Microsoft requires either a one-year commitment or a significant premium on monthly terms starting in March 2022. Learn more about this change and how to best prepare now!

***Note: Microsoft continues to actively make changes to this new program and release more details. Please connect with Interlink to receive the most up to date information for your specific scenario.***
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Microsoft is Changing CSP Licensing:

Any organization utilizing CSP licensing needs to be aware of Microsoft’s changes, which go into effect in March 2022. Microsoft will be offering Monthly, Annual, and Three-Year subscriptions. All subscription terms will only be able to be canceled or reduced within 72-hours after purchase, and customers will be stuck with license counts until the end of their subscription term.

• Yearly Term: We expect the yearly term to be the most popular. Pricing is similar to what customers are paying today, and most CSP providers already require a one-year term – even when Microsoft allowed for monthly changes.
• Monthly Term: If an organization wishes to retain the ability to decrease seat counts/downgrade licenses at frequent intervals, then they will need to put those seats on a Monthly subscription. However, Microsoft will charge a massive premium for this option of 20%.
• Three-Year Term: The current plan is to only offer three-year terms for a limited set of offerings, including Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365. The potential benefit here is that customers get locked into the pricing for three years to avoid potential future price increases across that term.

CSP Partners, like Interlink, will be able to continue transacting new CSP licenses without these changes until March 2022. We can also work with your organization to take advantage of pricing models, licensing structures, and promotions when applicable. Further promotional pricing details are still to come and will help mitigate Microsoft’s general price increase, which will also occur in March 2022.

Microsoft increases prices, which will take effect on March 1, 2022. Learn how this impacts your organization and how to optimize your current licensing. 
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Summary of Changes/Timeline:

Over the last ten years, Microsoft has continued to add new apps (Teams, Planner, Power Platform, Steam, Whiteboard, Shifts, Forms, etc.) and over 1,400 new features and capabilities into the bundles while keeping the pricing the same. Even with additional value continuously being added, no substantive pricing updates occurred. For the first time in 10 years, Microsoft has announced pricing changes, which will go into effect in six months. On March 1, 2022, Microsoft will update its pricing for the following commercial products: 

Every organization is overloaded with data and challenged to turn that data into the best decisions possible. Power BI is an interactive business intelligence tool that allows any user to build powerful reports and dashboards to provide valuable insights into their data.
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Using these insights everyone can then make more informed business decisions. Having the best data can mean seeing market trends before they emerge, spotting issues with manufacturing faster, or selling more of their own solution by building in Power BI into their own product offerings.

Microsoft has a number of different options for Power BI and how it is deployed and licensed. 

Power BI Desktop

Power BI Desktop is a complete data analysis tool that allows for advanced report creation. This software is installed directly on your local desktop, where there is more functionality available than inside of the Power BI Service. Power BI Desktop allows you to connect to many data sources, transform that data, as well as create calculated columns and measures for the data that you pull in. Once you have your report created, you can publish it to the Power BI Service, where licensing dictates who it can be shared with.

Learn what is coming next regarding Software Assurance and keep your organization prepared.
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What is Software Assurance?

Software Assurance is a comprehensive Volume Licensing program that includes a unique set of technologies, services, and rights to help you deploy, manage, and use your Microsoft products more efficiently. Starting next month and continuing over the next two years, Microsoft has announced they will be making substantial changes regarding Software Assurance benefits. Make sure your company is prepared and knowledgeable about what comes next!  

Moving Forward 

Microsoft is making changes to Software Assurance, specifically with Planning Services, Training Vouchers, and 24x7 Problem Resolution Support. June 2021 will be the last chance to create planning services and training vouchers, so taking the time to understand the changes and put a plan together is important so you don’t miss the deadlines. 

Traveling in an unknown country, going on a safari, or climbing Mount Everest all have one thing in common – to get the most out of the trip and stay safe along the way you need the services of a reliable, knowledgeable guide. Moving to the Microsoft 365 or Azure may not present as many personal perils, but it is also a journey you should take accompanied by a guide well versed in the territory.

Partnering with a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) like Interlink provides you with expert guidance and years of experience to navigate around the potential pitfalls that exist when you decide to move new workloads to the Cloud and as you decide to enhance your cloud experience with new tools, security options, and collaboration features. There are a number of ways a CSP can help with your adoption of the Cloud.