I'm really frustrated with the Microsoft licensing situation. It feels like the sales representatives are not being straightforward with me, especially when it comes to shifting our operations to the cloud. We have over 90TB of sensitive data that we manage with NTFS permissions, so moving everything is not practical. I've been told that our office workers qualify for the 365 F3 licensing, and I know that's true for our Police Officers since they also need an Exchange Online Plan. But what about our other departments like Road and Admin? It seems inconsistent. I've had various reps tell me different things—some say that PD admins don't qualify at all, which adds to my confusion. I'm also trying to understand what qualifies a device—I've heard mixed messages about whether large and small screens are acceptable. Ultimately, I think I need to rely on the definitions from the Microsoft comparison page to make my case. By the way, do prisoners count as 'customers' in this context?
2 Answers
It sounds like you’re really dealing with a lot of inconsistency with Microsoft’s licensing! Licensing can be super tricky, especially when different reps give conflicting information. From what I understand, the eligibility for 365 F3 can vary based on department roles, so it’s worth reaching out to your Microsoft account manager to clarify things directly. They should provide definitive answers rather than the vague info you’re getting.
I hear you on the frustration. Microsoft’s licensing tiering can seem random at times. Just to clarify, frontline plans like 365 F3 are typically geared towards workers who aren't using a full desktop app—think more about mobile and light usage. It might help to list out exactly what everyone in your departments does to get a better idea of who qualifies. That can really help with making your case!
That's good advice! It's all about understanding the user needs across departments. And yeah, definitely don’t forget to question what counts as a 'customer'—that could change everything!
Definitely! And make sure to get that information in writing while you're at it. That way, you can avoid the back-and-forth if things start to change again.