Microsoft 365 Managed Services UK: Support, Security & Costs Quick answer
Microsoft 365 managed services provide ongoing administration, technical support, security and optimisation for a business’s Microsoft 365 environment.
Instead of relying on employees or an internal IT administrator to manage everything, a Microsoft 365 provider can look after:
user accounts
licences
Microsoft Teams
Exchange Online
Outlook
SharePoint
OneDrive
Microsoft Entra ID
MFA
Conditional Access
Microsoft Defender
device management
Microsoft Intune
security policies
email security
Microsoft 365 backup
password and account issues
joiners and leavers
Microsoft 365 configuration
user support
licence optimisation
Microsoft Copilot readiness
ongoing Microsoft 365 improvements
As a rough UK guide, managed Microsoft 365 support can range from around £10 to £75+ per user per month , depending on what is included.
Microsoft licences are normally charged separately.
Requirement
Licence management only
Microsoft 365 CSP/licensing provider
Account and admin support
Microsoft 365 managed support
User helpdesk
Fully managed Microsoft 365 support
Email and Teams support
Microsoft 365 support service
Security management
Managed Microsoft 365 security
Devices and Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 + Intune managed service
Microsoft 365 plus wider IT
Managed IT service provider
Complex enterprise environment
Microsoft 365 specialist MSP
Initial move into Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 migration service
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Compare Microsoft 365 managed services Use this guide if you are comparing:
Microsoft 365 managed services
Microsoft 365 managed services UK
managed Microsoft 365
managed Office 365
Microsoft 365 support
Microsoft 365 support services
Microsoft 365 support UK
Office 365 support
Office 365 managed services
Microsoft 365 management services
Microsoft 365 MSP
Microsoft 365 managed service provider
Microsoft 365 support provider
Microsoft 365 administration services
Microsoft 365 security services
Microsoft Teams support
Microsoft SharePoint support
OneDrive support
Exchange Online support
Microsoft 365 licence management
Microsoft Intune managed services
Microsoft 365 backup
Microsoft 365 consultancy
Microsoft 365 helpdesk
managed Microsoft Defender
Microsoft 365 security monitoring
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Authored by: Ally Cox (Business Technology & B2B Services Specialist 10+ Years’ Experience)
Reviewed by: James Ward (Telecoms Specialist, 12+ Years Experience)
Last Updated: August 2026
Key takeaways
Microsoft 365 managed services are an ongoing service rather than a one-off migration project.
Providers can manage users, licences, Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, security and devices.
Current UK managed-service examples range from around £10 to £75+ per user per month.
Microsoft licensing is normally a separate cost.
Microsoft provides its own product support, but that is not the same as having an outsourced IT team managing your environment and supporting your employees.
Security should be a major part of a managed Microsoft 365 service, not an optional afterthought.
MFA, Conditional Access, administrator accounts and user access should be actively managed.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium can be attractive for smaller businesses wanting stronger identity, device and security management.
Check whether Microsoft 365 backup is included or separately charged.
Ask whether support covers end users or only your internal IT team.
Check support hours and response-time SLAs.
Joiner, mover and leaver administration should be included where appropriate.
Ask providers to separate Microsoft licence costs from management fees.
Compare what is actually included rather than choosing the lowest per-user figure.
Contents
Microsoft 365 managed services vs Microsoft 365 support
Microsoft 365 managed services vs Microsoft support
Microsoft 365 managed services cost UK
Microsoft 365 licence costs
Microsoft 365 Business Basic vs Standard vs Premium
What are Microsoft 365 managed services? Microsoft 365 managed services are outsourced services that help businesses run and maintain Microsoft 365 and these companies will often take responsibility for:
administration
user support
security
licences
devices
monitoring
policy configuration
Microsoft service changes
account creation
account removal
application support
email problems
Teams problems
SharePoint permissions
OneDrive issues
Microsoft 365 optimisation
The easiest way to think about it is:
Microsoft sells the platform.
whereas a managed service provider helps your business operate it!
Microsoft 365 managed services vs Microsoft 365 support The two terms are often used interchangeably, but there can be a substantial difference.
Microsoft 365 support
Usually focuses on:
fixing problems
answering user questions
account issues
Outlook support
Teams problems
password resets
Microsoft application problems
Microsoft 365 managed services
Usually includes support plus ongoing management such as:
licence management
security policies
user administration
monitoring
Intune
Defender
Microsoft 365 backup
Microsoft service changes
optimisation
reporting
strategic reviews
Microsoft 365 managed services vs Microsoft support Buying Microsoft 365 gives customers access to Microsoft support but it does not necessarily provide the same experience as a managed service provider, because a managed service provider can help you with:
individual employee problems
setting up new users
removing former employees
Outlook configuration
Teams administration
SharePoint permissions
device policies
licence changes
security alerts
business-specific configuration
third-party systems
escalation to Microsoft
ongoing improvements
Microsoft support is primarily support for Microsoft products whereas your MSP is there to understand how those products are used inside your business.
Microsoft 365 managed services cost UK Microsoft 365 management is commonly charged per user per month and they are currently ranging from approximately £10 to £75 per user per month depending on the service level.
As a budgeting guide:
Managed service level
Basic licence/admin support
Standard Microsoft 365 management
Microsoft 365 + end-user support
Managed security + Microsoft 365
24/7/enterprise management
Bespoke enterprise service
Microsoft 365 licence costs Management fees should not be confused with Microsoft licence charges – as of August 2026, Microsoft’s UK prices for annual subscriptions with Teams include:
Microsoft 365 plan
Business Basic
Business Standard
Microsoft also offers versions without Teams and current annual prices include approximately:
Plan without Teams
Business Basic
Business Standard
Business Premium
Microsoft pricing and packaging can change, so confirm the current licence cost before agreeing a long-term managed-service contract.
Why are Microsoft 365 managed services more expensive than the licence? Because the licence and the managed service are different things so your Microsoft licence pays for access to Microsoft’s software and cloud platform.
The management fee pays a provider to run it for you.
For example:
£10.80/month may pay for a Business Standard licence.
An additional:
£30-£50/month might pay for:
technical support
user administration
security
monitoring
account management
policy changes
licence administration
onboarding
offboarding
troubleshooting
vendor escalation
The right comparison is therefore not:
“Why does support cost more than Microsoft 365?”
It is:
“How much internal IT time and expertise does the managed service replace?”
What should Microsoft 365 managed services include? A strong service might include:
Area
Users
Create, modify and remove accounts
Licences
Add, remove and optimise licences
Exchange
Manage email and mailboxes
Outlook
Support employee email issues
Teams
Manage users, policies and support
SharePoint
Permissions and administration
OneDrive
User storage and access support
Identity
MFA
Configure and maintain authentication
Security
Policies, Defender and alerts
Devices
Intune/device management where included
Backup
Microsoft 365 data protection where included
Helpdesk
Employee technical support
Monitoring
Service/security monitoring
Reporting
Regular service information
Microsoft escalation
Raise/escalate issues with Microsoft
Strategy
Review usage and recommend improvements
Microsoft 365 administration Administration can include:
creating users
deleting users
changing names
resetting passwords
assigning licences
changing licences
creating shared mailboxes
distribution lists
group membership
email forwarding
aliases
administrator roles
guest accounts
Teams membership
SharePoint access
security groups
These tasks sound simple individually but across a growing organisation, they can consume a surprising amount of IT time.
Microsoft Defender Microsoft offers several Defender security products, so depending on licensing, these can help protect:
devices
identities
email
cloud applications
Microsoft 365 data
Microsoft currently lists Defender for Business separately at £2.30 per user/month on annual billing and includes it with Business Premium, and having managed service can add the important human layer:
configuring policies
reviewing alerts
investigating problems
responding to threats
maintaining the service
Microsoft Intune managed services Intune is Microsoft’s cloud device and application management platform and a provider can use it to manage:
Windows laptops
mobiles
tablets
applications
security configuration
device compliance
updates
corporate data
remote device actions
This can be particularly useful for businesses with:
remote workers
hybrid staff
multiple offices
company laptops
mobile working
bring-your-own-device policies
Ask whether Intune configuration is included in standard Microsoft 365 management or sold as an additional service.
Teams Phone management Microsoft Teams can also provide business telephony, which they currently list Teams Phone Standard at £7.70 per user/month , excluding VAT, on annual billing and having a managed provider can additionally help with:
phone numbers
porting
call queues
auto attendants
users
permissions
calling policies
devices
reporting
troubleshooting
SharePoint managed services SharePoint can become difficult to manage if a business grows without clear structure and using a managed provider can help with:
sites
document libraries
permissions
external sharing
data structure
governance
storage
Teams integration
user access
security
retention
The bigger question is often not:
“How do we use SharePoint?”
but:
“Who should be able to see what?”
Permissions need regular review.
OneDrive management OneDrive is designed primarily for individual users’ business files so managed support can help with:
syncing problems
permissions
account changes
storage
lost files
sharing
device setup
employee departures
data transfer
Microsoft 365 licence management Licence management sounds straightforward until a business has dozens or hundreds of users so a managed provider can help identify:
unused licences
former staff still licensed
employees on unnecessarily expensive plans
users missing required security features
duplicate products
licences bought through different channels
This can sometimes offset part of the managed-service fee as there is little value paying for unused subscriptions month after month.
Microsoft 365 Business Basic vs Standard vs Premium For businesses with fewer than 300 users, three common options are Business Basic, Business Standard and Business Premium.
Business Basic
Usually suited to employees who mainly need:
business email
web/mobile Office apps
OneDrive
SharePoint
Teams where using a Teams-inclusive licence
Business Standard
Adds desktop Microsoft applications such as:
Outlook
Word
Excel
PowerPoint
It is a common option for office-based employees.
Business Premium
Business Premium is particularly relevant when comparing managed services because it adds stronger identity, security and device-management capabilities which can be useful for businesses wanting to manage:
company devices
user access
security policies
endpoint protection
remote workers
Microsoft 365 Copilot management Copilot has introduced another management requirement into Microsoft 365.
Simply buying licences does not mean a business is ready to deploy AI across company information.
Before rolling out Microsoft 365 Copilot, consider:
SharePoint permissions
overshared files
sensitive information
Teams data
user access
security groups
data governance
employee training
acceptable-use policies
licence allocation
Does a Microsoft 365 MSP manage Copilot? Potentially! Services can include:
Copilot readiness
licence management
security reviews
permission reviews
rollout planning
pilot groups
employee training
adoption
governance
ongoing support
Microsoft 365 managed services for small businesses Managed Microsoft 365 can work particularly well for smaller UK businesses without an internal IT department.
For example, a company with 15 employees may not justify hiring:
an IT support technician
a Microsoft 365 administrator
a security specialist
But, a managed service can provide access to these skills as part of one monthly service. and good candidates include:
professional services firms
accountants
estate agents
recruiters
charities
construction businesses
healthcare businesses
retailers
hospitality groups
growing SMEs
remote teams
multi-site businesses
Microsoft 365 managed services for larger businesses Larger organisations may already have internal IT staff and so in this case, a managed provider can deliver:
third-line Microsoft expertise
24/7 escalation
security monitoring
project support
SharePoint expertise
Intune management
Microsoft vendor escalation
licence management
specialist consulting
The provider does not necessarily replace internal IT but it might provide expertise and capacity the internal team does not have.
Microsoft 365 managed services vs managed IT services These services overlap, but they are not identical.
Microsoft 365 managed services
Microsoft 365
Exchange
Teams
OneDrive
SharePoint
Entra ID
Intune
Defender
Microsoft licensing
Microsoft 365 managed services vs managed cloud services Microsoft 365 management is more specialised and managed cloud services can include:
Azure
AWS
Google Cloud
cloud servers
databases
cloud security
infrastructure
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 managed services
Microsoft productivity platform
Exchange
Teams
SharePoint
OneDrive
User/device management
Microsoft security
Microsoft 365 SLAs A service-level agreement should explain response targets.
For example:
Incident
Entire business cannot access email
Several users affected
High
One employee cannot use Outlook
Licence request
New user setup
When should you compare Microsoft 365 managed service providers? Compare providers if:
staff regularly struggle with Microsoft 365
you have no internal IT team
your IT administrator is overloaded
Microsoft licences are poorly managed
employees are joining or leaving frequently
security policies have not been reviewed
MFA is inconsistently configured
your current MSP provides poor support
Microsoft 365 costs are increasing
SharePoint permissions are messy
Teams has grown without governance
you want to deploy Intune
you want stronger Microsoft security
you are rolling out Copilot
you have recently migrated Microsoft 365
your Microsoft support contract is ending
you want one supplier to manage users and licences
Our Final verdict Microsoft 365 is straightforward to buy but running it properly is more complicated.
If your business depends on Microsoft 365 for:
email
Teams
files
SharePoint
identity
devices
security
someone needs to administer it, and Microsoft 365 managed services can provide that ongoing management without the business needing to employ every skill internally.
Current UK managed-service pricing can range from roughly £10 to £75+ per user per month , with higher prices generally associated with broader support, end-user helpdesk, security management or 24/7 services and Microsoft licences are usually additional.
When comparing providers, focus on:
support
security
Microsoft expertise
response times
licensing
backup
user administration
service scope
contract terms
total monthly cost
The cheapest provider is not necessarily the cheapest option if employees lose hours every time Outlook, Teams or account access goes wrong.
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FAQs: Microsoft 365 managed services UK What are Microsoft 365 managed services?
Microsoft 365 managed services provide ongoing administration, support, security and optimisation for Microsoft 365. Services can cover Exchange, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Entra ID, Intune, Defender and Microsoft licences.
How much do Microsoft 365 managed services cost?
Current UK service examples range from around £10 to £75+ per user per month. Costs depend on support hours, end-user helpdesk, security, device management, backup and the level of provider involvement.
Are Microsoft 365 licences included?
Sometimes. Some providers bundle licences into their monthly fee, while others charge Microsoft licensing and managed support separately. Ask for both costs to be itemised.
What is the difference between Office 365 and Microsoft 365 managed services?
Office 365 is Microsoft’s older branding and the term is still commonly used. Most providers advertising Office 365 managed services now support the wider Microsoft 365 platform.
Does Microsoft 365 include support?
Microsoft provides product support with Microsoft 365 subscriptions. A managed service can go further by supporting your employees, administering accounts, managing security, configuring services and understanding your individual business environment.
Is Microsoft 365 support charged per user?
It often is. Per-user-per-month pricing is common, although large or complex organisations may receive a bespoke monthly service price.
What does Microsoft 365 support include?
Depending on the contract, support can include Outlook, email, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, accounts, licences, passwords, MFA, devices and Microsoft application troubleshooting.
Does Microsoft 365 managed support include cybersecurity?
It can. More comprehensive services may manage Defender, MFA, Conditional Access, Intune, email security, identity protection and security alerts.
Does Microsoft 365 include backup?
Microsoft includes native recovery and retention capabilities, but some organisations choose additional backup. Ask providers whether third-party Microsoft 365 backup is included and exactly which workloads are protected.
Can an MSP manage our Microsoft licences?
Yes. Managed service providers commonly add and remove Microsoft licences and can help identify unused or unsuitable subscriptions.
Can an MSP manage Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Providers can manage Teams users, policies, meetings, external access, guest users, Teams Phone and technical support.
Can an MSP manage SharePoint?
Yes. Services can include SharePoint administration, permissions, sites, sharing policies, troubleshooting and governance.
Can an MSP manage OneDrive?
Yes. A provider can help with syncing, permissions, data recovery, sharing and employee onboarding/offboarding.
Can an MSP manage Microsoft Intune?
Yes. Many Microsoft-focused MSPs provide Intune management for company laptops, mobiles, security policies, applications and compliance.
What is Microsoft Entra ID?
Microsoft Entra ID is Microsoft’s cloud identity and access platform, previously known as Azure Active Directory. It controls many of the identities, logins and access policies used across Microsoft 365.
Should a managed provider enable MFA?
MFA should form part of a modern Microsoft 365 security approach. A provider can configure, enforce and support authentication policies.
Is Business Premium better for managed Microsoft 365?
Business Premium can be attractive to businesses wanting stronger security and device-management capabilities. Whether it is suitable depends on your users and requirements.
Can a managed provider help with Copilot?
Yes. Providers may offer Copilot readiness, security reviews, permissions audits, deployment, licences, governance and employee training.
Should every employee have the same Microsoft 365 licence?
Not necessarily. Different employees may need different capabilities. Licence optimisation can reduce unnecessary Microsoft 365 spending.
Can Microsoft 365 managed services replace internal IT?
For some small businesses, yes. Larger organisations may instead use an MSP to supplement their internal IT team with Microsoft expertise or additional support capacity.
What is the difference between Microsoft 365 managed services and managed IT?
Microsoft 365 services focus on the Microsoft cloud environment. Managed IT normally covers a wider range of technology such as computers, networks, internet connections, servers, printers and third-party software.
What happens when an employee leaves?
A managed provider can block access, revoke sessions, manage the mailbox, preserve business data, transfer OneDrive files and remove unnecessary licences.
Do managed services include Microsoft 365 migration?
Not always. Migration is normally a separate project. Some MSPs offer migration and then transition customers onto an ongoing managed service.
How do I choose a Microsoft 365 provider?
Compare Microsoft expertise, helpdesk support, security, backup, licensing, service hours, SLAs, contract terms, user administration and total monthly cost.
Related MSP, cloud and Microsoft guides Cloud Connectivity UK https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/cloud-connectivity
Private Cloud Networking https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/private-cloud-networking
Business Connectivity Solutions https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/business-connectivity-solutions
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Hi, I’m Ally Cox , a senior copywriter and blogger at CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk, the UK’s trusted platform for comparing business services.over a decade of experience in the B2B sector, I specialise in simplifying complex topics like leased lines, VoIP, business energy, HR and payroll solutions, accounting software, and EPOS systems .HR, copywriting, and business operations- from clocking-in systems to card machines and office technology .informed, confident decisions when choosing products and services that improve efficiency and save money.