Not everyone needs Office desktop, can I mix tiers in M365?
Yes, mixing is allowed. Business Basic for people who only need webmail and Teams, Business Standard for those using the desktop apps. The savings come from honest classification, not from giving everyone one tier.
Try this first
- 1Build a short decision list per role: does someone use Outlook, Word, Excel desktop daily, or does the browser version suffice?
- 2Assign Business Basic to frontline, warehouse, temporary staff and consultants who bring their own device.
- 3Assign Business Standard to finance, sales and any role where offline use or heavy Excel files appear.
- 4Reassess yearly, because roles shift and people change, and a tier mix drifts within 18 months otherwise.
When to bring us in
If you want a first tier classification you can maintain yourself later, we can build a role matrix together.
See also
- New hire has an account but cannot reach Outlook or TeamsAn M365 account without a license is an empty shell. Assigning takes a few clicks, but picking the right plan pays off long-term.
- Employee left, but their email must be retainedPulling the license straight away starts a 30-day timer on the mailbox. The right route keeps access to the mail without paying for the license.
- We pay for licenses nobody usesBetween leavers, duplicate plans, and test accounts there is often 10-20% wasted license spend. A usage report exposes it fast.
None of the above fits?
Describe your situation below. We pass your input plus the steps you already saw to our AI and return tailored next-step advice. If it's too risky to DIY, we'll say so.
Or skip the DIY entirely
Our Managed IT clients do not look these things up. One point of contact, a fixed monthly price, resolved within working hours.