How to review Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace licenses

How do you know if the company is paying for the appropriate licenses?

Compare each license with the user's role, actual services and security, storage and retention requirements. An assigned license does not prove use, and a cheaper license may remove required controls. Include inactive accounts, shared mailboxes, administrators, former employees and contractual commitments in the review.

Risks to review

• Remove licenses without protecting mail or files.
• Assign premium plans to users who do not use their features.
• Use shared accounts to avoid licenses and lose traceability.
• Change plans without reviewing security, retention and storage.

Safe recommendations

1. Maintain a record of each user, role, license and approving owner.
2. Review blocked, duplicate, guest and inactive accounts.
3. Compare contracted features with the policies that are actually enabled.
4. Separate the needs of users, shared mailboxes, resources and administrative accounts.
5. Validate the effect on data before removing or reducing a license.
6. Repeat the review periodically and before renewals.

When to seek specialized help

• There is no reliable inventory of users and licenses.
• You plan to change plans or providers.
• There are questions about data retention, security or ownership when retiring licenses.