Earlier this year Microsoft introduced significant changes to the Enterprise Agreement (EA) model that could greatly affect how services such as Azure and Microsoft 365 are licensed. Is the current EA model still cost-effective, or is it worth considering a switch to Cloud Solution Provider (CSP)?
What is an Enterprise Agreement?
Enterprise Agreement (EA) is Microsoft’s traditional licensing model aimed at organisations with at least 500 users or devices. The contract runs for three years, ensuring predictable costs but limiting flexibility. Billing is annual, and any additional technical support often incurs extra charges.
What is Cloud Solution Provider?
Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) is a subscription model available to organisations of all sizes. It enables flexible monthly or annual payments for Microsoft licences and lets you adjust the number of licences to current needs, making it ideal for rapidly growing companies.
As a certified Microsoft partner, MScloud provides full technical support and managed services, helping businesses maximise the cloud’s potential. If you’re looking for a licensing model that can dynamically adapt services to business requirements while offering professional support, partnering with us is the right choice.
Who is affected by the changes?
The new rules apply to organisations with an EA and up to 6,000 users. For them, licensing costs will rise, making the traditional model less profitable—prices may be up to 30 percent higher.
The alternative is to move to Cloud Solution Provider (CSP)—a model that offers significant savings, greater flexibility and licences better aligned with real business needs.
Benefits of CSP for small and medium-sized businesses
The Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) programme offers a flexible, convenient licensing model tailored to each company’s requirements. Its key advantages include:
- Flexibility – adapt licence counts and service scope to current business demands.
- No long-term contracts – monthly billing improves budget control and allows quick adaptation to change.
- Simple management – an intuitive platform simplifies licence administration, crucial for firms without large IT departments.
- Microsoft partner support – CSP customers receive additional technical help and advice, easing technology adoption.
- Rapid service deployment – the ability to launch new solutions quickly boosts competitiveness and accelerates growth.
- Per-user licensing options – e.g. 200 Microsoft 365 E3 licences for the office team and 300 lower-cost plans for frontline workers.
The CSP model is ideal for SMBs that value flexibility, easy management and fast access to the latest Microsoft technologies without long-term contracts.
Why switch to CSP with MScloud?
If your organisation uses an Enterprise Agreement (EA) and has fewer than 6,000 users, now is the perfect time to rethink licensing. Moving to Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) reduces costs and aligns licences with actual needs—and we will ensure the entire process runs smoothly without unnecessary complications. How do we help with the transition to CSP?
- Licence audit – we analyse your current licences and show where you can save.
- Cost simulation – we prepare spending forecasts and highlight potential savings.
- Migration strategy – we develop an individual transition plan to avoid downtime and technical issues
- Certified-partner cooperation – as experienced specialists in Microsoft deployments, we ensure optimal licence alignment.
- Team training – we provide support and guidance so your staff can fully exploit new capabilities.
Organisations that prepare properly for this change can gain efficiency and better tailor their licences to rapidly evolving business needs.
Contact us for a free consultation—together we will find the best solution for your company!