vs. Multi-Geo?

Advanced Data Residency enables customers to ensure data location at the tenant level. Multi-Geo capabilities for Microsoft 365 enables customers to manage data location at the user, SharePoint site, Microsoft 365 Group, and Teams team level. Multi-Geo is targeted for multinational commercial customers who need to store data in multiple geographies at the same time and whose needs may change over time.

Q: Where can I learn more about Advanced Data Residency?

Cross-tenant User Data Migration

Q: Are there any pre-requisites for purchasing Cross-tenant user data migration?

One of the following licenses is required for Cross-tenant user data migration: Microsoft 365 Business Basic/Business Standard/Business Premium/F1/F3/E3/A3/E5/A5; Office 365 F3/E1/A1/E3/A3/E5/A5; Exchange Online. 

Q: To which customer segments is Cross-tenant user data migration available for purchase?

Cross-tenant user data migration is available to Commercial (including WW Commercial Public Sector) and Non-profit customers. 

Q: Can customers use the Cross-tenant user data migration offer for partial user data migrations?

Cross-tenant user data migration is applicable to user data only. Some or all users in a tenant may transfer their data as part of this SKU. 

Q: Should the destination tenant or the source tenant acquire the Cross-tenant user data migration licenses?

Cross-tenant user data migration licenses should be purchased via the destination tenant. 

Q: Do customers also need to license shared mailboxes for Cross-tenant user data migrations?

No. The Cross-tenant user data migration license only applies to user mailbox migrations. Shared mailboxes can move without an additional Cross-tenant user data migration license. 

Q: How long will customers have to migrate their user’s data once they have purchased the Cross-tenant user data migration SKU Does the license expire?

Per user Cross-tenant user data migration licenses are valid for one user’s mailbox and OneDrive migration cross-tenant. This single use license is not valid after one use, or one year after purchase.

Q: Can a commercial Cross-tenant user data migration customer move their data to a GCC tenant?

No. Cross-tenant user data migration is available between commercial tenants only. 

Q: Do customers have to transfer all user data at once or can a phased approach be used for the cross-tenant migration of user data?

This product will move all OneDrive documents, Exchange Online email messages, Calendar, and Task items in the mailbox for a single user. A OneDrive and an Exchange online mailbox do not have to be migrated at the same time; these resources are scheduled independently. You cannot however only migrate a subset of content from either the mailbox or the OneDrive, all mailbox data (emails, calendar items, tasks) or the entire OneDrive site is migrated. 

Q: What is the difference between the paid Cross-tenant user data migration offer and a VL tenant-to-tenant migration?

The Cross-tenant user data migration offer gives commercial customers the ability to move existing user data to a new commercial tenant, whereas tenant-to-tenant migrations allows for an existing Microsoft 365 tenant to move its licenses to a new tenant entirely.

Microsoft 365 Education

Q: What is Microsoft 365 Education?

Microsoft 365 Education is a productivity cloud suite that helps create equitable learning environments. We achieve this through solutions that help accelerate learning, prepare students from classroom to career, are inclusively designed, and support instructional and IT leaders with trusted and secure solutions.

Q: What is the difference between Office 365 and Microsoft 365 Education?

Microsoft 365 builds on top of Office 365 apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook and provides enhanced management, security, and compliance tools.

Microsoft 365 Government

Q: What are the eligibility requirements for government plans?

Government plans are available to (1) qualified government entities, including US federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government entities; and (2) other entities (subject to validation of eligibility) who handle data subject to government regulations and requirements, where use of Microsoft 365 Government is appropriate to meet these regulations and requirements. Each plan is offered as a monthly subscription and can be licensed to an unlimited number of users. Begin sign-up for the free trial by submitting the eligibility intake form required for the validation process.
A government organization is typically (a) any government agency, department office, division, unit, or other entity of state or local government; or (b) any county, borough, commonwealth, city, municipality, town, township, special purpose district, or similar type of government instrumentality established by laws of the customer’s state and located in the customer’s state jurisdiction and geographic boundaries; or (c) any other entity in the customer’s state expressly authorized by the laws of the customer’s state to purchase under state contracts.

Q: What are the eligibility prerequisites for Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC?

US Government GCC customers must have a license for one of the following:
Microsoft 365 F1, F3, G3, or G5
Office 365 F3, G1, G3, or G5
Features available with Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC are listed on the Microsoft 365 Copilot service description. Upcoming features will be posted on the Microsoft 365 roadmap, filtered by cloud environment GCC.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is not currently available for GCC-High, DoD, or non-US government clouds.
This content is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ON THIS PAGE. This information is provided to help guide your authorized use of products you license; it is not your agreement. Your use of products licensed under your volume license agreement is governed by the terms and conditions of that agreement. In the case of any conflict between this information and your agreement, the terms and conditions of your agreement control.
You have been redirected here from www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com (MSVL).

Welcome to the NEW Microsoft Licensing Resources and Documents site! This site has replaced MSVL and contains all the content formally hosted on MSVL. Please update your bookmark to https://aka.ms/licensingdocs. Close