Licence Optimisation & Cost Management
Microsoft 365 licence management that saves money and improves efficiency.
Why Most Businesses Overpay for Microsoft 365
A Sydney professional services firm with 45 employees was paying $3,200 monthly for Microsoft 365. When we audited their environment, we found eight licences still assigned to former employees who had left over the previous year. Three shared mailboxes were incorrectly configured as user accounts, each consuming a paid licence. They were paying $450 monthly for a separate video conferencing platform despite having Teams. Five users had audio conferencing add ons they had never used. Within one month, we reduced their Microsoft 365 costs to $2,100 monthly, saving $13,200 annually without removing any functionality their team actually needed.
This scenario is not unusual. Most Australian businesses overpay for Microsoft 365 by 20 to 40 percent through accumulated inefficiencies, licences left assigned after employees leave, shadow IT purchased on personal credit cards, and third party tools that duplicate features Microsoft 365 already includes. At I.T. With You, we audit your Microsoft 365 environment to identify these inefficiencies, reviewing who has which licences, what features they actually use, and where you are paying for redundant tools or unused add ons. Most businesses find immediate savings of 15 to 30 percent through proper licence alignment, with ongoing savings as we prevent future overspending through quarterly reviews.
Licence Utilisation
Paying for what you use, not what you don't.
Common Licence Optimisation Opportunities
Unused or inactive licences
Former employees still assigned licences months after leaving. Shared mailboxes incorrectly consuming paid licences instead of being configured as free shared mailboxes. Shared mailboxes under 50GB are free and do not require a licence, though larger shared mailboxes or those requiring In Place Archive do need licensing.
Redundant third party tools
Paying for duplicate security tools when Microsoft Defender already provides comprehensive endpoint protection. Video conferencing subscriptions when Teams already provides enterprise meetings. Separate email archiving when Exchange Online includes built in archiving and retention, available with Business Premium, E3, E5, and Exchange Online Plan 2 licensing.
Shadow IT, unmanaged purchases and unused add ons
Users purchasing their own Microsoft 365 subscriptions, Adobe licences, or SaaS tools with company credit cards create security gaps, easily prevented by centralising procurement. The same lack of oversight shows up in unused add ons, audio conferencing licences, unconfigured compliance features, and phone system licences assigned to users who never make or receive calls.
Business Benefits of Licence Optimisation
Cost savings by eliminating redundant tools and unused licences
The most immediate benefit is reduced monthly spending. Removing eight unnecessary licences at $22 each saves $2,112 annually. Eliminating a redundant security tool costing $15 per user for 45 users saves $8,100 annually. These savings accumulate quickly across multiple optimisation opportunities.
Improved visibility and simplified vendor management
Understanding who has which licences and whether they are actually using assigned features enables informed purchasing decisions. Consolidating Microsoft licensing, third party tools, and support into a single partner means one point of contact for billing, renewals, and support issues rather than juggling multiple vendors.
Stronger compliance through strategic licence alignment
Assigning the right licence tier matches security features to each user’s role and data access. Users handling sensitive or regulated data receive E5 licences with stronger threat protection, while users in supporting roles stay on Business Premium, keeping compliance requirements met without overspending.
The biggest sources are licences still assigned to former employees, shared mailboxes incorrectly set up as paid user accounts, redundant third party tools duplicating features Microsoft 365 already includes, and add ons such as audio conferencing or phone system licences assigned to users who never use them.
Not usually. Shared mailboxes under 50GB are free and do not require a licence. Only larger shared mailboxes, or those needing In Place Archive, need to be licensed.
We review licence usage quarterly, checking for new optimisation opportunities and adjusting licensing as your team changes, so you are always paying only for what you need.
We review your current licensing to identify unused or incorrectly assigned licences, check whether any third party tools duplicate what Microsoft 365 already includes, and calculate the potential savings before recommending any changes.
Tired of Wondering if Your IT is Set Up Right?
Book a 30 minute discovery call. We’ll talk through your business, your current setup, and where you’d like to be. You’ll walk away with a clearer idea of what’s working, what’s vulnerable, and what to do next.