Is Microsoft 365 E5 worth it?
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Microsoft 365 E3 and Microsoft 365 E5 plans offer a huge range of benefits and services. Knowing the differences between the two plans makes it easier to decide which one is right for your organization. In this article, I will compare the Microsoft 365 E3 vs E5 plans so you can make the right decision on which is right for your organization. Table of Contents
Microsoft 365 E3 vs E5 plans in reviewMicrosoft 365, if not the most popular, is way up there in terms of productivity solutions for your organization. There are plans that serve smaller SMBs all the way up to 100,000+ employee enterprises. The solutions serve many vertical markets including healthcare, charities, commercial, etc., with specific subsets of plans – think Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare. What’s the difference between Office 365 and Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 plans?“Wait, wait…step back. What again IS Microsoft 365?” Originally branded Office 365, it is an all-inclusive suite of diverse cloud applications and services that include Office 365 (apps), Windows 10 and Windows 11, and Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS). Why did Office 365 transition to Microsoft 365?“We changed the name to be more reflective of the range of features and benefits in the subscription, to meet the unique needs of individuals and businesses.” Microsoft 365 includes everything you know in Office 365. Microsoft 365 is designed to help people and businesses achieve more with innovative Office apps, intelligent cloud services, and world-class security. What Office 365 plans for enterprise are still available?The following Office 365 plans for enterprise are still available:
Let’s start this off with an overview of the services offered in both Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 plans. This is an excellent starting point for you to get a glimpse from 30,000 ft of what features are available in each plan, and to gather information about the differences between the two and the associated cost differences. Microsoft 365 E3 plan: OverviewThe Microsoft 365 E3 plan combines best-in-class productivity apps with core security and compliance capabilities.
Here are most of the features, services, and applications included in the plan:
Besides all the services and applications offered in the plan, there are additional Add-on services you can purchase for a subset of your users. Here are a few examples:
Microsoft 365 E5 plan: OverviewThe Microsoft 365 E5 plan combines best-in-class productivity apps found in the ‘E3’ plan but also includes advanced security, compliance, voice, and analytical capabilities.
All the benefits and services listed above in the ‘E3’ plan are included in this here ‘E5’ plan. Here are just some examples of the features unique to Microsoft 365 E5.
In addition, similar Add-on services are available on top of the already impressive suite of apps and services. Here are a few examples:
Cost and LicensingThe published ‘street’ prices are as follows:
It probably goes without saying, but it doesn’t matter…I’m gonna say it – You can get discounted pricing when purchasing various enterprise or SMB agreements through Microsoft or through a value-added reseller (VAR). And, of course, your per-user cost of E5 as an example will be lower when purchasing 30,000 licenses, vs 300. Sales channelsMicrosoft 365 E3 and E5 are available through the Enterprise Agreement, Enterprise Agreement Subscription, and Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA) for commercial and government customers, and in the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program for customers with cloud-only deployments. Microsoft 365 also allows Enterprise Agreement (EA) customers to license in a true per-user licensing model, giving them a consistent productivity experience on any device and on any operating system. It also provides increased manageability and simplicity as you will no longer need to count devices for the Platform Enterprise Agreement and cloud services. You can move to the cloud without modifying your EA while eliminating the need for Bridge CALs and True-ups. Service availabilityTo help you understand what services are available in each plan, there are several options you have to determine what makes the most sense for your organization. Here are the high-level differences. Meetings and voice
Advanced analytics
Identity and access management
Threat protection
Information protection
Compliance management
Supported devicesAs long as you use supported Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices, you should have no problem using, for example, Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. You’ll be fine using the numerous services and applications included in your Microsoft 365 service plan. You can use desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and all-in-one computers for your organization. Security featuresAs well as being able to purchase different Microsoft 365 service plans, there are security and compliance add-ons available to enhance your base licensing service options. The two core items are included in the E5 plan. For those customers that don’t want to or can’t take the plunge from E3 to E5, they can choose these:
Let’s look at the various security features included in the Enterprise Mobility & Security (EMS) suite. These include:
EMS provides an identity-driven security solution that offers a holistic approach to the security challenges in this mobile-first, cloud-first (Thank you, Satya) era. The included suite of technologies not only helps you protect your organization but also identity breaches before they cause damage. Management featuresAs an IT Pro, responsible for the management of a Microsoft 365 service plan, your new home page in your web browser will be the ‘Microsoft 365 admin center’. You use the Microsoft 365 admin center to set up your organization in the cloud, manage users, manage subscriptions, and much more. You can learn how to get to the admin center and learn about available features and settings. Table 1 – The features and settings you’ll find in the left-hand navigation of the Microsoft 365 admin center
Data ManagementUse Microsoft Information Governance (sometimes abbreviated to MIG) capabilities to govern your data for compliance or regulatory requirements. Information GovernanceTo help you comply with advanced data governance, Microsoft has designed a workflow to guide you through an end-to-end process to plan and implement capabilities across Microsoft 365, including secure access, threat intelligence, information protection, sensitivity labels, and data governance. For more information, see Deploy information protection for data privacy regulations with Microsoft 365. Can you upgrade from Microsoft E3 to E5?Well, conditionally, yes. When your business changes or you need more features, you can upgrade plans. The easiest way to do this is to use the Upgrade tab in the admin center. However, using the Upgrade tab isn’t supported in all situations. In some cases, you might be able to change plans manually. I would suggest you visit the Microsoft 365 ‘Upgrade’ plan site to determine if your environment and plan details will work. You can also change Microsoft 365 plans manually. How do I upgrade my Office 365 license?There are a few avenues you can pursue to upgrade your plan. Here are a few examples:
Is E5 better than E3?E3 provides the full suite of enterprise functionality with Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and additional security functionality. E5 is the most advanced package, with all the features of E3, alongside advanced email security functionality, analytics, and phone systems.
How much does E5 license cost?Office 365 Enterprise E5
If you use or plan to use Skype for Business Cloud PBX, we recommend the Office 365 E5 license. For $35/user/month, you gain a complete, consolidated phone system along with all functionality available within Office 365.
Is Office 365 E5 the same as Microsoft 365 E5?A simple difference between Microsoft 365 and Office 365 is the Windows 10 license. With Microsoft 365 you get a Windows 10 Pro upgrade or Windows 10 Enterprise (E3 or E5) license.
What is the difference between m365 E3 and E5?With Microsoft 365 E5, you gain access to the same range of apps and services as found in the E3 plan. However, this plan includes more comprehensive security, compliance, and analytical tools, in addition to voice and video capabilities.
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