You manage Microsoft 365 licences and cost by matching licences to what people actually need, removing unused seats, reviewing regularly, and choosing the right plans for different roles. Across a whole company, this often saves real money without anyone losing the tools they use. Microsoft 365 is easy to over-buy and under-review, so a bit of attention pays off.
Licence cost creeps up quietly as a firm grows. Here’s how to keep it sensible.
1. Match licences to roles
Not everyone needs the same plan. Matching the licence to what each role actually uses means you pay for the tools people need and not for ones they do not, which can make a real difference at scale.
2. Remove unused seats
Licences for people who have left, or seats sitting idle, are pure waste. Reviewing and removing them is one of the quickest ways to cut cost, especially when offboarding has been patchy.
3. Review regularly
Your needs change as you grow and as Microsoft changes its plans. A regular review keeps your licensing aligned with both, so you are not stuck on an arrangement that no longer fits or paying for more than you use.
4. Get the security you need included
Some plans include security features you would otherwise pay extra for. We help you choose plans that cover the protection you need, so you get good security and good value together.
A real example: licensing kept tidy
We supported a software company serving financial trading firms where we managed Microsoft 365 licensing across global offices, reviewing what was needed and keeping it tidy as people joined and left, so the firm paid for what it used rather than for forgotten seats.
For a software, technology or financial trading firm, this is part of managed IT and security that usually costs about £45 to £100 per user per month, scaling with your headcount, your security needs and how much uptime the business depends on.
Why technology and trading firms choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including software and technology companies and firms that serve financial markets. We know the systems these teams depend on: secure VPN and remote access, source control and build pipelines, virtual dev and test environments, Microsoft 365 and Teams, and the security that banks and regulators expect, from multi-factor authentication and endpoint protection to application allowlisting and email security. We work with technology and trading firms in London and across Essex and Hertfordshire. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we’ve been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Paying for Microsoft 365 seats you don’t use? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT and we’ll tidy it up.