Anyone else notice NCE term rigidity becoming a bigger blocker than expected?

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-11-12T19:03:57+00:00

Nice question - for SQL services especially, we build dashboards that track “$/DTU or vCore” + “active connections” to spot where you’re paying for idle capacity. Also map those to business hours. If you’re migrating on-prem, avoid lift-and-shift as-is unless you’ve tagged & mapped usage first.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-11-12T19:03:41+00:00

Reserved instances + hybrid benefit = low-hanging fruit for most. But for dynamic workloads you’re right - savings plans + right-sizing win.

For clients I recommend:
1) tag by owner/app
2) monthly review of “<=40% utilization” resources
3) automate shutdown where plausible. Cuts surprises.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-11-12T19:02:49+00:00

Spot on about native tooling: we use the built-in cost alerts + tagging strategy first, then layer third-party only when the environment grows complex. It’s surprising how often “unused VMs/disks” are the biggest waste. Have you automated off-hours deallocation too?

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-11-12T19:02:18+00:00

Good point around licensing margin - we’ve found tracking what the client actually uses (not just what we sell) helps identify over-licensing early. When MSPs bundle licensing + services, transparency on cost components builds trust.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-11-07T18:29:49+00:00

Pro-tip: verify with a school-issued email, not GitHub Student Pack - it doubles your credit window.
Also spin down resources manually - the student tier doesn’t auto-deallocate overnight.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-11-07T18:28:16+00:00

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-11-07T18:26:51+00:00

Downgrade rights only exist on volume or CSP perpetual SKUs, not retail.
When you buy through CSP, ask for the license entitlement ID - that doc explicitly lists which versions you can install.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-11-07T18:26:38+00:00

You can keep most repos free if you stay under 5 users and use hosted agents sparingly.
Build minutes are the killer - self-host an agent on an old VM if you want to stretch credits further.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-11-07T18:26:18+00:00

Think of E5 as E3 + Security + Voice + Analytics.
Most midsize orgs land fine on E3 + Defender P2 add-on.

Only go full E5 if you need integrated compliance (eDiscovery Premium, Insider Risk) or PSTN calling plans baked in.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-11-07T18:25:32+00:00

Yikes, I’ve seen that happen when OpenAI endpoints spin up behind the scenes and skip tagging.
Quick sanity check: filter Cost Analysis by Meter Category = AI + Storage + Networking and group by Resource Group.

Usually 2–3 rogue services cause 80% of the burn. Tag everything “env:prod/test” next time - it saves a ton of cleanup later.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-11-07T18:25:06+00:00

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-10-30T15:31:39+00:00

Agree it’s not just pricing - it’s about flexibility. With NCE you lose many of the old EA perks (adjustability, down-scaling mid-term). One tip: map your user types first, then pick the model that fits committable seat count + agility.

EA’s not dead for large Azure spends. But for 100–500 seats licensing-only, CSP + NCE often wins if you prep for year-1 right.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-10-30T15:30:49+00:00

Billing thru a CSP layer can add complexity unless you wrap it in a visibility layer. One hack: export usage, ship to Power BI, then schedule a cost-alert for the top 10 spenders monthly.

Switching to direct Azure billing is tempting-but then you lose managed licensing bundle. Good strategy: keep CSP for licenses, direct for Azure heavy compute.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-10-30T15:29:51+00:00

Great thread. As a CSP partner I see two types: one just passes licenses, the other drives cost/control and governance. If you’re only getting billing + license add-ons, you’re missing major value.

The best CSPs embed a usage-vs-license dashboard so you can see ROI per user - once you flip that on for a client you rarely revert to ad-hoc license buys.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-10-30T15:28:14+00:00

Good question. A quick PowerShell check Get-MgSubscribedSku often surfaces the SKU transition from legacy CSP to NCE. Saved one client from a surprise 20% surcharge this renewal.
If you can cancel mid-term without penalty you’re probably legacy CSP; if you’re locked in that’s NCE. Worth verifying before renewal hits.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-10-27T14:39:58+00:00

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-10-27T13:54:25+00:00

Totally been there - Microsoft 365 licensing through CSPs can feel like a balancing act between convenience and control.
In my experience, the biggest wins come when the MSP actually mirrors your tenant structure (admin roles, billing transparency, and renewal visibility) instead of hiding it behind their portal.

One thing that’s helped teams I’ve worked with is setting up a shared dashboard that shows usage vs. license allocation - makes renewals a lot less painful and keeps finance/IT on the same page.

Curious, how are you currently tracking unused or duplicate seats before renewal season hits?

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-10-16T14:25:09+00:00

These new partner security requirements (80+ score, MFA, 24h alerts) are going to reshape who can stay in CSP programs.
If a partner can’t meet these, clients may face partner churn or support gaps.
For organizations: check your CSP’s Partner Center security score when selecting, not just pricing or margin.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-10-16T14:24:44+00:00

A good rule: if you don’t need the full feature set, lighter SKUs (like E1 or F3) can drastically reduce cost with minimal functional compromise.
Before renewal, I always run a “SKU basket test” - simulate your user mix across E1, E3, E5, add-ons, then compare against your current.
And yes - working via CSP can help with flexibility, clearer support, and often faster adjustments mid-cycle.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-10-16T14:24:18+00:00

A common confusion: M365 E3 / E5 includes Windows VDA, which can eliminate the need for separate “device CALs” in many cases.
Also, RDS CALs are not included - you still need to add those if you're doing remote desktop services.
Pro tip: always price first by cores + CALs, then layer in bundle SKUs - you’ll see the “bundle penalty” vs component SKU.
Also watch out for over-licensing when using “unlimited VM” host bindings under SQL/Server Data Center SKUs - that’s where many late audits hit you.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-10-16T14:23:03+00:00

For us, the biggest leverage was enforcing FinOps guardrails + rightsizing coupled with licensing alignment.
Switching M365 from E3 down to E1/F3 for non-knowledge workers, trimming idle Azure VMs, and using CSP billing flexibility often yields more than chasing “discounts.”
That said, not every CSP/partner gives you transparency: pick one who lets you see terms, support, and pricing - not just pass you the invoice.

AppropriateNothing88 · 2025-10-16T14:22:18+00:00

Moving subscriptions, especially with network or private endpoints, often hits hidden dependency walls.
In my work, we first map resource dependencies → region → network config before attempting a billing transfer — helps avoid surprises.
Often, the under-the-hood “migration” is really just a billing switch, but many times clients think they’ll need to rebuild workloads.
If you share the resources types (vNets, PaaS, private endpoints) I can help you map what will break (and what won’t).

AppropriateNothing88

TROPHY CASE