Changes coming to o365/m365 in March 2022

Microsoft is changing the landscape fairly significantly for O365 licensing, and it’s coming 1 March 2022

Uplift on most license SKUs

Most o365 plans are being uplifted in cost by approximately 10% – this will affect nearly all plans. This is the first significant price rise on o365 in the last 10 years.

New Commerce Experience (NCE)

The NCE will change the flexibility given on o365 licenses. Currently we are able to add and remove licenses mid term and with no commitment, under NCE this changes. The most significant changes for NCE are the introduction of 4 week licenses and the reduced flexibility on 12 month commit licenses. What this means, if you purchase a 12 month license you will not be able to reduce this mid term or release it until 12 month term is served, this is why they have introduced a 4 week license. The 4 week license carries a 20% price increase (on top of the 10% standard uplift in March)

AJT Managed IT Services will renew all licenses under the legacy terms (non NCE) on the last day of February which will afford you the same flexibliity on these license for a further 6 months (until October 2022) – at this point all licenses will need to be converted into NCE 12 month or NCE 4 week licenses

Any new licenses purchased after 1 March 2022 will need to be NCE 12 Month or NCE 4 week.

What do you need to do?

Nothing immidiately as we have additional flexiblity on licensing until October – however, all new licenses purchased from March 1 2022, you will be asked if you want 4 week or 12 month licenses, and as above, 12 month licenses will last for 12 months and you will not be able to cancel these mid term. At the end of September we will need to know which licenses you need on 12 month and which on 4 week – your account manager will be in touch to confirm with you