Microsoft 365 license optimization

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Microsoft 365 license optimization

    Microsoft 365 license optimization in ServiceNow’s Software Asset Management provides actionable recommendations to optimize your Microsoft 365, Office 365, and Power BI subscription licenses based on actual usage data. This enables you to improve license efficiency, reduce costs, and gain enhanced visibility into user activity and subscription status.

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    Key Features

    • Subscription Details Report: Displays counts of active, inactive, and unassigned Microsoft 365 licenses grouped by software models. Active subscriptions are those with user activity in the past 90 days, inactive have no recent activity, and unassigned show available licenses not yet allocated.
    • Optimization Recommendations Report: Identifies licenses eligible for downgrades or reclamation based on usage patterns over the last 12 months. Recommendations include downgrading from higher-tier plans (e.g., Office 365 E5 to E3, Microsoft 365 E5 to E3), resolving double licenses, and consolidating subscriptions.
    • Potential Savings Reports: Detail cost savings achievable through recommended license adjustments. This includes monthly potential savings from downgrade candidates, double licensed users, and consolidation opportunities. A separate report covers Windows Server license savings.
    • Microsoft 365 Portal Subscription Details: Offers insight into licenses available for each subscription from the Microsoft portal, including purchased rights, assigned rights, and subscription profiles, helping verify purchased versus assigned licenses.

    Key Outcomes

    • Improved understanding of Microsoft 365 license utilization and allocation within your organization.
    • Identification and execution of cost-saving license adjustments such as downgrades and consolidations.
    • Ability to act directly on recommendations to downgrade or reclaim licenses, reducing unnecessary licensing expenses.
    • Enhanced tracking of unused or inactive licenses to optimize license assignments effectively.

    Find Software Asset Management optimization recommendations for Microsoft 365 based on usage.

    Table 1. Microsoft 365 available subscription detailsEnhanced visibility of user activity within Microsoft 365 subscriptions
    Report Description
    Microsoft 365 subscription details

    Number of active, inactive, and unassigned user subscription details for Microsoft 365, Office 365, and Power BI products, which are grouped by software models.

    Select a data point to view more details about the user subscriptions for a software model.
    • Select the Active subscriptions bar to view the active user subscriptions, where the last activity date is equal to or less than 90 days.
    • Select the Inactive subscriptions bar to view the inactive subscriptions, where the last activity date is empty or was before 90 days.
    • Select the Unassigned subscriptions bar to view the number of available rights or user subscriptions that are unassigned.
    Table 2. Microsoft 365 optimization recommendations for subscriptions based on usage
    Report Description
    Microsoft 365 optimization recommendations

    Number of licenses per month that can be downgraded or reclaimed based on recommended downgrade, double licensed, and consolidate candidates. This report displays data for the last 12 months.

    Select any bar to view more details and act on the recommended downgrade or dual license candidates for a given month.
    • Select a bar that is marked as Downgrades from Office 365 E5 to E3 to view the list of candidates that can be downgraded from Office 365 E5 to Office 365 E3. Select a candidate from the list to downgrade the related license.
    • Select a bar that is marked as Downgrades from Office 365 E3 to E1 to view the list of candidates that can be downgraded from Office 365 E3 to Office 365 E1. Select a candidate from the list to downgrade the associated license.
    • Select a bar that is marked asDowngrades from Microsoft 365 E5 to E3 to view the list of candidates that can be downgraded from Microsoft 365 E5 to Microsoft 365 E3.
    • Select a bar that is marked as Downgrades from Microsoft 365 E3 to F3 to view the list of candidates that can be downgraded from Microsoft 365 E3 to Microsoft 365 F3.
    • Select a bar that is marked as Consolidate to view the list of consolidated Microsoft 365 optimization candidates.
    Table 3. Potential savings based on recommendation type
    Report Description
    Potential savings by optimizing licenses Potential cost savings for licenses on your physical hosts and clusters that are based on recommended license optimizations.
    Note:
    This report is available only for Microsoft Windows Server licenses.
    Select the report to view details about the recommended license optimizations and associated cost savings for each host or cluster. License optimizations include the recommended license, recommended rights, and recommended spending.
    Microsoft 365 potential savings by type

    Potential monthly savings for Microsoft 365 and Office 365 licenses that are based on recommended downgrade, double license, and consolidate candidates. This report displays potential savings for the last 12 months.

    Select any bar to view more details about the recommended downgrade or dual license candidates for a given month.
    • Select a bar that is marked as Downgrades to view the list of candidates that can be downgraded to a previous version of Microsoft 365 and Office 365.
    • Select a bar that is marked as Double Licensed Users to view the list of candidates with both Microsoft 365 and its applications (Office 365, Enterprise Mobility+Security (EMS), Windows) subscriptions.
    • Select a bar that is marked as Consolidate to view the list of Microsoft 365 consolidate subscriptions reclamation candidates.
    Microsoft 365 portal available subscription details Number of licenses that are available on the Microsoft portal per subscription.

    Select a bar to view details about the purchased subscription details, such as software model, product, purchased rights, assigned rights, available rights, and subscription profile.