Microsoft to add two new Microsoft 365 security, compliance bundles to its line-up

Microsoft is adding new Microsoft 365 packages to its subscription-service roster, as well as expanding the availability of its MyAnalytics 'fitness tracker for work' service.

Starting February 1, Microsoft adds two new Microsoft 365 subscription bundles to its price list. These packages are aimed at business customers who might not be ready to subscribe to the highest-end Microsoft 365 E5 bundle, but who are interested in some of its security and compliance features. 

The Microsoft 365 Identity & Threat Protection package will combine Microsoft Threat Protection (Azure ATP, Windows Defender ATP and Office 365 ATP) plus Microsoft Cloud App Security and Azure Active Directory. This bundle will cost $12 per user per month (before volume discounts are applied). The Microsoft 365 Information Protection & Compliance package combines Office 365 Advanced Compliance and Azure Information Protection services and is aimed at chief-compliance officers. This bundle will cost $10 per user per month (before volume discounts are applied). 

Microsoft is not removing any of the security or compliance features currently included in Microsoft 365 E5 from that roughly $54 per user per month bundle. Instead, these two new bundles will be offered alongside the current Microsoft 365 plans, officials said. Microsoft is anticipating that the majority of those interested in the two new bundles will be Office 365 E3 users already, said Corporate Vice President of Microsoft 365 Commercial Ron Markezich. 

Microsoft 365 is an integrated bundle of Windows 10, Office 365 and Enterprise Mobility + Security (aka EMS, which includes Intune device management, analytics, and some Azure Active Directory capabilities), sold on a subscription basis. Microsoft introduced the Microsoft 365 concept at its partner conference in July 2017. The first two editions (Business and Enterprise) became available for purchase in early August 2017.

In other Microsoft 365 news, Microsoft is going to make its MyAnalytics service available to any Office 365 Office 365 and Microsoft 365 Enterprise and Business customer (who has the rights to Exchange Online) for no additional cost. Currently, MyAnalytics is available as part of Office 365 and Microsoft 365 E5 (or as an add-on to E1 or E3) only.

MyAnalytics -- which Microsoft officials are calling its "fitness tracker for work" -- is a service that summarizes how users spend their time at work and then makes suggestions about ways to cut unproductive time. The service measures how much time users spend in Outlook, meetings, Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams calls and chats and work documents saved in OneDrive and SharePoint.

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