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Microsoft 365 enterprise users will now be able to buy new optional security and compliance packages to add deeper security and compliance features.
The extra identity and threat protection services and the additional information protection and compliance packages will be available for purchase starting Feb. 1, according to a recent post by Ron Markezich, a corporate vice president for Microsoft 365, on the Microsoft 365 Blog. Presently these services are included in the highest level Microsoft 365 subscription plans, the E5 level, but will now be offered as add-ons for lower E1 and E3 subscription plans.
“A big driver of customer adoption of Microsoft 365 is the need for security and compliance solutions in an age of increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity threats, as well as complex information protection needs due to regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),” wrote Markezich. Meeting those needs is one of the main reasons for Microsoft now offering the optional extra services for E1 and E3 plan subscribers.
Microsoft 365 brings together Windows 10, Office 365 and Microsoft’s Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS) services in one subscription package for businesses and enterprises to offer the combined tools to business users so they can do their work.
The add-on identity and threat protection services, which will be available for $12 per user per month, bring together expanded tools including Microsoft Threat Protection (also known as Azure Advanced Threat Protection), Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) and Office 365 ATP with Threat Intelligence. Also part of the package in the expanded services are
Microsoft Cloud App Security
and
Azure Active Directory
.
The optional information protection and compliance package, which will be available for $10 per user per month, will combine Office 365 Advance Compliance and Microsoft’s Azure Information Protection services, wrote Markezich. This package is built to help chief compliance officers perform ongoing risk assessments with a compliance score across Microsoft Cloud services while also automatically classifying and protecting sensitive data and responding to regulatory requests using artificial intelligence.
“All the value in these new offers remains available as part of the full Microsoft 365 E5 suite, which also includes business analytics and our enterprise grade phone system and audio conferencing,” wrote Markezich. “The full Microsoft 365 E5 suite includes not only security and compliance capabilities, but also offerings in business analytics featuring Power BI, and communications with audio conferencing and advanced phone system value.”
The new add-on options are designed to provide customers with simpler purchase, deployment and adoption of these new tools, he added.
“As we speak to customers about the future of work, we know security and compliance are some of the highest organizational priorities and we hope these new offerings will help them achieve their security and compliance goals,” wrote Markezich.
Microsoft 365 first went on sale in August 2017 to business and enterprises customers. Users include BP, Gap, Walmart and Lilly, according to Microsoft.