As cloud transformation becomes a key priority for businesses, the adoption of cloud-based productivity suites has surged. In particular, Microsoft 365 (M365), formerly known as Office 365, has proven to be a vital part of business processes, with commercial revenue growing 16% in fiscal year 2024.

Subscribing to M365 provides organizations with a wide array of tools to improve collaboration, boost operations, and ensure business continuity. However, to unlock enhanced security features and the full value of the suite, many companies turn to Microsoft 365 managed services for support.

What Types of Support and Maintenance Services Are Included with Microsoft 365?

At its base, Microsoft 365 offers a set of cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools, as well as support and maintenance services. These include:

• Platform uptime and availability: The service level agreements (SLAs) from Microsoft guarantee a certain percentage of uptime for services, usually around 99.9%. This refers to the expected availability of the cloud infrastructure and data centers supporting the M365 tools. 
• Basic technical support: Microsoft offers self-service troubleshooting resources and standard support via phone, chat, and email support for business or enterprise plans. However, this support is limited to general troubleshooting, like when users experience a bug in an application, and does not include deep technical diagnostics.
• Billing and subscriptions: Microsoft team members assist with M365 subscription management, including licensing, billing inquiries, user provisioning, and renewals.
• Cloud infrastructure security: Microsoft is responsible for infrastructure-layer security and compliance (FedRAMP, ISO 27001, SOC 2), while customers focus on tenant-level policies, permissions, and data governance.
• Updates and patches: Microsoft automatically deploys updates, patches, and new features across Microsoft 365 apps with no manual intervention needed.

This basic support may be enough for some customers, but it does leave gaps in day-to-day management, optimization, and advanced security measures. For example, these services will not include root cause analysis or deep forensic investigation for security incidents. They also will not provide personalized advice on customization and configurations you can implement to get the most out of your tools.

While there are some security features, such as basic identity and access management and limited data backup, a premium plan is needed for capabilities like information rights management and stronger endpoint security. Even with a premium plan, accomplishing anything that goes beyond high-level settings may require managed services support.

What Are the Core Benefits of Managed M365 Services?

If you don’t feel like your organization is getting the most out of your M365 tools, it may be time for managed Microsoft 365 services. Managed services can address security gaps, improve compliance, support greater flexibility, reduce costs, provide 24/7 services, and optimize your IT management for more effective deployment and streamlined collaboration.

1. Enhanced Security and Compliance

Cloud-based productivity can bring many benefits to an organization, but the move to M365 also introduces new ransomware and other security concerns. Businesses that rely on default settings in M365 environments may find themselves with significant security gaps. Misconfigurations, unpatched vulnerabilities, and inadequate data loss prevention can all pose issues for organizations.

Managed 365 services can resolve common misconfigurations. These include open access in SharePoint, unsecure Teams guest access policies, and improper mobile device management (MDM) enforcement.

Plus, expert cloud security and compliance services from managed M365 providers can protect organizations against sophisticated cyber threats and data loss. Did you know there are over 1,000 security and privacy controls available in Microsoft 365? A managed M365 provider can support you in tailoring all of them to your environment. For example, they can:

• Enforce Conditional Access policies
• Integrate Microsoft Defender for Office 365 across mail and endpoints
• Set up Insider Risk Management policies using Microsoft Purview
• Monitor and analyze activity through Microsoft Secure Score and advanced audit logs.
• Optimize your Zero Trust implementation

2. Better M365 Scalability and Flexibility

Cloud-native platforms like M365 or Office 365 are inherently scalable, but managing the scalability can still be complex as your business grows. Managed M365 services can assist in the process by actively provisioning and de-provisioning licenses, as well as reconfiguring services, as your business grows and changes. This optimization ensures that your M365 environment allocates resources appropriately and cost-effectively.

3. Cost Efficiency and Predictability

License and resource management isn’t just good for performance and scalability. It’s also a budget-friendly move. Managed M365 providers can confirm that your business is only paying for the M365 licenses and features you truly need. They can also advise organizations on the plans that will be most cost-effective based on user groups, usage behaviors, and business goals.

Sometimes, expenses can go unnoticed when internal teams have to field multiple invoices. Managed M365 services often include invoice consolidation, simplifying the invoice process, improving visibility on billing, and reducing internal administrative overhead.

4. Expert-Led Microsoft 365 Migrations

Migrating to Microsoft 365 is rarely a plug-and-play experience, especially when transitioning from legacy on-prem environments, mixed platforms, or fragmented email systems. Without expert support, organizations risk data loss, downtime, misconfigurations, and user disruption.

The best managed M365 providers offer structured, proven migration services that include:

• Pre-migration assessment of your existing environment (e.g., Exchange, SharePoint, file servers, third-party platforms like Google Workspace)
• Identity planning and synchronization strategies using Azure AD Connect or Microsoft Entra ID, including hybrid identity and SSO setup
• Mailbox migration planning and execution, including cutover, staged, hybrid, or tenant-to-tenant options with minimal downtime
• Data migration from file shares, SharePoint on-prem, or other cloud platforms, ensuring metadata, permissions, and version history are preserved
• Teams and OneDrive migration planning, including channels, chat history, and third-party integrations
• Custom scripting and automation using PowerShell and Microsoft Graph APIs to support bulk provisioning, license assignment, or policy enforcement

5. 24/7 Expert Support Services

When your organization upgrades a piece of software like Microsoft Office, you may have to field a large volume of help desk calls from end users. Managed services offer end-user help desk services for Microsoft 365 customers who are looking for added day-to-day support. This means that IT teams can focus on more strategic initiatives. 

Of course, some help requests are more urgent than others. Managed M365 providers can provide faster urgent support responses for critical issues, prioritizing support needs and keeping the most vital parts of your business running. 

A managed provider like TierPoint can handle basic end-user questions such as password resets, login issues, and Outlook connection problems, so you don’t have to. Your end users get access to an experienced Microsoft 365 support team with advice for setup and configuration, as well as support for all Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, Outlook, SharePoint, Exchange, and Teams. 

6. Improved Productivity and Collaboration

A properly configured and managed M365 environment empowers your workforce, allowing them to be productive and collaborate with greater ease. When Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive are customized for efficient, real-time collaboration, you reduce the friction between team members, enabling them to work effectively no matter their location or device.

Here’s a snippet of how we helped Vallen Distribution, Inc. enhance productivity and accelerate innovation: 

“Partnering with TierPoint helped us unlock the full potential of all that Microsoft Modern Workplace has to offer. We’ve been able to streamline and automate business processes across our organization, leading to both cost savings and increased productivity.”

– Merek Chase, Director of Infrastructure at Vallen Distribution, Inc.

Managed providers can also perform proactive performance monitoring and rapid troubleshooting that improves the user experience and keeps the focus on work instead of technical issues.

The right managed M365 expert can also provide guidance and support for teams looking to adopt advanced features, such as workflow automation tools and Copilot. With Microsoft 365 Copilot, organizations can supercharge productivity with generative AI embedded in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and more. However, realizing Copilot’s potential requires optimized data access, permissioning, and governance. A managed service partner ensures that sensitive data is protected and that Copilot delivers secure, contextual assistance tailored to your organization’s needs.

7. Streamlined IT Management

You have limited internal IT resources. Managed Microsoft 365 frees up your IT admin resources to do what they do best: run your business. You can pass the complexity of managing Office 365 to a dedicated team that focuses on Microsoft 365 every day.

TierPoint’s Microsoft 365 managed services team can ease your burden of daily maintenance and support. We have a large and capable service delivery staff of our own. Plus, as an official Microsoft Solutions Partner, we maintain exclusive access to Premier Support for Partners, so we can escalate and resolve your M365 problems swiftly.

 8. Accelerated, Tailored Deployment

Deploying new Microsoft 365 apps and services, whether you’re transitioning from an on-premises environment or upgrading to premium capabilities, can be a complex undertaking. Managed M365 services include strategic, implementation, and deployment support for an efficient transition to a new or growing environment. Managed providers can work with your team to plan seamless deployments, configure optimal M365 settings, and accelerate your time to value in your M365 investment.

Maximize Your Managed M365 Benefits with a Microsoft Solutions Partner

No matter where you’re at in your M365 adoption journey, TierPoint brings strategic, end-to-end Microsoft expertise to the table. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern Work, Azure Infrastructure, and Azure Local, we support your Microsoft 365 journey in the context of your broader IT strategy.

Whether you’re managing a hybrid infrastructure, preparing for Copilot deployment, or aligning Microsoft 365 with your Azure workloads, TierPoint has the certified talent and tools to deliver. Pass the complexity of M365 optimization to an experienced managed service provider that offers:

• Microsoft 365 Certified experts: A dedicated team to support your daily and long-term needs.
• End-to-end services: Comprehensive support across migration, deployment, configuration, administration, user support, and lifecycle management.
• Microsoft Premier Support for Partners: Exclusive access to faster escalations and resolution.
• Deep Azure and hybrid cloud capabilities: Reap the benefits of Azure Virtual Desktop, Azure Backup & Site Recovery, and Azure Local in our own data centers.
• Specialists in hybrid Microsoft environments: Experts who can help you optimize collaboration, manage risk, and improve performance.
• Tailored support for your business needs: Proven experience supporting compliance-heavy, distributed, and multi-tenant organizations.

Let TierPoint simplify the complexity of Microsoft 365, while also helping you plan for what’s next with Azure, Copilot, and hybrid cloud modernization. Learn more about our Microsoft 365 Managed Services and talk to our experts to see how we can work together for the benefit of your organization.