Microsoft for Business
The plan names do not describe what separates them, and the difference matters more than the price gap suggests.
Microsoft's business range covers productivity through Microsoft 365, cloud infrastructure through Azure, and the Windows licensing underneath both. Most businesses we assess are on the wrong Microsoft 365 tier — some paying for capability nobody uses, others missing security they assume they already have.
Microsoft 365 Plans, Plainly
The names are unhelpful. Business Basic, Business Standard and Business Premium do not describe what distinguishes them, which is how businesses end up on the wrong one for years.
Business Basic
Web and mobile Office applications only, with no desktop installs. Suits staff who work in a browser and need email and Teams.
Business Standard
Adds the desktop Office applications. This is where most businesses reasonably start.
Business Premium
Adds device management and advanced security — conditional access, and the ability to remove company data from a lost device. This is the tier most businesses need and do not have.
Enterprise plans
Above 300 users, or where compliance and analytics requirements exceed the business tiers.
The Gap That Catches People Out
Business Standard gives you email, Office and Teams. It does not give you conditional access, device management, or the ability to wipe company data from a lost phone.
That gap becomes visible the first time an employee leaves with a personal device holding company mail, or a laptop goes missing. On Standard your options are limited. On Premium you can remove access remotely.
For any business handling client or personal data under India's DPDP Act 2023, that difference is not a convenience feature — it is part of being able to demonstrate you took reasonable security measures.
Mixing Tiers Is Allowed and Underused
You do not have to put everyone on the same plan. Microsoft permits mixing tiers within one tenant, and a common sensible pattern is Premium for anyone handling sensitive data or working on mobile devices, Standard for office-based staff, and Basic for shift or shop-floor staff who only need email.
For a fifty-person business the saving against uniform Premium is substantial, and it funds the upgrade for the people who genuinely need it. This is a reallocation rather than new spend.
The opposite error is just as common. We regularly find licences assigned to staff who left months ago, users on Premium who only need email, and duplicate subscriptions bought by different departments.
Azure and What It Is Actually For
Azure is Microsoft's cloud infrastructure — virtual machines, storage, databases and the platform services around them. It is billed on consumption rather than per user, which makes it flexible and easy to overspend on.
For Indian businesses the practical considerations are region choice for data residency, and whether your workload is predictable enough that reserved capacity beats on-demand pricing. A steady workload paying on-demand rates is the most common avoidable cost we find.
Azure is not automatically the right answer over an on-premise server. Predictable, steady workloads are frequently cheaper on hardware you own once power, cooling and replacement are counted honestly.
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We implement Microsoft across Kerala
This page covers what Microsoft is and who it suits. If you have decided it fits, our Microsoft 365 licensing, migration and support page covers scope, process and what an engagement involves.
Microsoft 365 in KeralaMicrosoft — Frequently Asked Questions
Which Microsoft 365 plan do we need?+
Most businesses should start at Business Standard for desktop Office, and move anyone handling sensitive data or working on mobile devices to Business Premium for device management and conditional access. Mixing tiers within one tenant is permitted and usually cheaper than uniform Premium.
What does Business Premium add that Standard does not?+
Device management, conditional access, and the ability to remove company data from a lost or stolen device. On Standard, an employee leaving with company mail on a personal phone is a problem with limited remedies. Under the DPDP Act 2023 that capability is part of demonstrating reasonable security.
Are we paying for licences nobody uses?+
Very likely. Pull the sign-in activity report before your next renewal — any account not used in ninety days is either a leaver nobody removed or a licence nobody needs. Both bill monthly, and this is the single most common finding in a licence review.
Is Azure cheaper than our own server?+
Not automatically. Steady, predictable workloads are frequently cheaper on hardware you own once power, cooling, UPS replacement and the refresh cycle are counted. Variable or seasonal workloads are the opposite. Most businesses end up hybrid, and the value is drawing the line correctly.
Can we mix Microsoft 365 plans across staff?+
Yes, and it is underused. Microsoft permits mixed tiers in one tenant, so Premium for those who need security features, Standard for office staff and Basic for browser-only users is both allowed and usually cheaper than uniform licensing.
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