What is changing?
Microsoft has updated the naming convention for Office 365 SMB and Office 365 client subscriptions. This does not affect any features, or prices, strictly how the package is identified. We will be rolling out this change to our systems, so invoices and other materials will start showing these new names. To prepare you for this change we created this blog post to cover how it will affect you.
What was it before?
Let’s cover why this change happened. Microsoft’s marketplace can be confusing for businesses. The Office 365 SMB offerings lowest tier was ‘Office 365 Business Essentials’, the mid-tier was ‘Office 365 Business Premium’, and the highest tier was ‘Microsoft 365 Business’. This caused confusion because of the similarity in name and the final tier’s disjointed naming convention. The Office client subscription products were Office 365 Business, and Office 365 Pro Plus. All of these are being revamped to be under Microsoft 365 umbrella.
What is it now?
For Office 365 SMB offerings, the lowest tier is ‘Microsoft 365 Business Basic’, the mid-tier is ‘Microsoft 365 Business Standard’, and the highest tier is now ‘Microsoft 365 Premium’. The Office client subscriptions are Microsoft 365 Apps for Business, and Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. This is a much clearer format, and easy for customers to follow.
How does this affect me?
Again, the only difference you as a customer will experience is the changed name on your recurring invoices and in our communications to you. Your services remain the same, along with the price. The reason for the shift is because these packages not only have all the Office 365 applications, but also incorporate other aspects of the Microsoft products. This change will help better convey the value of each package and alleviate some licensing challenges customers face today.
