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Is Microsoft 365 E5 Right for Your Organization?

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By David Rosenthal

If ensuring business continuity and security for a large team is a top priority, the answer is likely yes.

Navigating Microsoft’s subscription plans can be tricky. Growing businesses need to satisfy their technology needs at the lowest possible cost, and paying for services and features that don’t positively impact the bottom line (either in the short term or over longer periods) is unacceptable. 

However, for organizations that do in fact require the most comprehensive package of productivity and communication tools, security platforms, and a well-developed ecosystem for supporting enterprise-grade IT services, Microsoft 365 E5 is the undisputed market leader. 

And it’s with good reason. E5 is Microsoft’s most comprehensive license offering. It has virtually all of the major features available within the Microsoft 365 family of subscription products. All Microsoft 365 packages combine an array of individual apps, products, and digital services that fall under three headings:

  1. Windows 11 Enterprise
  2. Office 365
  3. Enterprise Mobility + Security

That means licensees have access to Microsoft’s operating system, suite of business apps, and a secure platform that protects in-person, remote, and hybrid workforces.

Microsoft 365 E5 includes:

  • Word
  • Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • Outlook
  • OneNote
  • SharePoint
  • OneDrive
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Power BI Pro
  • Windows 11
  • Microsoft Endpoint Manager

Features You’ll Only Find in E5:

  • Azure Active Directory Premium 1 & 2: Simply access and manage policies from a single, secure platform
  • Microsoft Defender for Office 365: Prevent zero-day exploits, phishing attacks, ransomware, and other dangerous cyberthreats
  • Azure Information Protection Plan 2: Add context and labels to critical data assets for easy discoverability
  • Information Protection and Governance: Prevent accidental data loss by configuring retention labels
  • Insider Risk Management: Rapidly identify and investigate suspicious signals from inside your organization
  • Phone System: Manage PBX systems and cloud-based calling solutions and extend their capabilities into Microsoft Teams
  • Audio Conferencing: Host up to 250 callers at a time in group audio meetings
  • Power BI Pro: Separate signal from noise, extract insights from your data, and visualize insights for faster decision-making
  • Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: Lock down every endpoint and accelerate post-breach detection with automated investigations
  • Microsoft Defender for Identity: Protect your systems and networks from intruders without impeding the workflow of authorized users 
  • Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps: Monitor and manage data as it moves across your cloud assets in real time to prevent and identify cyberthreats
  • Advanced eDiscovery and Advanced Audit: Make compliance less of a struggle with information that is always organized, discoverable, and securely accessible
  • Built-in Third Party Connectors: Feed your Microsoft apps with data from across your tech stack, including from social media, instant messaging, and document collaboration platforms

Additionally, Microsoft 365 E5 provides all of the features included in the lower-tier E3 plan, such as:

  • Microsoft Bookings: Appointment scheduling and managing app
  • Microsoft Stream: Corporate video-sharing service
  • Power Apps for Microsoft 365: Low-code app development
  • Power Virtual Agents for Teams: Custom chatbot creator
  • Microsoft Planner: Virtual task management 
  • Microsoft 365 Admin Center: Manage services, data, and users across all Microsoft 365 products
  • Endpoint Analytics Proactive Remediation: Predict, prevent, and solve common support issues
  • Windows Hello: Seamless and secure passwordless log-in
  • DirectAccess: Protected remote access without a traditional VPN
  • BitLocker: Encrypt sensitive drives to prevent data exfiltration
  • Visio for the Web: Create and share diagrams and flowcharts
  • Power Automate for Microsoft 365: Turn routine tasks into an automated workflow
  • Windows Autopilot: Decrease IT’s burden with automated deployment
  • Device Guard: Prevent bad code from running before it can cause harm
  • Microsoft Secure Score: Monitor your holistic defensive posture from a centralized dashboard

Though E5 is Microsoft’s most extensive subscription package, there are features which some organizations may want that are not included and must be purchased as an add-on license, including:

  • Domestic and International Calling Plans: Calls to Skype or Teams are free, but external calls require a paid plan
  • Communication Credits: A convenient way to pay for Audio Conferencing and Calling Plan minutes
  • Microsoft Teams Rooms Premium: Additional planning, monitoring, and security services for Teams meetings
  • Microsoft Project: Project management and workload analysis software
  • Microsoft Visio: Desktop-based flowchart and diagramming app
  • Multi-Geo: Extends Microsoft 365 to tenants outside of a home location
  • Privacy Management: Identifies privacy risks and conflict and automates responses
  • App Governance: An add-on to Defender for Cloud Apps designed for OAuth-enabled apps
  • Azure Purview: Unified data governance for on-premises, multicloud, and SaaS data
  • Compliance Manager Premium Templates: Security frameworks for complying with data collection and sharing regulations
  • Microsoft Sentinel: Cloud-native, AI-powered Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
  • Microsoft 365 Defender Raw logs: Transfer incidents, alerts, and raw event data from Defender into Sentinel
  • Defender for Endpoint for Servers: Extends Defender’s capabilities to the Windows Server operating system

Boost Your Team’s Productivity, Collaboration, and Security With Microsoft 365 E5

Microsoft’s comprehensive suite of best-in-class apps gives you everything you need for secure growth, with tools for productivity, communication and collaboration, AI-enhanced security, intuitive compliance management, voice capabilities, and intelligent analytics.

Businesses powered by Microsoft 365 E5 are better able to promote a more collaborative and productive workforce, get more from their technology investments, break down information silos, and convert their data into actionable insights that untap greater value for their business.

Furthermore, Microsoft’s industry-leading security services are built right into E5. There’s no more powerful platform for protecting your critical and sensitive data with information protection and advanced compliance tools that limit your risk exposure. E5 helps organizations reduce their administrative burden and their attack surface by automating security with integrated identity and access management that is paired with the security platform that the world’s biggest companies depend on.

Combining Razor Technology’s advanced implementation and support with Microsoft’s tools for business accelerates your digital transformation; secures your in-person, remote, and hybrid workforce; and amplifies collaboration and productivity throughout your organization.

Razor Technology is your trusted IT managed service provider. Save time and money on your IT and cloud services by calling Razor Tech today.