Why This Matters
Organizations are facing increasing cybersecurity threats and operational complexity. Microsoft is responding by embedding premium capabilities into core plans—simplifying licensing and reducing the need for standalone add-ons.
New Features Included
- Office 365 E1, Business Basic, Business Standard
- Safe Links (URL Checks) for phishing protection.
- Office 365 E3
- Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 (previously $2/user/month add-on)
- Microsoft 365 E3
- Intune Remote Help ($3.50/user/month)
- Intune Advanced Analytics ($5/user/month)
- Intune Plan 2 ($4/user/month)
- Microsoft 365 E5
- Intune Endpoint Privilege Management ($3/user/month)
- Enterprise Application Management ($2/user/month)
- Cloud PKI ($2/user/month)
- Security Copilot Agents (previously SCU-based pricing)
Visual Comparison: Current vs. Future Features
Impact
- If you currently pay for Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 or Intune add-ons, these costs disappear post-July 2026.
- Organizations not using these features gain access without extra licensing complexity.
- Security Copilot becomes embedded in E5—huge value for security teams.
Actionable Steps
- Audit your current add-ons: Calculate what you’re paying for Defender and Intune extras.
- Model future costs: Compare new base prices vs. eliminated add-ons.
- Plan adoption: Enable these advanced features now to maximize ROI.
Bottom Line
This isn’t just a price increase—it’s a value increase. By consolidating advanced security and management tools into core SKUs, Microsoft is simplifying licensing and delivering more capability for less complexity.