Business Premium has become one of the most popular licensing options for organisations that want to build their technology environment around Microsoft. The reason it’s so loved is that it’s incredibly comprehensive. It combines productivity, collaboration, security, identity management and device management into a single integrated platform. This gives businesses access to an absolutely massive range of tools, all in one place, without needing to piece together separate solutions.
However, the very thing that makes Business Premium so attractive can also create a challenge.
Microsoft Business Premium covers so much ground that it’s easy to overlook something, and many organisations are only actually using a fraction of the functionality. So while some organisations are taking full advantage of everything included in the licence, others are barely scratching the surface.
The question is, which camp do you fall into?
What does ‘full value’ actually look like?
One of the easiest ways to assess whether you’re getting full value from Business Premium is to look beyond the familiar, and consider how effectively the wider platform is supporting your organisation.
Ideally, you should be able to tick each of these boxes:
1. Productivity
Your team should be able to communicate, collaborate, share files, and complete day-to-day tasks together with complete efficiency, regardless of whether they’re in the office, at home, or elsewhere.
2. Connectivity
Employees should have a consistent and reliable experience no matter where they’re trying to connect from, with secure, permitted access to the specific tools and information they need.
3. Access
Business data should be available to the right people at the right time, with permissions and controls in place to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive information while minimising roadblocks.
4. Security
The security capabilities included within Business Premium should be optimised and actively protecting against threats like phishing, ransomware, compromised accounts and data loss.
5. Usability
Laptops, desktops, tablets and mobile devices should be centrally managed through Business Premium, regularly updated, and easy to work from without creating additional security risks.
Why it matters
You may be wondering why ticking all of the above boxes is so important. Surely as long as you’re ticking some of them, you’re OK? In a way, yes. But the fact is that if there are gaps in how Business Premium is being used, two issues typically follow that can begin to slow you down:
1. Wasted budget: Quite simply, you’re paying for capabilities that aren’t delivering any value. Business Premium is an investment, and every unused feature is something you’ve purchased but aren’t benefiting from. That budget could instead be used to support growth and development.
2. Lack of efficiency: One of the biggest advantages of Microsoft’s ecosystem is that everything works together, so processes become simpler, admin becomes easier, and staff spend less time working around limitations. The result is a more streamlined and productive working environment.
Making the most of what you have
Unsure if you’re really making the most of your software?
A Microsoft Business Premium optimisation review can identify where features are underused, where security controls are missing, and where opportunities exist to gain more value from licences.
Get in touch to find out more.