Microsoft 365 and Email Management in Haverhill

What Microsoft 365 Management Covers

Microsoft 365 management for a small business covers three broad areas: getting the platform set up correctly (or migrated from an older system), configuring the security and collaboration tools your business needs, and keeping everything running and up to date on an ongoing basis. We handle all of this for businesses running Windows PCs and laptops.

Email is usually the starting point. Exchange Online, which is included in every Microsoft 365 plan, needs correct DNS records, properly configured mailboxes and Outlook set up on each Windows PC or laptop. Beyond email, most businesses also need SharePoint for file storage and sharing, Teams for internal communication and calls, and security features like multi-factor authentication switched on for every account.

What Does Microsoft 365 Support Cost?

Our support contracts are priced per computer per month, not per user. This matters for businesses where staff share computers, or where some users work on one machine while others have dedicated laptops. All prices below exclude VAT.

Business Essentials covers unlimited remote and phone support during office hours, with updates, backups and security monitoring included. On-site visits are charged separately at a £60 call-out fee plus labour on top.

• 1 computer - £36/month
• 2-3 computers - £31.20 each per month
• 4-9 computers - £25.20 each per month
• 10-17 computers - £22.20 each per month
• 18 or more - £21.60 each per month

Business Premium: when comparing it with Business Essentials, check whether it includes everything in the lower tier and whether on-site labour and call-outs are charged per visit.

• 1 computer - £54/month
• 2-3 computers - £42 each per month
• 4-6 computers - £38.60 each per month
• 7-9 computers - £33.80 each per month
• 10-12 computers - £31.20 each per month
• 13-15 computers - £28.40 each per month
• 16-19 computers - £25.40 each per month
• 20 or more - £24.40 each per month

If a monthly contract does not suit, pre-paid time blocks are available: 4 hours for £312, 8 hours for £592 or 16 hours for £1,123. When considering a pre-paid block, check whether it includes monitoring or priority service and how long it stays valid.

A managed email service is also available. The price for that is quoted on request, as it depends on the number of mailboxes and what is needed.

What Pushes the Cost Up

Several factors increase what a Microsoft 365 project costs, whether that is the initial setup or a migration from an old system.

• The number of users and computers. More machines mean more Outlook configurations, more user accounts to set up and more licences to manage. The per-computer price drops at higher volumes (as shown above), but total spend increases.
• Migrating from a complex old system. Moving from a local Exchange server with shared mailboxes, public folders, distribution lists and years of archived email is more involved than migrating from a simple hosted email account. Public folders in particular take time to convert to a form that works in Exchange Online.
• Unstructured or large volumes of existing files. If your business has years of data on a local file server or shared drive that needs migrating into SharePoint or OneDrive, the time needed depends on how much data there is and how well organised it is. A tidy folder structure migrates faster than a chaotic one.
• Poor DNS management history. If previous providers have left incorrect or conflicting DNS records, these need cleaning up before email authentication can be configured correctly. This adds time to the initial setup.
• Security remediation. If the existing tenant has been set up without security basics in place - no MFA, no audit logging, admin accounts used for daily work - getting it to a proper standard takes additional work, especially if there is any suspicion of a previous compromise.
• Choosing Business Premium over Business Essentials. If you have regular on-site needs, Business Premium works out cheaper overall. If your business rarely needs a visit, Business Essentials with occasional call-outs may cost less. The right choice depends on your situation.

What Keeps the Cost Down

Just as some factors push costs up, others keep them lower.

• A clean, simple starting point. A business with a straightforward hosted email account, few users and a basic file structure needs less work to migrate than a complex environment.
• Licences already in place. If Microsoft 365 licences are already assigned and the basic tenant exists, there is less setup work needed. We can often build on what is already there.
• Staff who are comfortable with technology. Users who pick up new tools quickly need less hand-holding during the transition, which reduces the time we spend on-site or on the phone.
• Fewer computers at higher contract tiers. The per-computer rate drops significantly at higher quantities. A business with 10 computers on Business Essentials pays £22.20 per computer per month rather than £36 for a single computer.

Microsoft 365 Licence Costs - a Separate Question

The prices above are for IT support and management. Microsoft 365 licences themselves are a separate cost paid directly to Microsoft (or through a reseller). The licence tier you choose - Business Basic, Business Standard or Business Premium - affects what tools your staff have access to and what security features are available. We can advise on the right plan for your business, but the licence cost itself is not part of our support pricing.

What You Should Ask Before Committing

Whoever you use, ask these questions before agreeing to anything. Is the support billed per computer or per user? (Per-user billing can get expensive in businesses where some people use more than one device.) Are on-site visits included or charged separately? What is the process for adding or removing users? And who holds the admin credentials for your Microsoft 365 tenant - you should always have your own access.

We work with businesses in Haverhill and the surrounding area, including Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Newmarket and Ely. Call us to talk through what your setup needs and what it will cost.