Client name withheld for privacy.
Summary
IT Engineering Pro cut a 25-user business’s Microsoft licensing costs by $6,000 a year, The business and its small overseas team had added Microsoft software licences by hand over time, with no regular review. Through a full software licence audit, we analysed every licence across Microsoft365, Exchange, Azure, Power PI and Dynamics, and matched each one to what people actually used.
- Annual Microsoft licensing costs: $17,000 down to $11,000
- Saving: $6,000 a year (35% lower), about $500 a month
- Software licence audit covering Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, Azure, Power BI, Dynamics 365, reviewed together, not one at a time
- Microsoft 365 licence optimisation: every user matched to the plan that fits the tools they use
- Unused and unassigned licences found and cancelled
- Local and overseas staff covered in one software licence management review
- No loss of tools for staff, with every change checked against real usage
1. The client profile
| Staff | Around 25 users, plus a small team working overseas |
|---|---|
| Microsoft services | Microsoft 365, Exchange, Azure, Power BI and Dynamics |
| Annual licencing cost | About $17,000 |
| Goal | Stop paying for licences the business did not need, without disrupting staff |
2. The problem
- Licences had been added manually whenever someone needed access, with no one checking them afterwards.
- Five different Microsoft services were billed separately, so nobody had a clear view of the total.
- Staff in Australia and overseas were set up at different times, in different ways.
- The business could not easily tell which licences were in use and which were simply being paid for.
3. Our solution
We reviewed the whole Microsoft licensing environment as part of our software licence management service, then changed only what the usage data supported:
- Full licence inventory: every licence and add-on across Microsoft 365, Exchange, Azure, Power BI and Dynamics, listed against the person or service using it.
- Usage analysis: compared what each user was licensed for with what they actually used.
- Removed what was not needed: unused and unassigned licences were cancelled.
- Right-sized plans: users were moved to the plan that covers the tools they use, rather than one plan for everyone.
- Overseas team included: their accounts were reviewed alongside local staff so the whole business was licensed consistently.
- Checked before changing: each change was confirmed against real usage so nobody lost access to tools they rely on.
4. Software licensing results
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Microsoft licensing cost | $17,000 | $11,000 | 35% lower |
| Approximate monthly cost | 6 min 20 s | 1 min 35 s | 75% faster |
| Open a large Revit/CAD model (peak) | $1,417 | $917 | $500 less a month |
| Annual saving | – | $6,000 | Every year |
| Licence management | Added by hand, never reviewed | Matched to actual use | Clear view of costs |
5. Software licensing FAQs
Software licence management means keeping track of every software licence your business pays for, who uses it and whether it is still needed. A regular software licence audit stops costs creeping up as staff join, leave or change roles.
Common signs are licences still assigned to people who have left, everyone on the same top-tier plan regardless of what they use, add-ons bought for one project and never removed, and Azure resources running around the clock that nobody checks. If licences have been added by hand over several years, there is usually money to recover.
It should not. The aim is to match each person to the plan that covers the tools they actually use, not to take tools away. Changes are checked against real usage before anything is removed.
Yes. In this project we reviewed Microsoft 365, Exchange, Azure, Power BI and Dynamics together, because savings in one area often depend on the plans chosen in another.
Not usually, but they should be included in the same review so their accounts, plans and access are managed alongside the rest of the team rather than separately.
We start with a free consultation, then give a fixed, upfront quote. For most small businesses the first year of savings covers the review.
Need help with software and licences?
We review software licensing for Melbourne businesses, including Microsoft 365, Azure, Power BI, Dynamics and Exchange. We provide a free consultation and give fixed, upfront quotes. Our team also handles managed IT, remote technical support and helpdesk support for businesses across Melbourne.
Call +61 3 9570 4742 · info@itepro.com.au · Request a free quote
IT Engineering Pro, 172 Warrigal Rd, Oakleigh VIC 3166. Open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm.